Quick answer: The Tulsa metro employs about 10,880 registered nurses (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through the state board for the specific credential you are pursuing.
Compare health care programs enrolling now:
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Health care is licensed credential by credential rather than as a field, so there is no single permit to work in it. Each path on this page has its own accreditor and its own examination - CCNE or ACEN and the NCLEX for nursing, ARC-PA and the PANCE for physician assistants, ACPE and the NAPLEX for pharmacy, and so on - and every one of them is issued state by state.
See the Oklahoma licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with the state board for the specific credential you are pursuing.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
This page lists 10 schools within 55 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 10 of them carry a score.
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Registered Nurses in the Tulsa area earn a median $84,790 per year, below the national median of $97,550 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Tulsa metro | Oklahoma | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $84,790 | $82,920 | $97,550 |
| 10th percentile | $57,240 | $60,530 | $68,940 |
| 25th percentile | $79,950 | $77,350 | $80,330 |
| 75th percentile | $99,580 | $98,910 | $112,350 |
| 90th percentile | $109,150 | $106,390 | $137,470 |
| Employment | 10,880 | 38,270 | 3,379,720 |
| Location quotient | 1.09 | - | 1.00 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Tulsa, OK metropolitan statistical area.
The Tulsa median of $84,790 is below the national median of $97,550, and above the Oklahoma statewide median of $82,920 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.09 means registered nurses are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Health care hiring follows the local care network - the hospital systems, clinics and long-term care facilities in a metro are what create the openings.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City | $82,920 | 16,530 |
| Lawton | $80,570 | 990 |
| Enid | $78,060 | 810 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
The median annual wage for registered nurses in the Tulsa, OK metro area is $84,790, below the national median of $97,550 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The Tulsa, OK metro area employs about 10,880 registered nurses (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Health care is licensed credential by credential rather than as a field, so there is no single permit to work in it. Each path on this page has its own accreditor and its own examination - CCNE or ACEN and the NCLEX for nursing, ARC-PA and the PANCE for physician assistants, ACPE and the NAPLEX for pharmacy, and so on - and every one of them is issued state by state. Confirm current requirements with the state board for the specific credential you are pursuing.
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies the state board for the specific credential you are pursuing.
The Tulsa metro median is $84,790 against a statewide median of $82,920 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
