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Wednesday, Mar. 26, 2025

Is Oklahoma among the states with the lowest wages?

Matthew Yim, Oklahoma Watch
yes

According to 2023 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Oklahoma ranked No. 46, with a median annual wage of $41,480. 

The state with the highest median annual wage was Massachusetts. The states ranked lower than Oklahoma were Alabama, Louisiana, West Virginia, Arkansas, and Mississippi. 

Across all occupations, the median hourly wage in Oklahoma in 2023 was $19.94, which is less than the national median hourly wage of $23.11. 

The two largest occupations in Oklahoma were Office and Administrative Support Occupations and Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations, with median hourly wages of $18.48 and $11.99, respectively. 

The minimum wage in Oklahoma is the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which was set in 2009. This is also the case in 19 other states. 

According to U.S News, Oklahoma has the seventh-lowest cost of living.

See a full discussion of this at Oklahoma Watch

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