Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Tulsa, OK Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Tulsa, OK, Oklahoma is $98,697 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 61 occupations and roughly 82,920 workers. Adjusted for Tulsa, OK's cost-of-living index of 86.8, that nominal average translates to $113,706 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Family Medicine Physician at $350,190; the lowest is Carpenter at $46,810.
Tulsa, OK, OK has below-baseline cost-of-living (index 86.8), which means the $98,697 average median wage translates to higher real purchasing power than the same number would in higher-COL markets.
Highest-paying role in Tulsa, OK on BLS data is Family Medicine Physician at $350,190 median. Top-paying roles in any U.S. city skew toward physicians, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals; the specific ranking varies with the local industry mix. Lower-COL cities like Tulsa, OK often outperform higher-COL ones on cost-adjusted real income for the same role, especially for workers in mid-paying occupations whose gross wages do not vary as much by city.
Salaries by Occupation in Tulsa, OK
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $350,190 | $128,880 – $484,950 | 540 |
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $208,040 | $179,230 – $376,880 | 120 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $165,280 | $66,100 – $428,290 | 390 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $150,680 | $86,320 – $216,490 | 1,060 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $141,980 | $82,850 – $284,590 | 1,950 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $140,820 | $108,990 – $164,430 | 820 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $140,040 | $71,300 – $298,520 | 1,050 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $139,460 | $100,240 – $167,950 | 1,090 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $134,380 | $59,290 – $178,120 | 350 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $131,120 | $76,650 – $214,420 | 480 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $124,760 | $78,090 – $203,440 | 460 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $113,420 | $60,210 – $150,540 | 140 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $109,450 | $72,690 – $161,700 | 370 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $108,730 | $76,140 – $166,580 | 1,960 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $108,350 | $70,790 – $135,970 | 370 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $108,220 | $47,350 – $217,680 | 1,820 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $107,440 | $70,710 – $140,510 | 1,060 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $107,240 | $70,470 – $150,480 | 160 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $105,180 | $75,950 – $143,250 | 710 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $104,470 | $67,000 – $175,810 | 1,620 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $102,080 | $73,310 – $151,930 | 880 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $101,790 | $59,210 – $158,140 | 420 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $101,460 | $69,160 – $137,080 | 1,260 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $100,840 | $74,780 – $127,510 | 710 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $100,350 | $76,580 – $122,410 | 820 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $100,250 | $76,630 – $180,640 | 190 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $99,830 | $74,880 – $140,550 | 850 |
| Architect | Engineering | $99,740 | $54,910 – $162,790 | 350 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $99,450 | $54,510 – $162,510 | 600 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $98,240 | $52,180 – $156,460 | 330 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $98,210 | $65,290 – $159,920 | 990 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $96,150 | $47,400 – $215,110 | 11,840 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $88,680 | $45,910 – $121,720 | 270 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $88,540 | $52,460 – $147,940 | 580 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $86,310 | $56,510 – $144,980 | 600 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $85,110 | $60,080 – $141,350 | 600 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $84,790 | $57,240 – $109,150 | 10,880 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $84,310 | $61,870 – $135,660 | 550 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $83,970 | $51,230 – $128,350 | 540 |
| Accountant | Finance | $81,320 | $50,710 – $132,990 | 5,110 |
| Audiologist | Healthcare | $80,850 | $40,290 – $135,840 | 0 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $79,130 | $51,500 – $126,790 | 90 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $79,100 | $50,060 – $164,850 | 130 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $79,080 | $38,440 – $164,820 | 960 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $76,890 | $37,490 – $145,940 | 80 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $75,670 | $50,420 – $145,290 | 120 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $74,990 | $49,990 – $194,760 | 450 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $72,680 | $57,590 – $106,940 | 80 |
| Writer/Author | Creative | $63,780 | $38,540 – $93,750 | 50 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $63,760 | $36,470 – $104,260 | 680 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $63,130 | $38,640 – $115,620 | 1,860 |
| Electrician | Trades | $62,280 | $38,820 – $94,890 | 2,750 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $59,620 | $36,770 – $85,820 | 560 |
| Plumber | Trades | $59,440 | $37,990 – $80,420 | 1,950 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $54,320 | $35,980 – $81,260 | 1,170 |
| Welder | Trades | $53,550 | $39,960 – $72,740 | 4,520 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $50,740 | $36,020 – $79,440 | 980 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $48,410 | $46,200 – $61,620 | 3,820 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $48,220 | $46,670 – $60,680 | 4,030 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $47,410 | $29,540 – $83,460 | 2,430 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $46,810 | $37,770 – $60,350 | 1,320 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Tulsa, OK is Family Medicine Physician, with a median of $350,190 and a 90th-percentile reading of $484,950. That $356,070 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles is typical for a role of this seniority — entry-level workers cluster near the bottom of the band, while senior specialists and managers earn at the top.
Across all 61 BLS-tracked occupations in Tulsa, OK, the average median salary is $98,697. The top five roles average $203,234 — about 2.1× the citywide average — which is the expected shape for a U.S. metro economy: a small concentration of high-skill, high-credential occupations sits well above the broader middle.
Tulsa, OK runs below the U.S. average on cost of living (index 86.8, about 13% below the national mean). Lower nominal salaries here often translate to comparable or better purchasing power than higher headline numbers in coastal hubs.
Salary Negotiation in Tulsa, OK
For salary negotiation in Tulsa, OK, the practical input is the percentile band for your role and city, not the citywide average. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for every metro and occupation; you can find your role's exact percentile in the table above and use the SalaryTruth percentile calculator to anchor your offer. Cost-of-living index 86.8 should also factor in any cross-metro comparison.
For city-vs-city moves, the right benchmark is COL-adjusted pay rather than nominal pay. Our COL-adjusted salaries guide shows the exact math; the negotiation playbook covers how to use BLS percentile bands to anchor offers.
How Tulsa, OK Salary Data Is Built
Wages on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — a federal survey of more than 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. We pull the BLS data file for Tulsa, OK, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (86.8) is a composite of housing, food, transportation, and utility data from public sources, calibrated to a U.S. national average of 100. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Tulsa, OK in 2026?
The average salary in Tulsa, OK is $98,697 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 61 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $98,697. The top-paying role is Family Medicine Physician at $350,190.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Tulsa, OK?
In Tulsa, OK, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $115,207 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 86.8). That is above $100K of buying power — a $100K salary stretches further in Tulsa, OK than in most U.S. metros. Compared to the city's average median of $98,697, $100K is above the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Tulsa, OK?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Tulsa, OK are Family Medicine Physician ($350,190), Pediatrician ($208,040), Dentist ($165,280), and Computer and Information Systems Manager ($150,680). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $131,120 to $350,190. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/tulsa.
How does Tulsa, OK's cost of living affect salaries?
Tulsa, OK has a cost-of-living index of 86.8, 13% below the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $98,697 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $113,706 in an average-cost U.S. city. Housing is the dominant driver of this gap; in higher-COL markets, mortgage or rent typically eats 5–15 percentage points more of pre-tax pay than in average-cost metros.
How many people are employed in Tulsa, OK?
Across the 61 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Tulsa, OK metro is approximately 82,920. BLS OEWS sample-based estimates cover all major occupational categories but exclude very small or volatile fields where the sample is too thin to publish.
Where does this Tulsa, OK salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Tulsa, OK MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 61 occupations · COL Index 86.8.