What could you earn with an RN salary in Oklahoma? The Sooner State faces a 28% shortage of RNs, so you’ll find opportunities across a wide range of healthcare settings. Plus, with several excellent nursing schools and facilities to choose from, there are many ways to grow your nursing career here.
Oklahoma has a population of over 4.1 million people, with over 23% under 18 and 18% age 65 and older. Whether you’re interested in working with neonates, geriatric patients, or another population, you’ll find people in need of nursing professionals in OK. Keep reading to learn about RN salaries, major employers, and ways to boost your income as an RN.
What’s the Average RN Salary in Oklahoma?
According to our latest market-based data, RNs in Oklahoma are earning an average salary of $86,706 annually, or $41.69 per hour. Registered nurse wages vary widely, and you may earn more or less based on your years of experience, clinical specialty area, level of education, and other factors.
How these numbers are determined: Our wage estimates for the RN salary in Oklahoma are based on two inputs: Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data and Credenza's own job postings feed, which features current job ads for nurses in the area. Estimates are updated monthly. Learn more about our methodology.
Oklahoma RN Salary by Location
Curious about what you might earn in a specific part of Oklahoma? We pulled current data from our job board to show you what RNs are earning on average in Oklahoma's metro areas. Take a look at the latest RN jobs on Credenza to find the highest paying positions near you.
Your salary. Your city.
What Do RNs Make in Oklahoma?
Median pay for RNs in Oklahoma's top-paying areas, from Credenza's salary model. Updated monthly.
- Muskogee Annual salary: $92,539 Hourly salary: $44.49 / hr See jobs
- Stillwater Annual salary: $88,462 Hourly salary: $42.53 / hr See jobs
- Tulsa Annual salary: $88,379 Hourly salary: $42.49 / hr See jobs
- Arapaho Annual salary: $86,653 Hourly salary: $41.66 / hr See jobs
- Oklahoma City Annual salary: $86,486 Hourly salary: $41.58 / hr See jobs
Our own salary estimates · Updated monthly · Free to access
Annual figures are annualized equivalents (40 hrs/week × 52 weeks) of median hourly
pay.
Oklahoma RN Salary Comparison
As an Oklahoma RN, how might your salary compare to nearby states? RN income averages vary from state to state, and relocating could have a significant impact on your earning potential. Learn more about your regional job market by comparing the RN salary in Oklahoma to other states:
- Average RN salary in Texas
- Average RN salary in Kansas
- Average RN salary in Arkansas
- Average RN salary in Missouri
Benefits of Being an RN in Oklahoma
Nurses in Oklahoma benefit from the state’s participation in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), housing costs far below the national average, and a strong sense of community. Here, you’ll find thriving cities, charming smaller towns, and plenty of wide-open spaces. And whether you’re looking to switch specialties, gain a degree, become a nurse leader, or get involved in clinical research, there are many ways to grow your career in Oklahoma.
Where are nurses needed most in Oklahoma? Nearly 36% of residents live in rural areas, where access to medical care is scarce. In terms of specialty shortages, the state faces the highest vacancy rates in medical-surgical units, followed by telemetry and geriatric mental health. Rehabilitation and mental health nursing are also facing large staffing gaps.
The Oklahoma Health Corps offers assistance with loan repayment for eligible healthcare workers. A two-year service commitment could help you pay off a significant portion of your student loan debt, while serving communities with critical needs in Oklahoma. RNs working in behavioral health and substance abuse could be eligible.
Oklahoma is home to more than 39 tribes and tribal organizations that operate their own health programs. Nurses of all backgrounds may find roles with the Indian Health Service, or you can search for roles with the National Health Services Corps. These roles may also offer tuition reimbursement, so they can be a great way to give back.
Communities Need RNs in Oklahoma
Interested in building a career in acute care? Oklahoma has several large healthcare organizations to choose from. One of the best hospitals in Oklahoma is St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, the largest in the state with over 1110 beds. Another prominent facility is Ascension St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, a level 1 trauma center with over 670 beds.
If you’re seeking a role outside of acute care, consider applying at one of the many community health centers across Oklahoma. The state has over 280 nursing homes, as well as aesthetic practices, outpatient surgery centers, ambulatory care clinics, and much more. Find out about the opportunities currently available at the facilities and organizations below:
- Comanche County Memorial Hospital
- Hillcrest HealthCare System
- Integris Health
- Norman Regional Health System
- OU Health
- PAM Health Specialty Hospital of Oklahoma City
- State of Oklahoma
Nursing Career Growth in Oklahoma
Interested in levelling up your nursing career? You’ll find multiple bridge programs, remote learning opportunities, and flexible degrees to help you grow your expertise. Several programs in Oklahoma boast 100% NCLEX passing rates, including all three colleges in the Northern Oklahoma College system.
In 2025, eligible APRNs were given the option to apply for independent prescriptive authority in Oklahoma. To access this expanded practice option, you’ll need to be a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, or certified nurse midwife with at least 6,240 supervised clinical hours.
The Oklahoma Nurses Association advocates for nurses across the state, working to address issues that OK nurses face daily. Their priorities include workforce shortages, workplace violence, patient safety, and scope of practice. The Oklahoma Center for Nursing also works to strengthen the state’s nursing workforce through research and collaboration.
The Oklahoma Board of Nursing regulates RN licensure and renewal, while the Oklahoma Nurse Practice Act outlines the scope of practice for RNs. If you’re not yet licensed but are interested in becoming a nurse in OK, check out our step-by-step guide. We’ve also broken down the licensure renewal process in Oklahoma.
How to Increase Your RN Salary in Oklahoma
How can you leverage your skills to earn the highest RN salary in Oklahoma? Whether you’re paying off credit cards, buying a home, or just looking for a way to earn more as an RN, there are many opportunities to grow your earning potential in Oklahoma. Check out the following ways to increase what you make as a nurse:
- Try travel nursing. Since Oklahoma is an NLC state, picking up a travel nurse contract in nearby Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, or another compact state could be a great option. Travel nurses work on short-term contracts in high-need areas. This is a great option if you’re an experienced nurse with confidence and the ability to adapt to new workplaces quickly.
- Switch roles. Moving to a new facility can help you negotiate higher pay, even if you plan to stay in the same specialty. On the other hand, if you’re interested in something new, high-acuity areas tend to pay more. Consider roles in critical care, cath lab, or another acute care unit.
- Pick up a side hustle. Got extra time or energy on your off days? Consider a per diem or remote role. Working as an advice nurse, nursing consultant, or home health nurse could help you gain a new skill set while boosting your income.
- Go back to school. Consider earning a graduate-level nursing degree or leadership training, as these are some of the highest-paying roles for nurses. Nursing careers that require advanced degrees include nurse midwife (CNM), nurse practitioner (NP), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), or nurse anesthetist (CRNA).
- Negotiate a raise. Prepare for your next performance review by assembling a file of your accomplishments: certifications, awards, online courses, or additional responsibilities you’ve taken on. That way, you’re prepared to make a case for the value you bring to the unit as you negotiate for better pay.
Create your nursing profile to get matched with the jobs you want
Ready to simplify your job search? Build your customized nursing profile once and use it to find the best-matched jobs whenever you're looking for them.
Why Trust Us?
How much you make as a registered nurse is important. That’s why it’s crucial to get numbers reporting the RN salary in Oklahoma and other regions right. We have the data and the experience to do just that. Here’s why you can rely on us.
Methodology: How We Get the Data
Data Sources. Wage estimates combine two inputs. The first is the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, which is the federal benchmark for what healthcare workers actually earn. It's the most reliable measure available, but it's published annually, lags the market, and doesn't report on thousands of smaller market-and-discipline combinations. The second is Credenza's own job postings feed, a daily export of active listings from verified healthcare employers. Postings are current and granular, but they advertise pay rather than report it, as advertised rates typically run a few percentage points off actual earnings, by an amount that varies market to market.
How Estimates Are Calculated. Rather than averaging listings, our model treats each market's wage as an unknown value that both sources give partial evidence about. It learns the gap between advertised and earned pay for each market, anchors markets with sparse data to their state's wage level, and carries estimates forward year over year at a rate learned from historical data. Every figure is published with an interval reflecting how much evidence stands behind it.
Data Cleaning. We exclude extreme outlier salary ranges, which are often artifacts of data collection. These are rare, but in thin markets a single outlier listing can shift an average by whole percentage points.
Coverage and Limitations. Our estimates cover roughly 1,600 market-and-discipline combinations the federal survey never reports on, including rural areas and smaller metros. All figures are statistical estimates rather than measured wages, and shifts in which employers are posting can affect the advertised-versus-earned correction. These figures describe market conditions and aren't a substitute for a formal compensation study.
Who We Are
All our Career Advice articles, including the Nursing Salary pages, were prepared by the humans on the Credenza content team. Our team comprises subject matter experts — registered nurse writers — and an editorial staff who uphold a rigorous review process to ensure that our articles are both accurate and relevant to modern nurses. Our articles provide actionable steps to help you maximize your career potential, whether you’re seeking new employment opportunities or just looking for ways to gain greater job satisfaction.
About Credenza
Credenza is the clinician career destination, the single place to manage your career, unlock every opportunity, and ensure you’re always ready for what’s next. The clinical job market is moving fast. On Credenza, your profile unlocks every relevant match, specialty, and setting all in one place. Credenza — one profile, one platform, every opportunity.