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New federal data show Oklahoma sits near the bottom of U.S. states for hourly pay — a detail that affects household budgets, hiring power and how far wages go in 2026. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ April 2026 snapshot puts the state well inside the bottom ten for average hourly earnings, underscoring persistent pay disparities across the country.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released state-level figures for total private average hourly earnings, average weekly pay and average weekly hours worked in April 2026. These numbers are not seasonally adjusted and reflect wages reported for that month.
How Oklahoma compares
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Oklahoma workers earned an average of $31.94 per hour in April 2026, translating to about $1,121.09 weekly based on typical hours worked. That hourly rate places Oklahoma among the nine lowest states nationwide for average pay.
On average, employees in the state worked **35.1 hours per week**, a figure that is higher than in many states and ranks near the top for weekly hours worked. Higher weekly hours can raise take-home pay, but they do not close the gap created by lower hourly rates.
Big gaps across the map
At the top of the list, residents of the District of Columbia earned an average of $57.39 per hour — more than $25 above Oklahoma’s average. By contrast, the lowest average hourly earnings were recorded in Mississippi, at $28.98.
Those contrasts reflect a mix of industry mix, concentration of high-wage jobs, and local cost-of-living differences. For workers and employers alike, the spread matters for recruitment, retention and household budgets.
Top-paying states (April 2026)
| Rank | State / District | Average hourly earnings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $57.39 |
| 2 | Washington | $44.15 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $43.45 |
| 4 | California | $42.56 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $40.22 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $40.07 |
| 7 | New York | $40.03 |
| 8 | Colorado | $39.86 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $38.76 |
| 10 | Oregon | $38.53 |
Lowest-paying states
- Mississippi: $28.98
- Arkansas: $29.53
- Iowa: $30.59
- West Virginia: $30.63
- Kentucky: $30.72
- Louisiana: $30.84
- New Mexico: $31.47
- Tennessee: $31.79
- Oklahoma: $31.94
- South Dakota: $31.99
For Oklahomans, the combination of a relatively low hourly rate and a higher-than-average workweek can produce modest weekly pay but still leaves purchasing power lower than in higher-wage states. That has practical effects on housing affordability, savings potential and the ability of employers to attract skilled workers from out of state.
Policymakers and business leaders often look at these BLS figures when setting minimum wage proposals, designing workforce-development programs or benchmarking regional competitiveness. Local industry mix — energy, manufacturing, retail and services — drives much of Oklahoma’s placement on the list.
All figures cited are drawn from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ state-level release for April 2026. If you are tracking how wages in your industry or metro area compare, regional BLS breakdowns and occupational wage tables provide more granular detail.
