Chief Data & AI Officer.
Little Rock.
$252,000
median salary, 15% below the national average
$188,000 to $328,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
The median Chief Data & AI Officer salary in Little Rock is $252,000, 15% below the national average. Entry level starts near $188,000. Experienced professionals push past $328,000. Little Rock's economy is driven by Walmart's nearby headquarters ecosystem, state government, healthcare, and logistics. That spread is your negotiation window.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $227,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$164,000
to $202,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$214,000
to $265,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$277,000
to $328,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$315,000
to $391,000
Salary trend
+5% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $168,000 to the total package.
Base
$252,000
Equity
$91,000
Bonus
$57,000
Signing
$20,000
Estimated total: $420,000
How Little Rock compares
Little Rock, AR
$252,000
Cost of living: 18% below average
National Average
$295,000
Little Rock is $43,000 below
Chief Data & AI Officer salary by city
Salary by role in Little Rock
What you should know
If you are interviewing for Chief Data & AI Officer roles in Little Rock, here is what you are walking into. Little Rock's economy is driven by Walmart's nearby headquarters ecosystem, state government, healthcare, and logistics. The metro's extremely low cost of living means even moderate salaries deliver strong purchasing power. Tech jobs are growing as companies seek affordable alternatives to major metros. Compensation scales with the breadth of the AI and data portfolio under management. Officers overseeing both revenue-generating AI products and enterprise data governance at Fortune 500 companies command premium packages. Industry vertical matters significantly, with financial services and healthcare paying 15 to 25% above median.
Most CDAIOs advance from VP of Data Science or VP of AI Engineering roles earning $200,000 to $270,000. The CDAIO role itself ranges from $220,000 to $385,000 base. Some transition to CEO or board director positions with total compensation exceeding $1,500,000 annually. In Little Rock, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 18% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation typically reaches $600,000 to $1,200,000 including equity grants, performance bonuses of 40 to 60% of base, and retention packages. Board observer seats and advisory equity in portfolio companies are increasingly common. And on the tax side: arkansas has a top income tax rate of 4.4%. Little Rock has no city income tax. The combination of low taxes and very affordable housing creates one of the best net pay environments in the country. When someone quotes you $252,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Reference the Walmart and Tyson ecosystem when negotiating. Northwest Arkansas and Little Rock employers benchmark against national corporate pay scales. The range for Chief Data & AI Officers in Little Rock runs from $188,000 to $328,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: SEC filings, H-1B LCA (DOL), BLS OES, 50+ job posting platforms. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified April 8, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Chief AI Officer in Little Rock earns $259,000 (3% more)
- The highest-paying role in Little Rock is Chief AI Officer at $259,000
Common questions.
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