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Arkansas / Department of Public Safety / Program Eligibility Specialist I

Job-title file

Program Eligibility Specialist I

Coordinate and deliver a specific program area, supporting planning, outreach, and daily operations.

7 employees hold this title in Department of Public Safety. Median total compensation for the role is $53,070, below the department median of $57,769.

Employees
7
Total payroll
$332.9K
Role median
$53,070
Agency median
$57,769
Comparison
Below

Compared with the local labor market

Program Eligibility Specialist I pay vs. Arkansas

Across all employers in Arkansas, the median wage for Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs — about 610 people — is $45,340. Department of Public Safety pays a median base salary of $55,419 for this role, 22% above that figureabove the 90th percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Department of Public Safety sits in the local pay range

10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
$37,230
$38,030
$45,340
$50,230
$55,150
Department of Public Safety median · $55,419

The bar is the range of annual wages for Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs across every employer in Arkansas, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Department of Public Safety’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.

And across the country

Nationwide, the median wage for Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs — about 154,800 people — is $54,210. Department of Public Safety’s median base salary is 2% above that national figure, about the 53rd percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.

10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
$38,900
$45,910
$54,210
$63,610
$74,690
Department of Public Safety median · $55,419

Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the Arkansas range relative to the national one.

Computed over the 6 of 7 people in this role paid at least $25,000in base salary. The rest are part-year or part-time records, whose actual pay isn’t comparable to a full-time annual wage.

Median total compensation for this role at Department of Public Safety is $53,070, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.

Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.

Compare departments

This role across Arkansas

Program Eligibility Specialist I is held in 7 Arkansas departments. In Department of Public Safety, the median of $53,070 ranks #1 of 7.

Highest-paying departments for this role

Median total compensation for the Program Eligibility Specialist I role in other Arkansasdepartments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.

Record list

Employees with this title

Page 1

Varnell Messer

Program Eligibility Specialist I/Department of Public Safety

2026 total comp
$61,790
Sub-department
State Government Services
Base pay
$61,790
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$61,790
Hire date
04-04-1994
Pay grade
Sgs05
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
1

Source-specific fields

Job Classification Code
PPE02P
Pay Scale Type
Classified
Position Number
22096707

At Department of Public Safety, Varnell Messer serves as a Program Eligibility Specialist I within State Government Services. Records show a hire date of 04-04-1994. Their 2026 pay totaled $61,790. They are classified at grade Sgs05.

Tonia Hooks

Program Eligibility Specialist I/Department of Public Safety

2026 total comp
$58,681
Sub-department
State Government Services
Base pay
$58,681
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$58,681
Hire date
01-14-2015
Pay grade
Sgs05
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
1

Source-specific fields

Job Classification Code
PPE02P
Pay Scale Type
Classified
Position Number
22078002

Tonia Hooks works as a Program Eligibility Specialist I for Department of Public Safety within State Government Services. Their hire date on record is 01-14-2015. Tonia earned $58,681 in 2026. Their pay grade is Sgs05.

Melinda Perkins

Program Eligibility Specialist I/Department of Public Safety

2026 total comp
$57,769
Sub-department
State Government Services
Base pay
$57,769
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$57,769
Hire date
09-11-2005
Pay grade
Sgs05
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
1

Source-specific fields

Job Classification Code
PPE02P
Pay Scale Type
Classified
Position Number
22142710

Melinda Perkins is a Program Eligibility Specialist I at Department of Public Safety within State Government Services. Records show a hire date of 09-11-2005. 2026 total compensation came to $57,769. They are classified at grade Sgs05.

Michaela Thomas

Program Eligibility Specialist I/Department of Public Safety

2026 total comp
$53,070
Sub-department
State Government Services
Base pay
$53,070
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$53,070
Hire date
04-09-2018
Pay grade
Sgs05
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
1

Source-specific fields

Job Classification Code
PPE02P
Pay Scale Type
Classified
Position Number
22078003

At Department of Public Safety, Michaela Thomas serves as a Program Eligibility Specialist I within State Government Services. Records show a hire date of 04-09-2018. Their 2026 pay totaled $53,070. They are classified at grade Sgs05.

Allisen Douglas

Program Eligibility Specialist I/Department of Public Safety

2026 total comp
$47,397
Sub-department
State Government Services
Base pay
$47,397
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$47,397
Hire date
07-07-2025
Pay grade
Sgs05
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
1

Source-specific fields

Job Classification Code
PPE02P
Pay Scale Type
Classified
Position Number
22090074

At Department of Public Safety, Allisen Douglas serves as a Program Eligibility Specialist I within State Government Services. Records show a hire date of 07-07-2025. Their 2026 pay totaled $47,397. They are classified at grade Sgs05.

Ericka Henson

Program Eligibility Specialist I/Department of Public Safety

2026 total comp
$36,155
Sub-department
State Government Services
Base pay
$36,155
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$36,155
Hire date
10-30-2023
Pay grade
Sgs05
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
1

Source-specific fields

Job Classification Code
PPE02P
Pay Scale Type
Classified
Position Number
22183377

Ericka Henson works as a Program Eligibility Specialist I for Department of Public Safety within State Government Services. Their hire date on record is 10-30-2023. Ericka earned $36,155 in 2026. Their pay grade is Sgs05.

Margaret Beets

Program Eligibility Specialist I/Department of Public Safety

2026 total comp
$18,077
Sub-department
State Government Services
Base pay
$18,077
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$18,077
Hire date
11-04-2024
Pay grade
Sgs05
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
0.5

Source-specific fields

Job Classification Code
PPE02P
Pay Scale Type
Classified
Position Number
22183376

Margaret Beets is a Program Eligibility Specialist I at Department of Public Safety within State Government Services. Records show a hire date of 11-04-2024, working 0.5 FTE. 2026 total compensation came to $18,077. They are classified at grade Sgs05.