Chief Data Officer.

Where do you fall?

Salary trend

Estimated total: $351,000

Here is what the Chief Data Officer market actually looks like in Little Rock. 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. Data maturity of the organization, regulatory complexity, and whether the CDO drives revenue versus compliance create wide pay variance. CDOs at companies monetizing data assets or building AI-powered products earn significantly more than those focused primarily on governance and regulatory compliance activities.

Directors of data science or analytics earn $165,000 to $220,000. VPs of data advance to $210,000 to $280,000. CDOs at mid-market companies make $240,000 to $310,000. CDOs at large enterprises or data-intensive tech companies reach $320,000 to $400,000 with total comp of $500,000 to $1.2 million. 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. Annual bonuses of 20 to 35% of base tied to data quality metrics, AI initiative success, and compliance milestones are standard. Equity grants at tech companies add $150,000 to $600,000 in annualized value. Some CDOs negotiate dedicated data infrastructure budgets. 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 $215,000, 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 Officers in Little Rock runs from $161,000 to $282,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.

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Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.

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