Membership with ATRS is established through employment with an ATRS Covered Employer. Generally employees of the following Arkansas employers are required to be members of ATRS:
- Department of Correction School
- Department of Education - General Division
- Educational Cooperatives
- Educational Television Commission (AETN)
- Public Schools
- School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
- School for the Deaf
- Teacher Retirement System
Unless an alternate retirement plan is selected, employees of the following are also generally required to be members of ATRS:
- Colleges and Universities
- Department of Workforce Education / Rehab. Services
- Vocational-Technical Schools
Employees of certain educational, nonprofit corporations may be members of ATRS pending approval of their employer by the Internal Revenue Service and the ATRS Board of Trustees.