SOC 21-1022 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Healthcare Social Workers — Oklahoma
Oklahoma · 3 metro areas compared
The median wage for Healthcare Social Workers in Oklahoma is $56,120 per year, 17.3% below the national median of $67,880.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +7.7%
- Openings per year
- 18,400
- Typical entry-level education
- Master's degree
- On-the-job training
- Internship/residency
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Oklahoma.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Healthcare Social Workers in Oklahoma is $56,120 per year, 17.3% below the national median of $67,880. Half of workers earn between $43,180 and $70,290. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $36,920 and the ninetieth at $81,650.
Employment stands at 2,310, or 1.4 jobs per thousand held locally. Oklahoma ranks number 50th out of 51 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Oklahoma City records the highest median at $58,940. Of the 710 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 319th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $36,920 | −45.6% |
| 25th | $43,180 | −36.4% |
| Median (50th) | $56,120 | −17.3% |
| 75th | $70,290 | +3.6% |
| 90th | $81,650 | +20.3% |
| Mean | $57,480 | −15.3% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Oklahoma
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma City | $58,940 | 770 | |
| 2 | Lawton | $58,570 | 40 | |
| 3 | Tulsa | $56,670 | 680 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Oklahoma run 12.2% below the national average, so the median of $56,120 goes as far as $63,918 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 5.8% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$56,120as reported by BLSLocal price level
87.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$63,918US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $56,120 a year, 17.3% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $36,920 to $81,650 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 2,310 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 50th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Oklahoma City, at $58,940.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Healthcare Social Workers in Oklahoma?
The median annual wage is $56,120, or $26.98 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $67,880, so pay in Oklahoma is 17.3% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Oklahoma earns more than $81,650 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $36,920 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Oklahoma City, at $58,940 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 2,310 jobs in this occupation in Oklahoma. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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