Janitorial wages — Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metropolitan area
Little Rock sits near the top of the Deep South wage band: Arkansas’ $11.00/hr minimum wage is the highest in the region, and state government employment (the Capitol complex, multiple agency headquarters) creates above-average above-median cleaning demand for a metro this size. Conway’s college town profile (University of Central Arkansas, Hendrix College, Central Baptist College) adds institutional EVS demand. Healthcare (UAMS, Baptist Health, Conway Regional) anchors the highest-wage cleaning positions. For BSCs from higher-wage markets, Little Rock represents a lower nominal wage base with a familiar institutional client mix.
BLS Wage Data: What Janitors Earn in Little Rock
Per BLS OEWS Metropolitan Area tables (May 2024), the Little Rock MSA places janitorial mean hourly wages (SOC 37-2011) in the $12.50–$14.50/hr range, within the Deep South band. The national mean of $17.43/hr is roughly 20–25% above Little Rock’s median. The metro employs approximately 6,000–9,000 janitors across state government, healthcare, education, and commercial accounts.
| Percentile | Est. Hourly Wage | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $9.50–$11.00 | State minimum floor; marginal commercial |
| 25th | $11.00–$12.50 | Strip commercial and retail |
| 50th (median) | $12.50–$14.50 | Full-time commercial and healthcare-adjacent |
| 75th | $15.00–$18.00 | Hospital EVS, state government, UAMS campus |
| 90th | $19.00–$22.00 | Senior hospital and federal SCA |
Wage Drivers: What Shapes Little Rock Labor Costs
BEA Regional Price Parities place Little Rock near 87–91 nationally, per BEA Regional Price Parities. Low Arkansas housing and utility costs mean real wages stretch further than the nominal gap from national benchmarks suggests. State government and UAMS (the academic medical complex) anchor the highest-wage public-sector cleaning positions. Retail distribution (Dillard’s, Windstream) and healthcare are the two largest private-sector employers. Arkansas unemployment tracked 3.0–3.8% through 2024 per BLS LAUS.
Loaded Labor Cost: What Employers Actually Pay
Burden breakdown at $13.00/hr: FICA 7.65% ($1.00) + AR SUTA ~2% ($0.26) + workers’ comp $1.60–$2.50/$100 per Arkansas Insurance Department + GL ($0.30/hr) + health ($1.50–$2.75/hr) + PTO ($0.34/hr). $13.00 × 1.29 = $16.77 loaded; supervision adds $0.35–$0.52 = $17.12–$17.29 all-in. Use the per-clean vs. hourly calculator to model account economics.
State Minimum Wage and Local Premiums
Arkansas’ minimum wage was $11.00/hr as of 2023, one of the few Deep South states above the federal floor, per Arkansas Department of Labor, Minimum Wage. No Little Rock city or Pulaski County ordinance operates above the state floor. The practical commercial market floor sits near $11–$12/hr driven by competition. Tipped exemptions do not apply to cleaning work.
Union Landscape and Collective Bargaining
Arkansas is a Right-to-Work state. Commercial BSC janitorial work in Little Rock is virtually all non-union. UAMS custodial staff employed directly may be covered by AFSCME or state classified employee frameworks; those are direct-hire positions. Hospital EVS may involve SEIU Healthcare activity at UAMS and Baptist Health. See SEIU.org for context.
Workers’ Compensation Rates for NAICS 561720
Arkansas workers’ comp for NAICS 561720 runs approximately $1.60–$2.50 per $100 payroll in the voluntary market. Coverage is mandatory for employers with three or more employees. Details at Arkansas Insurance Department.
Prevailing Wage and Service Contract Act Implications
Federal facilities in Little Rock (federal courthouse, Little Rock AFB-adjacent buildings, VA Medical Center) require Service Contract Act compliance. SCA rates are at SAM.gov Wage Determinations; SCA janitor rates for the Little Rock area typically run $14–$17/hr. Arkansas has no statewide prevailing wage law for janitorial BSC contracts. See DOL Service Contract Act.
Total Compensation: Benefits, Turnover, and Hiring Cost
Per BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, benefits represent 27–30% of total compensation. Arkansas has no state-mandated paid sick leave. Per ISSA benchmarks, janitorial turnover runs 75–200% annually. Replacing one Little Rock janitor costs roughly $1,100–$2,400 per event at local wage levels.
UAMS and State Government Accounts Require Institution-Specific Pricing
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is the largest academic medical complex in Arkansas and runs healthcare-standard EVS requirements for its hospital and research facilities. A BSC quoting UAMS cleaning at commercial office rates will be non-compliant on Joint Commission-adjacent housekeeping standards and structurally underbid on scope. State government agency cleaning follows Arkansas state procurement rules with bid bond requirements, insurance minimums, and certified payroll documentation that commercial BSC operations do not carry by default. Both account types pay above the commercial median but require compliance infrastructure the open market does not.
Primary Sources
- BLS OEWS Metropolitan Area Estimates (May 2024)
- Arkansas Department of Labor, Minimum Wage
- Arkansas Insurance Department, Workers’ Compensation
- SAM.gov, SCA Wage Determinations
- US DOL, Service Contract Act
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
- BEA Regional Price Parities
See the bid template guide for the Little Rock MSA. Model account margins with the account profitability auditor. For healthcare facility cleaning at UAMS, see the healthcare cleaning hub. Stress-test bids with the bid stress test.
By the Opora Editorial Team · Last updated: 2026