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News Release Information

25-1430-DAL
Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (972) 850-4800

County Employment and Wages in Oklahoma — First Quarter 2025

Employment increased in all three largest counties in Oklahoma from March 2024 to March 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that Cleveland County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 1.2 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

   

Among the three largest counties in Oklahoma, employment was highest in Oklahoma County (496,800) in March 2025. Together, the three largest counties accounted for 56.4 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.4 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024.)

Large county average weekly wages in the first quarter 2025

Both large Oklahoma counties with published data reported average weekly wage increases over the year. (See chart 2.) Tulsa had the larger increase (+4.7 percent), followed by Cleveland (+1.5 percent).


Weekly wages in all three large counties in Oklahoma were below the national average of $1,589. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,352 in Oklahoma County to $991 in Cleveland County.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the first quarter of 2025

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 74 small counties in Oklahoma, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all 74 smaller counties were below the national average. Dewey reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,516). Jefferson reported the lowest average weekly wage ($647) in the state.

Among all 77 Oklahoma counties, 23 reported average weekly wages of $874 or lower, 16 had wages from $875 to $949, 18 had wages from $950 to $1,024, and 20 had average weekly wages of $1,025 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Oklahoma, first quarter 2025

(U.S. average = $1,589)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

The County Employment and Wages release for the second quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.

County Changes for the 2025 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2024 are included in this release and will be included in future 2025 releases. Four counties have been added to the nationwide publication tables: Pinal, AZ; Henry, GA; Wood, OH; and Comal, TX. One county has been dropped from the publication tables: Gregg, TX.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the three largest counties in Oklahoma, first quarter 2025
Area Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
March 2025
(thousands)
Percent change,
March
2024–25 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
First quarter
2025 ($)
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
first quarter
2024–25 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,249.3 154,523.8 0.4 -- 1,589 -- 4.1 --

Oklahoma

130.9 1,700.2 0.5 -- 1,186 47 3.0 44

Cleveland

7.5 92.2 1.2 66 991 365 1.5 313

Oklahoma

34.0 496.8 0.8 105 1,352 185 (5) -

Tulsa

27.0 369.7 0.8 105 1,332 193 4.7 71

(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications.
(3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(5) Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Oklahoma, first quarter 2025
Area Establishments Employment March 2025 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,249,320 154,523,785 1,589

Oklahoma

130,892 1,700,210 1,186

Adair

366 4,350 814

Alfalfa

146 1,160 991

Atoka

341 3,565 760

Beaver

177 1,313 1,002

Beckham

782 9,322 1,113

Blaine

288 3,059 1,008

Bryan

1,251 22,183 1,042

Caddo

607 7,469 990

Canadian

4,191 38,911 971

Carter

1,758 23,689 1,012

Cherokee

939 18,285 924

Choctaw

391 5,522 858

Cimarron

100 621 843

Cleveland

7,491 92,232 991

Coal

137 1,227 868

Comanche

2,712 41,031 964

Cotton

128 2,080 849

Craig

426 5,017 863

Creek

1,737 21,791 1,115

Custer

1,025 12,851 958

Delaware

958 9,570 831

Dewey

194 2,195 1,516

Ellis

135 1,129 917

Garfield

1,759 23,354 983

Garvin

848 9,490 1,111

Grady

1,301 14,052 960

Grant

150 1,250 1,158

Greer

104 915 740

Harmon

77 649 862

Harper

145 1,087 914

Haskell

297 2,923 823

Hughes

289 2,914 760

Jackson

679 9,791 989

Jefferson

147 896 647

Johnston

275 3,112 935

Kay

1,225 17,436 1,024

Kingfisher

610 7,001 1,074

Kiowa

236 1,913 832

Latimer

209 3,048 1,150

LeFlore

1,046 12,038 815

Lincoln

732 7,566 984

Logan

969 9,241 886

Love

255 5,043 897

McClain

1,339 12,574 921

McCurtain

910 12,525 903

McIntosh

441 4,626 813

Major

250 2,063 932

Marshall

371 5,347 964

Mayes

1,048 14,276 1,125

Murray

385 4,968 898

Muskogee

1,593 26,528 1,053

Noble

271 4,654 1,011

Nowata

207 1,706 824

Okfuskee

220 2,581 783

Oklahoma

34,041 496,784 1,352

Okmulgee

837 10,570 946

Osage

570 7,706 1,026

Ottawa

780 12,842 889

Pawnee

357 3,402 892

Payne

2,337 34,792 1,037

Pittsburg

1,056 14,748 936

Pontotoc

1,207 20,705 1,098

Pottawatomie

1,485 23,781 893

Pushmataha

302 2,512 765

Roger Mills

111 853 865

Rogers

2,259 31,075 1,116

Seminole

503 7,181 926

Sequoyah

789 9,485 733

Stephens

1,214 14,920 1,034

Texas

583 9,892 1,006

Tillman

179 1,515 800

Tulsa

27,031 369,713 1,332

Wagoner

1,258 11,568 1,055

Washington

1,432 18,969 1,380

Washita

284 1,903 847

Woods

303 3,280 955

Woodward

829 8,007 1,083

(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, first quarter 2025
State Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
March 2025
(thousands)
Percent change,
March
2024–25
First quarter
2025 ($)
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
first quarter
2024–25
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,249.3 154,523.8 0.4 1,589 -- 4.1 --

Alabama

163.3 2,102.3 0.3 1,245 39 3.8 23

Alaska

25.3 323.5 1.3 1,452 20 5.8 4

Arizona

226.1 3,259.3 0.3 1,431 21 3.8 23

Arkansas

107.6 1,304.4 0.7 1,236 40 5.6 6

California

1,945.4 18,066.2 0.1 1,905 6 4.2 13

Colorado

242.4 2,862.7 0.1 1,681 8 4.2 13

Connecticut

148.5 1,671.7 0.5 1,980 4 3.8 23

Delaware

45.4 474.3 0.8 1,535 15 3.4 30

District of Columbia

51.5 748.9 -1.4 2,606 1 7.2 1

Florida

886.5 9,958.4 0.9 1,456 19 5.1 8

Georgia

394.8 4,860.7 0.4 1,491 17 3.4 30

Hawaii

60.3 644.8 0.6 1,363 27 6.7 2

Idaho

102.7 848.2 1.2 1,178 48 4.2 13

Illinois

407.1 5,988.9 0.2 1,662 9 3.2 38

Indiana

194.8 3,161.4 0.3 1,323 30 4.2 13

Iowa

111.3 1,537.7 -0.5 1,253 36 3.2 38

Kansas

104.3 1,428.0 0.8 1,246 38 4.0 19

Kentucky

159.6 1,986.3 0.0 1,213 44 2.4 51

Louisiana

157.0 1,921.2 0.5 1,227 42 2.8 49

Maine

66.6 629.6 0.1 1,283 34 2.7 50

Maryland

197.7 2,739.0 -0.2 1,634 10 3.2 38

Massachusetts

289.8 3,575.8 -0.7 2,107 3 4.6 11

Michigan

307.3 4,337.3 -0.3 1,391 24 2.9 48

Minnesota

211.8 2,878.6 -0.1 1,570 14 3.7 27

Mississippi

91.3 1,160.4 -0.4 1,018 51 4.1 17

Missouri

252.4 2,886.9 0.1 1,310 31 3.2 38

Montana

67.1 505.8 0.6 1,189 46 5.6 6

Nebraska

78.6 1,008.4 -0.1 1,231 41 3.1 42

Nevada

106.1 1,541.2 0.2 1,359 29 4.1 17

New Hampshire

66.3 681.0 0.1 1,606 11 4.8 9

New Jersey

338.9 4,259.0 1.1 1,815 7 3.0 44

New Mexico

66.8 868.2 0.3 1,203 45 3.9 22

New York

716.1 9,757.0 1.4 2,213 2 6.2 3

North Carolina

373.2 4,888.5 0.2 1,467 18 4.8 9

North Dakota

36.4 422.8 0.6 1,302 33 3.3 34

Ohio

344.2 5,466.8 0.2 1,361 28 3.5 28

Oklahoma

130.9 1,700.2 0.5 1,186 47 3.0 44

Oregon

186.2 1,965.7 -0.8 1,420 23 3.3 34

Pennsylvania

394.5 6,003.5 0.6 1,500 16 3.5 28

Rhode Island

49.0 489.3 1.0 1,429 22 3.0 44

South Carolina

198.7 2,304.9 1.7 1,247 37 4.4 12

South Dakota

40.5 450.5 0.2 1,163 49 3.0 44

Tennessee

221.0 3,251.5 -0.4 1,364 26 4.0 19

Texas

847.6 14,015.9 1.2 1,587 13 3.1 42

Utah

138.1 1,720.5 1.1 1,365 25 4.0 19

Vermont

33.5 306.8 -0.4 1,280 35 3.8 23

Virginia

321.9 4,108.8 0.8 1,605 12 3.4 30

Washington

240.9 3,583.7 0.9 1,935 5 5.8 4

West Virginia

61.9 694.6 0.0 1,149 50 3.3 34

Wisconsin

208.9 2,898.4 -0.2 1,305 32 3.4 30

Wyoming

31.0 274.6 0.0 1,216 43 3.3 34

Puerto Rico

52.0 946.1 -0.7 699 (3) 3.2 (3)

Virgin Islands

2.9 33.8 -7.5 1,034 (3) 2.7 (3)

(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(3) Data not included in the national ranking.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2025