diff --git a/cpp/src/arrow/compute/kernels/scalar_string.cc b/cpp/src/arrow/compute/kernels/scalar_string.cc
index 065c512c552..be1cc83d158 100644
--- a/cpp/src/arrow/compute/kernels/scalar_string.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/arrow/compute/kernels/scalar_string.cc
@@ -1635,12 +1635,7 @@ struct ExtractRegex : public ExtractRegexBase {
             checked_cast<BuilderType*>(struct_builder->field_builder(i)));
       }
 
-      auto visit_null = [&]() {
-        for (int i = 0; i < group_count; i++) {
-          RETURN_NOT_OK(field_builders[i]->AppendEmptyValue());
-        }
-        return struct_builder->AppendNull();
-      };
+      auto visit_null = [&]() { return struct_builder->AppendNull(); };
       auto visit_value = [&](util::string_view s) {
         if (Match(s)) {
           for (int i = 0; i < group_count; i++) {
@@ -1648,7 +1643,7 @@ struct ExtractRegex : public ExtractRegexBase {
           }
           return struct_builder->Append();
         } else {
-          return visit_null();
+          return struct_builder->AppendNull();
         }
       };
       const ArrayData& input = *batch[0].array();
diff --git a/cpp/src/arrow/compute/kernels/scalar_string_test.cc b/cpp/src/arrow/compute/kernels/scalar_string_test.cc
index 577493913b5..cb74b1449b5 100644
--- a/cpp/src/arrow/compute/kernels/scalar_string_test.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/arrow/compute/kernels/scalar_string_test.cc
@@ -539,6 +539,10 @@ TYPED_TEST(TestStringKernels, ExtractRegex) {
       "extract_regex", R"(["a1", "b2", "c3", null])", type,
       R"([{"letter": "a", "digit": "1"}, {"letter": "b", "digit": "2"}, null, null])",
       &options);
+  this->CheckUnary(
+      "extract_regex", R"(["a1", "c3", null, "b2"])", type,
+      R"([{"letter": "a", "digit": "1"}, null, null, {"letter": "b", "digit": "2"}])",
+      &options);
   this->CheckUnary("extract_regex", R"(["a1", "b2"])", type,
                    R"([{"letter": "a", "digit": "1"}, {"letter": "b", "digit": "2"}])",
                    &options);