Oklahoma nurse salary 2026: RN, NP & travel pay

Oklahoma registered nurses average $85,060 per year according to Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data released May 2025 — approximately 16.2% below the national mean of $101,420. That headline number undersells the real picture. Oklahoma City and Tulsa carry cost-of-living indexes below 90, which means your Oklahoma paycheck goes further than it looks on paper. Specialty and advanced practice nurses do considerably better: ICU nurses break $100K, CRNAs average $226,556, and the state’s rural nurse shortage creates steady travel opportunities well above posted averages.

This guide breaks down every nursing specialty by salary, covers the major employers in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, explains the HB 2298 APRN scope update (effective November 2025), and maps where travel nurse demand is highest in the state.

What Oklahoma RNs Actually Earn

The BLS OEWS May 2025 data puts Oklahoma’s mean RN salary at $85,060/year ($40.89/hr). That figure covers all settings — hospitals, LTC, outpatient, public health. Hospital-based RNs at major Oklahoma City systems typically land higher, in the $38–$46/hr range depending on experience and unit. Tulsa hospital nurses cluster around $36–$44/hr, pulled up by competing health systems bidding for limited licensed RN supply.

The 16% gap below the national average looks worse than it is once you factor in Oklahoma’s cost of living. Oklahoma City ranks among the most affordable major metros in the country — a COL index near 88 means $85,060 here buys roughly what $95,000–$96,000 would buy in a median-cost city. Right-to-work law and a largely non-union hospital environment keep base wages lower, but that also means no union dues and faster advancement for nurses willing to advocate directly for themselves.

New graduate RN pay in Oklahoma typically starts at $27–$31/hr depending on facility, unit, and whether you negotiated. After 2–3 years in a high-acuity unit (ICU, ER, ED), most nurses move into the $33–$38/hr band. Experienced bedside nurses with specialty certifications can clear $42–$46/hr at OU Health or Saint Francis Health System.

Travel Nurse Pay in Oklahoma

Oklahoma is an eNLC compact state, which is a real logistical advantage for travel nurses. If you hold a multistate RN license from any NLC state, you can accept an Oklahoma contract without applying for a new state license — no 4–8 week processing wait, no extra application fees. That makes Oklahoma one of the easiest states to pick up short-notice contracts. Neighboring compact states — including Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas — give Oklahoma-based nurses a broad Midwest and South-Central travel corridor on a single multistate license.

Posted travel nurse wages average $93,379/year (ZipRecruiter 2026) in base pay. Total packages with tax-free housing and meal stipends push effective income higher — rural or critical-access hospital contracts can reach $110K–$125K annualized for ICU and OR specialties. The demand driver isn’t a temporary post-COVID spike: Oklahoma has 61 of 77 counties designated as medically underserved by HRSA. That’s a structural shortage, not a cyclical one.

Travel demand is highest in southwestern Oklahoma (Lawton/Comanche County), eastern Oklahoma (Muskogee, Tahlequah), and the Panhandle. These markets regularly see travel package premiums 15–25% above Oklahoma City posted rates because permanent staff recruitment consistently fails to fill positions. If you’re targeting Oklahoma contracts, those rural and mid-state markets pay better than OKC or Tulsa and have lower competition for slots.

ICU, ER, and Specialty Nurse Salaries in Oklahoma

Specialty differentials in Oklahoma follow national patterns — critical care pulls significantly more than general med-surg. ICU nurses average $100,038/year, which represents a 17.6% premium over the base RN mean and technically breaks the $100K mark even in a below-average-wage state. That matters if you’re considering whether Oklahoma is worth your time as an ICU nurse — you’re not sacrificing a six-figure ceiling here.

Emergency nursing averages $80,087/year — 5.8% below base, which counterintuitively reflects supply and demand rather than skill difficulty. Oklahoma has more licensed ER nurses than open permanent positions in OKC and Tulsa, which keeps ER wages lower than ICU. ED nurses with CEN certification and trauma experience have stronger leverage.

OR nurses in Oklahoma average around $90,000–$98,000 depending on system and case volume. L&D nurses, NICU nurses, and PACU nurses sit in the $85,000–$95,000 range. Telemetry and med-surg nurses at major systems typically start at $72,000–$82,000 with experience progression to $90,000+ for seasoned nurses with PCCN or other certifications. Psych nursing remains below average statewide — Oklahoma’s behavioral health infrastructure is underfunded, which keeps psych wages lower even as demand outpaces supply in community mental health settings.

NP and CRNA Salaries in Oklahoma

Nurse practitioners in Oklahoma average $127,120/year (BLS OEWS May 2025), below the national NP mean of $137,300. Oklahoma is a reduced-practice state — NPs must operate under a collaborative agreement with a physician until they complete 6,240 clinical hours, at which point HB 2298 (effective November 1, 2025) allows them to apply for independent prescriptive authority through the Oklahoma Board of Nursing. This is a real improvement from prior law, which required ongoing physician oversight regardless of experience. It’s not full practice authority — you still need a supervising physician for the first roughly 3–4 years of practice — but there’s now a clear statutory endpoint.

NP pay in Oklahoma is pulled upward by primary care and rural shortage premiums. FNPs at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in underserved counties frequently earn $130,000–$145,000 plus National Health Service Corps loan repayment (which can be worth another $25,000–$50,000 in tax-free value annually). Psychiatric NPs (PMHNPs) command the highest NP wages in the state given Oklahoma’s severe behavioral health provider shortage — PMHNPs in outpatient and telehealth settings regularly clear $140,000–$155,000.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists in Oklahoma average $226,556/year (TheCRNA.com 2026). That’s 8.8% below the national CRNA mean of $248,320, which is consistent with Oklahoma’s right-to-work environment and lower overall wage floor. The premium over base RN is 166% — CRNAs here earn 2.66x the average staff nurse, which is on par with national CRNA-to-RN premium ratios. Rural Oklahoma has ongoing CRNA coverage gaps, particularly around smaller critical-access hospitals that can’t recruit permanent staff. Locum CRNA assignments in those markets frequently run $160–$185/hr — well above the statewide average.

Major Employers and What They Actually Pay

Oklahoma’s hospital market is split between Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and a string of regional medical centers serving smaller communities. The two major metro markets operate fairly independently — there’s not much wage spillover between OKC and Tulsa, which are 100 miles apart.

• OU Health (Oklahoma City) — University of Oklahoma’s academic health system, 600+ beds, Level I Trauma, children’s hospital. Largest academic employer in the state. Staff RNs average $38–$45/hr depending on unit and experience. ICU and OR nurses at the high end. NP and APRN positions active year-round. Named to Becker’s Hospital Review Best Places to Work list three consecutive years (2024–2026).
• Integris Health (Oklahoma City) — Largest private, not-for-profit health system in Oklahoma. 13+ hospitals and facilities across the state. The system includes Baptist Medical Center (Oklahoma City, 696 beds, Level II Trauma), Integris Southwest, and multiple community hospitals. Staff RN pay generally tracks slightly below OU Health — $36–$43/hr for experienced nurses.
• SSM Health St. Anthony (Oklahoma City) — Three hospitals in the OKC metro (St. Anthony main campus, St. Anthony Shawnee, St. Anthony Midwest). Part of SSM Health’s national system. Competitive with Integris on base wages; known for strong benefit structure for per-diem and float pool nurses.
• Saint Francis Health System (Tulsa) — Tulsa’s largest private employer. Saint Francis Hospital South, Warren Clinic, and Heart Hospital. Dominant employer in Tulsa’s nursing market. Staff RNs at $36–$44/hr; the Heart Hospital pulls CVICU and cath lab nurses at premium rates.
• Ascension St. John (Tulsa) — Five hospitals in the Tulsa metro and surrounding area. St. John Medical Center (568 beds, Level II Trauma) is the flagship. Part of Ascension’s national system; pay and benefits align with Ascension’s standardized national structures. Transfer and career mobility within the Ascension system is a real benefit for travel-to-perm transitions.
• Hillcrest Healthcare System (Tulsa) — Nine facilities in the Tulsa market, including Hillcrest Medical Center (620 beds). Owned by Ardent Health Services. Competitive on specialty nursing wages; active ICU and OR recruitment.

Oklahoma City vs. Tulsa vs. Rural Market Breakdown

Oklahoma City is the higher-wage market. OU Health anchors academic-medicine pay rates and creates upward pressure on competitor systems. OKC’s population growth (the metro has grown faster than most mid-size Midwest cities over the past decade) sustains demand. New hospital construction and expansion projects keep RN hiring active — OKC is not a market where experienced nurses sit unemployed for long. COL index ~88.

Tulsa is a competitive secondary market. Saint Francis and Ascension St. John actively compete for experienced nurses, which keeps wages within a few percentage points of OKC. Tulsa has more manufacturing and energy-sector workers than OKC, which means more occupational health and industrial nursing opportunities. COL index ~85 — marginally lower than OKC.

Rural Oklahoma is where the real story is for travel nurses and rurally-committed permanent staff. Oklahoma has the third-highest proportion of rural population (35.8%) among major states. Rural hospital closures have accelerated — the federal rural hospital emergency program active in May 2026 is a lifeline for several facilities, but some small critical-access hospitals are genuinely precarious. Where those hospitals remain open, they pay travel premiums that routinely run 20–30% above OKC posted rates. Nurses who can handle high-autonomy clinical environments with limited backup (true to rural/CAH nursing) and who are comfortable with modest social amenities can net more total compensation per year in rural Oklahoma than at a major OKC system — especially when tax-free stipends are part of the travel package.