Average Salaries in Tulsa, OK
Explore salaries across 530 occupations in Tulsa, OK. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $61.5K, -6.5% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 530 occupations and 451,820 total jobs in Tulsa, OK.
How the metro compares
Tulsa, OK pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Tulsa, OK is a mid-sized metro labor market.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is General Internal Medicine Physicians. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Tulsa, OK
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Tulsa, OK
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $377.6K | 190 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $350.2K | 540 |
| Physicians, All Other | $259.2K | 850 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $212.2K | 230 |
| Pediatricians, General | $208K | 120 |
| Dentists, General | $165.3K | 390 |
| Chief Executives | $162.3K | 790 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $160.8K | 770 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $150.7K | 1,060 |
| Financial Managers | $142K | 1,950 |
Largest occupations in Tulsa, OK
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 12,760 | $26.5K |
| Retail Salespersons | 12,110 | $29.8K |
| General And Operations Managers | 11,840 | $96.2K |
| Registered Nurses | 10,880 | $84.8K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 9,990 | $37K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 9,800 | $38.6K |
| Cashiers | 9,770 | $29.2K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 9,400 | $35.3K |
| Office Clerks, General | 8,010 | $40.4K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 7,460 | $18.4K |
What Tulsa, OK specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Tulsa, OK than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Tulsa, OK
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Drilling And Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 13.31 | $58.2K |
| Aircraft Mechanics And Service Technicians | 11.10 | N/A |
| Gambling Surveillance Officers And Gambling Investigators | 9.63 | $34.6K |
| Gambling Cage Workers | 7.38 | N/A |
| Petroleum Engineers | 6.91 | $130.8K |
| Rotary Drill Operators, Oil And Gas | 5.96 | $56.2K |
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, And Gaugers | 5.79 | $107.2K |
| Gas Plant Operators | 5.11 | $78.6K |
| Wellhead Pumpers | 4.22 | $64.5K |
| New Accounts Clerks | 4.16 | $43.3K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Tulsa, OK
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.