Auto Body Repairers in the Fort Smith area earn a median of $46,530 a year, 10% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #327 of 363 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Fayetteville and Hot Springs.
Fort Smith scorecard for auto body repairers Our calculation
Grades compare Fort Smith with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($51,680).
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Fort Smith Our calculation
Prices in Fort Smith run 14% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $54,175 would in a typical place, ranking #214 of 361 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
What auto body repairers do
Repair and refinish automotive vehicle bodies and straighten vehicle frames.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- File, grind, sand, and smooth filled or repaired surfaces, using power tools and hand tools.
- Inspect repaired vehicles for proper functioning, completion of work, dimensional accuracy, and overall appearance of paint job, and test-drive vehicles to ensure proper alignment and handling.
- Fit and weld replacement parts into place, using wrenches and welding equipment, and grind down welds to smooth them, using power grinders and other tools.
- Prime and paint repaired surfaces, using paint sprayguns and motorized sanders.
- Follow supervisors' instructions as to which parts to restore or replace and how much time the job should take.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, auto body repairer jobs are projected to grow 3.7% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 12,600 openings a year. About 8% are self-employed.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, auto body repairers have 60 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 31% below the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying AR metros for auto body repairers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| FayettevilleARKANSAS · AR | $55,960 | $61,257 | 240 |
| Little RockARKANSAS · AR | $54,560 | $61,054 | 290 |
| Hot SpringsARKANSAS · AR | $49,510 | $57,751 | 50 |
| JonesboroARKANSAS · AR | $48,920 | $56,966 | 80 |
| Fort SmithARKANSAS · AR | $46,530 | $54,175 | 70 |
See every metro in Arkansas.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Fort Smith area's unemployment rate was 4.1% in 2025 (all workers, not just auto body repairers), equal to the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 3.7% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Fort Smith area is 21 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 9% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 78% drive alone, 0% take transit and 6% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
New construction
New-home permits in Fort Smith are roughly flat from 2021 to 2025 (662 → 663).
In 2025 the Fort Smith area approved permits for 663 new homes (245 single-family), or 2.9 per 1,000 residents, ranking #229 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 59 one-person businesses (no employees) in auto body & paint, averaging $79,407 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 27 auto body & paint companies that have employees (about 156 workers in total). 59% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $46,530 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get auto body repairer pricing & estimate templates →Compare Fort Smith with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.