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Average Salary in Oklahoma
This page shows what jobs actually pay in Oklahoma, occupation by occupation, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for May 2024. BLS publishes wage estimates for 673 occupations in Oklahoma. For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage in May 2024 was $67,920, the median wage was $23.80 an hour, and total U.S. employment covered by the survey was 154,187,380 jobs. Use the tables below to see Oklahoma's highest-paying occupations, its largest occupations, and which Oklahoma jobs pay more — or less — than the same job nationally.
Highest-paying occupations in Oklahoma
The highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Oklahoma is physicians, pathologists, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ — 324.4% higher than the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920 — and a median wage of $239,200+ across 70 jobs. Compared with the same occupation nationally (mean $239,200+), Oklahoma pays 8.4% higher for this work. Next on the list are psychiatrists at a mean of $239,200+ and general internal medicine physicians at $239,200+. These top-paying fields are small: together the top three employ 610 people in Oklahoma, so they describe the top of the Oklahoma wage ladder rather than the typical worker's experience.
| Occupation | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, Pathologists | 70 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Psychiatrists | 100 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 440 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 2,780 | $105.40 | $219,220 | $239,200+ |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 150 | $86.01 | $178,900 | $239,200+ |
| Pediatricians, General | 160 | $108.73 | $226,150 | $239,200+ |
| Podiatrists | 50 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $224,790 |
| Physicians, All Other | 1,960 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $217,720 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | 70 | $106.81 | $222,150 | $214,790 |
| Dentists, General | 1,150 | $77.78 | $161,780 | $201,720 |
| Chief Executives | 2,000 | $71.57 | $148,870 | $177,610 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 1,930 | $73.62 | $153,130 | $166,660 |
| Petroleum Engineers | 1,290 | $68.49 | $142,470 | $159,810 |
| Chemical Engineers | 190 | $77.40 | $160,990 | $152,840 |
| Sales Managers | 2,920 | $62.51 | $130,010 | $148,510 |
Largest occupations in Oklahoma
The occupation with the most jobs in Oklahoma is fast food and counter workers, employing an estimated 53,380 people at a median annual wage of $23,590 and a mean of $25,090. Nationally the same occupation pays a median of $30,480, so Oklahoma's typical pay for this work runs 22.6% lower. The next-largest occupations are general and operations managers (45,900 jobs, median $80,620) and retail salespersons (41,590 jobs, median $29,580). Because these occupations are so large, their wages move the overall picture of Oklahoma pay far more than the small, highly paid fields above.
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 53,380 | $23,590 | $25,090 |
| General and Operations Managers | 45,900 | $80,620 | $104,650 |
| Retail Salespersons | 41,590 | $29,580 | $33,300 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 41,490 | $36,260 | $36,400 |
| Cashiers | 41,320 | $27,130 | $26,790 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 33,380 | $37,570 | $40,620 |
| Registered Nurses | 32,870 | $81,160 | $85,800 |
| Office Clerks, General | 31,750 | $36,520 | $37,980 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 31,230 | $33,900 | $35,810 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 29,080 | $51,920 | $56,300 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 26,460 | $19,890 | $27,920 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 23,000 | $30,590 | $31,360 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 20,730 | $38,630 | $39,480 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 20,560 | $26,540 | $27,190 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 20,000 | $40,710 | $44,780 |
Where Oklahoma pays a premium — and where it lags
Comparing each occupation's Oklahoma median with its own national median shows where Oklahoma's labor market is strong. Among occupations with at least 1,000 Oklahoma jobs, the largest premium is for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders: a median of $61,750 in Oklahoma versus $49,390 nationally, 25.0% higher. The largest discount is for substitute teachers, short-term, at $22,450 in Oklahoma versus $38,470 nationally, 41.6% lower. In total, 23 of the 282 occupations with 1,000 or more Oklahoma jobs pay a median above their national median. Separately, 173 of the 673 occupations published for Oklahoma have a median annual wage above the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920, which underlines how much of Oklahoma's job base sits in lower-wage service work even in a state with high-paying headline jobs.
| Occupation | Oklahoma median | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $61,750 | $49,390 | +25.0% |
| Tire Builders | $66,710 | $55,580 | +20.0% |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | $44,530 | $39,790 | +11.9% |
| Helpers--Electricians | $44,170 | $39,890 | +10.7% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | $89,170 | $81,270 | +9.7% |
| Rehabilitation Counselors | $30,070 | $46,110 | -34.8% |
| Bartenders | $21,620 | $33,530 | -35.5% |
| Driver/Sales Workers | $23,220 | $37,130 | -37.5% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $19,890 | $33,760 | -41.1% |
| Substitute Teachers, Short-Term | $22,450 | $38,470 | -41.6% |
Oklahoma salary FAQ
What is the highest-paying job in Oklahoma?
By average pay, physicians, pathologists is the highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Oklahoma, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ and a median of $239,200+ in May 2024.
What is the average salary in Oklahoma?
For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage was $67,920 in May 2024. In Oklahoma, the largest occupation, fast food and counter workers, paid a median of $23,590 across 53,380 jobs, and the tables on this page show mean and median pay for all 673 published occupations.
How many jobs does the largest occupation in Oklahoma have?
Fast Food and Counter Workers is the largest occupation published for Oklahoma, with an estimated 53,380 jobs in May 2024 and a mean annual wage of $25,090.
Which occupations pay more in Oklahoma than in the U.S. overall?
Among occupations with at least 1,000 Oklahoma jobs, paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders shows the largest premium: a median of $61,750 in Oklahoma versus $49,390 nationally, 25.0% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.