The median worker in the Oklahoma City, OK metro area earned $45,880 a year in 2024, about $22.06 an hour. That ranks #228 of the 391 metro areas published here, 7.3% below the national median.
Oklahoma City pays 4.4% more than Oklahoma as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.
Housing here moved +2.3% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +27.6% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the
affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does.
House prices in Oklahoma City.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.
The median across all occupations is $45,880, or $22.06 an hour, covering 669,400 wage and salary workers. The mean is $58,140, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.
Does Oklahoma City pay more than the rest of Oklahoma?
Yes. The metro median of $45,880 is 4.4% above the Oklahoma median of $43,950. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.
Which jobs pay best in Oklahoma City?
Dentists, General ($179,450), Petroleum Engineers ($173,400), Chief Executives ($155,000). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.
What is Oklahoma City unusually full of?
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas, at 10.27× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.