How Much Do You Need to Make to Live Your Best Life?
By Arkansas Next staff on Monday, October 15, 2018
Thinking about finances can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve never lived on your own.
But it’s important to think about the lifestyle you want in the future. Knowing how much money you need to do and buy things you want can help you decide what career to pursue. The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services created a handy lifestyle calculator specifically for Arkansas residents. This calculator can tell you exactly how much you need to make to live your best lives — and also gives a reality check about how much things like internet bills and rent actually cost!
Real Life Calculator
| Your Monthly Expenses | in Little Rock |
| Housing | $673 |
| Utilities | $307 |
| Food | $400 |
| Transportation | $420 |
| Clothes | $150 |
| Health Care | $94 |
| Personal | $50 |
| Entertainment | $50 |
| Misc | $100 |
| Savings | $214 |
| Student Loan Debt | $89 |
| Monthly Expenses | $2,547 |
| Annual Expenses | $30,569 |
| Taxes (21% of Annual Expenses) | $6,419 |
| Annual Salary Needed | $36,988 |
SEE FOR YOURSELF: Create your own sample monthy budget – based on the lifestyle and degree you want – to see if you will actually be able to afford the life you're picturing!
What They Pay
IF YOU WANT TO BE A ___________________ IN ARKANSAS, YOU'LL MAKE $_________.
| Accountants | $66,260 |
| Agricultural & Food Science Technicians | $39,400 |
| Aircraft Mechanics & Service Technician | $47,640 |
| Airline Pilots | $89,030 |
| Animal Trainers | $27,240 |
| Applications Software Developers | $87,500 |
| Architects | $67,980 |
| Art Directors | $66,960 |
| Artists (Fine Arts) | $23,480 |
| Athletic Trainers | $39,040 |
| Auto Body Repairers | $39,400 |
| Bakers | $23,730 |
| Biomedical Engineers | $64,930 |
| Business Professors | $87,510 |
| Butchers | $27,460 |
| Carpenters | $34,580 |
| Chefs & Head Cooks | $41,180 |
| Chemists | $74,710 |
| Chiropractors | $57,010 |
| Civil Engineers | $81,790 |
| Coaches & Scouts | $46,510 |
| Computer Programmers | $69,520 |
| Conservation Scientists | $55,890 |
| Construction Managers | $76,480 |
| Correctional Officers | $33,810 |
| Court Reporters | $44,420 |
| Dental Hygienists | $68,580 |
| Detectives & Criminal Investigators | $58,690 |
| Dietitians & Nutritionists | $55,060 |
| Economists | $68,830 |
| Editors | $48,920 |
| Electrical Engineers | $84,860 |
| Electricians | $44,030 |
| Elementary School Teachers | $48,110 |
| EMTs & Paramedics | $29,850 |
| Environmental Engineers | $91,980 |
| Farmers & Ranchers | $82,810 |
| Film & Video Editors | $45,680 |
| Financial Analysts | $73,210 |
| Financial Managers | $100,370 |
| Firefighters | $37,010 |
| Floral Designers | $24,310 |
| Food Scientists & Technologists | $83,110 |
| Food Service Managers | $49,110 |
| Forensic Science Technicians | $39,830 |
| Funeral Directors & Undertakers | $42,550 |
| Graphic Designers | $42,090 |
| Hairdressers, Hairstylists & Cosmetologists | $26,340 |
| High School Teachers | $48,640 |
| High School Special Ed Teachers | $38,670 |
| History Professors | $81,180 |
| Home Appliance Repairers | $33,570 |
| Home Health Aides | $21,370 |
| Hotel & Resort Desk Clerks | $20,010 |
| Human Resources Specialists | $56,420 |
| Information Security Analyst | $83,070 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | $59,890 |
| Interior Designers | $60,450 |
| Interpreters & Translators | $35,280 |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $22,670 |
| Kindergarten Teacher | $46,310 |
| Landscape Architects | $58,350 |
| Legal Secretaries | $34,610 |
| Librarians | $52,630 |
| Machinists | $40,610 |
| Massage Therapists | $43,150 |
| Mechanical Engineers | $74,330 |
| Microbiologists | $74,640 |
| Middle School Teachers | $49,130 |
| Multimedia Artists & Animators | $52,390 |
| Nuclear Medicine Technologists | $72,240 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $95,230 |
| Occupational Therapists | $79,220 |
| Personal Financial Advisers | $103,880 |
| Pest Control Workers | $31,630 |
| Photographers | $30,440 |
| Physical Therapists | $80,690 |
| Physician Assistants | $82,050 |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $38,450 |
| Police, Fire & Ambulance Dispatchers | $28,720 |
| Political Science Professors | $83,280 |
| Postal Service Clerks | $45,760 |
| Power Plant Operators | $80,780 |
| Preschool Teachers | $32,290 |
| Private Detectives & Investigators | $42,870 |
| Proofreaders & Copy Editors | $39,390 |
| Psychologists | $82,480 |
| Public Relations Specialists | $57,700 |
| Radiation Therapists | $70,610 |
| Radio & Television Announcers | $27,180 |
| Radiologic & MRI Technologists | $47,890 |
| Real Estate Sales Agents | $41,660 |
| Registered Nurses | $58,810 |
| Reporters & Correspondents | $32,080 |
| Secretaries & Administrative Assistants | $30,020 |
| Security Guards | $26,820 |
| Social Workers | $47,660 |
| Sound Engineering Technicians | $44,970 |
| Speech-Language Pathologists | $76,650 |
| Statisticians | $76,050 |
| Tax Examiners & Collectors | $53,450 |
| Taxi Drivers & Chauffeurs | $22,620 |
| Technical Writers | $54,250 |
| Travel Agents | $34,360 |
| Veterinarians | $69,130 |
| Waiters & Waitresses | $20,270 |
| Web Developers | $51,370 |
| Welders | $39,720 |
| Writers & Authors | $48,380 |
| Zoologists & Wildlife Biologists | $52,460 |
The Top 25 Highest-Paying Occupations in Arkansas
| 1 | Internists, General | $247,280 |
| 2 | Obstetricians & Gynecologists | $235,130 |
| 3 | Family & General Practitioners | $222,460 |
| 4 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $212,970 |
| 5 | Pediatricians, General | $183,080 |
| 6 | Podiatrists | $182,120 |
| 7 | Physicians & Surgeons, All Other | $180,350 |
| 8 | Anesthesiologists | $178,850 |
| 9 | Dentists, General | $170,440 |
| 10 | Nurse Anesthetists | $161,690 |
| 11 | Psychiatrists | $161,620 |
| 12 | Marketing Managers | $147,370 |
| 13 | Advertising & Promotions Managers | $145,680 |
| 14 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $142,340 |
| 15 | Chief Executives | $130,630 |
| 16 | Pharmacists | $117,670 |
| 17 | Architectural & Engineering Managers | $116,720 |
| 18 | Law Teachers, Postsecondary | $114,820 |
| 19 | Transportation, Storage & Distribution Managers | $113,580 |
| 20 | Actuaries | $112,920 |
| 21 | Sales Managers | $112,380 |
| 22 | Purchasing Managers | $111,450 |
| 23 | Computer & Information Systems Managers | $111,410 |
| 24 | Judges, Magistrate Judges & Magistrates | $111,000 |
| 25 | Compensation & Benefits Managers | $110,000 |
