Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in Oklahoma make a median of $82,920 a year, or about $39.87 an hour. The range runs from $61K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.46), which stretches that salary to about $94,809 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,081/month, or 20.6% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Oklahoma. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $83K get you in Oklahoma?
About registered nurses
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What this looks like in Oklahoma
Pay for registered nurses in Oklahoma runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $98K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,081/month, 20.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.46 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Oklahoma can be a reasonable trade-off for registered nursess who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Oklahoma
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $61K. Mid-career wages sit at $83K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $46K spread from bottom to top.
Registered Nurses salary by metro in Oklahoma
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa | $85K | +2% | 10,880 |
| Oklahoma City | $83K | +0% | 16,530 |
| Lawton | $81K | -3% | 990 |
| Enid | $78K | -6% | 810 |
Compare to other states
Track registered nurses salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Oklahoma numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Oklahoma?
Yes — at the median salary of $83K, rent takes 20.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,081/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Oklahoma?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $61K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,632/month. At HUD’s $1,081/month FMR, rent would take 30% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is registered nurse a high-paying job in Oklahoma?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $83K here vs. $98K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Oklahoma compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Oklahoma pays $83K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.46), the purchasing-power equivalent is $95K — below the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Oklahoma?
The median is $82,920 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,530, and experienced registered nurses can clear $106,390. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $83K enough to live in Oklahoma?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,273/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,081/month, which eats 20.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a registered nurses salary go in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma has a Regional Price Parity of 87.46 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median registered nurses salary is worth about $94,809 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do registered nurses get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.