According to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the state is continually scouting for talented international business and relations professionals to facilitate international commerce with the state’s thirty international trade partners. High-salaried positions are available to those highly knowledgeable of the industries, products, and cultures of the nations that conduct business with Arkansas.
In 2014, the United States International Trade Administration reported that Arkansas generated $6.9 million from merchandise exports in the world market. At that time, the state’s top export industries included transportation equipment, chemicals, processed foods, electrical equipment, and machinery. Arkansas’s largest foreign markets were in Canada, Mexico, France, China, and Japan that year.
As Arkansas continues to focus on global trade to bolster its economic condition, job opportunities for international business and relations professionals will grow, essentially triggering a more competitive salary climate. The Trade Benefits America Coalition reported that from 2004 to 2011 trade-related employment increased over eight times faster than the total employment growth rate. By 2012, nearly 327,00 Arkansas jobs were connected to international trade.
International Business Salaries for Professionals in Arkansas
Government agencies such as the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, NGOs like the Arkansas World Trade Center, and non-profit professional organizations including Arkansas Chapter of the Organization of Women in International Trade employ international business professionals in the state, paying them generous salaries.
However, many professionals prefer to work for privately owned companies rather than organizations, as they tend to offer even higher salaries. In 2014, the Arkansas Governor’s Office acknowledged the following companies for their excellence in global trade: POM Incorporated, Harris International, SweepScrub.com, Triangle Engineering, and Arkansas Steel Associates.
In 2014, the United States Department of Labor released the following median salary statistics for professionals involved in international business activities throughout Arkansas:
- Industrial Production Managers: $75,100
- Purchasing Managers: $92,700
- Transportation Storage and Distribution Managers: $88,200
- Compliance Officers: $50,600
- Logisticians: $58,800
- Management Analysts: $57,000
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists: $59,200
A more thorough examination into international business salaries for several metropolitan and nonmetropolitan regions of Arkansas is located in the data table below (US Department of Labor, 2014):
*The hourly wage is equal to or greater than $90 while the annual salary is equal to or greater than $187,199. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics does not report salary data greater than these values.
Salaries for International Relations Professionals in Arkansas
International relations professionals are considered trailblazers for global trade missions because they seek cultural understanding and diplomatic connections between foreign countries. By doing so, they create multinational altruistic bonds from which future commerce may more readily germinate.
In Arkansas, global volunteer organizations like Kiwanis International and humanitarian charity groups such as Heifer International stand as testaments to the state’s ongoing goal to strengthen global relationships. In 2014, the United States Department of Labor published the following salary figures to serve as guide for international relations pay expectations in Arkansas:
- Fundraisers: $38,300
- Economists: $64,500
- Urban and Regional Planners: $50,200
- Political Science Teachers Postsecondary: $60,400
- Foreign Language and Literature Teachers Postsecondary: $50,000
- Interpreters and Translators: $27,200
To show how salary averages among international relations occupations frequently vary according to geographic location of employment in Arkansas, the federal government compiled the following data (US Department of Labor, 2014):