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Thursday, Mar. 13, 2025

Is Tinker the largest single-site employer in Oklahoma?

Matthew Yim, Oklahoma Watch
yes

The Tinker Air Force Base is the largest single-site employer in Oklahoma, according to the base’s website and 2019 state data, which recorded 26,694 workers.

A single site of employment refers to a single location or a group of contiguous locations. Tinker comprises 5,500 acres with 458 buildings and creates an annual economic impact of $3.5 billion in the state as well as approximately 33,000 secondary jobs, according to the base’s website.

According to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense is the top employer in Oklahoma by a large margin with 68,000-69,000 employees, including those at Tinker, which is more than double the number of employees at the next largest employer, Walmart.

Tinker was established in the 1940s as a military supply depot and helped repair bomber planes during World War II.

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