New grad RN jobs and nurse residency programs in Oklahoma
Oklahoma employs 38,270 registered nurses, and half of them earn more than $82,920 a year, $14,630 below the national median of $97,550. Our list has 18 new-grad programs in Oklahoma; 7 were taking applications on Oct 29, 2026.
- RNs employed
- 38,270
- Median RN pay
- $82,920
- 25th percentile
- $37.19/hr
- Programs we track
- 18
- Open on Oct 29, 2026
- 7
- In the compact
- Yes
- NCLEX pass rate, 2025
- 80.5%
- Work before the NCLEX
- Ask the board
Every Oklahoma program we track is listed in the Vibe Nursing app.
What new grad nurses earn in Oklahoma
A quarter of Oklahoma RNs earn less than $37.19 an hour ($77,350 a year) and half earn more than $39.87. First-year offers tend to sit near the lower figure, since hospital pay scales usually rise with experience.
That puts Oklahoma 37th of the 50 states and DC for median RN pay.
Pay is bunched together in Oklahoma: only $2.68 an hour separates the 25th percentile from the median, a narrower gap than in most states.
| Metro area | RNs employed | Median pay | 25th percentile, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City, OK | 16,530 | $82,920 | $37.34 |
| Tulsa, OK | 10,880 | $84,790 | $38.44 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | 2,180 | $79,870 | $32.76 |
Where the RN jobs are
The Oklahoma City area employs 16,530 RNs, about 43% of the state's total.
Getting licensed in Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Board of Nursing licenses RNs in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma is in the Nurse Licensure Compact. If Oklahoma is your primary state of residence, the license you earn after the NCLEX can be multistate, valid in every compact state. Nurses who live in another compact state can work in Oklahoma on their home state's multistate license.
Every one of its neighboring states is in the compact too, so one license covers the whole region.
Working before you pass the NCLEX in Oklahoma
We could not confirm from an official Oklahoma source whether new graduates can work before passing the NCLEX today. Ask the Oklahoma board before you plan on it.
The Oklahoma Board of Nursing can tell you; its contact details are on NCSBN's page for it.
29 of the 50 states and DC do allow it in some form. See every state's rule.
NCLEX pass rate in Oklahoma
In 2025, 2,755 first-time, U.S.-educated candidates took the NCLEX-RN for an Oklahoma license and 80.5% passed, 6.2 points below the national rate of 86.7%. That ranks Oklahoma 49th of the 50 states and DC.
Against the 18 new-grad programs we track here, that is about 153 new test takers per program, well above the national figure of about 114. Expect more competition for each residency spot, and look at new-grad RN jobs outside residencies as well.
The exam is the same everywhere; the rate tells you about the graduates who tested here, not about your own chances. See pass rates in every state.
Oklahoma and its neighboring states
Among its neighboring states, Colorado pays RNs the most, a median of $100,260. Texas has the most new-grad programs on our list (163).
Questions about Oklahoma
How much do new grad nurses make in Oklahoma?
The BLS does not separate new graduates. For all Oklahoma RNs, the 25th percentile is $37.19 an hour and the median $39.87 (May 2025); first-year offers usually sit nearer $37.19.
How many nurse residency programs are in Oklahoma?
Vibe Nursing tracks 18 new-grad programs at Oklahoma hospitals: nurse residencies, and hospitals that hire new grads straight into RN jobs. On Oct 29, 2026, 7 were taking applications.
Can I work in Oklahoma with a compact license?
Yes. Oklahoma is a compact state, so a multistate license from your home compact state is valid here.
Can new grads work before passing the NCLEX in Oklahoma?
We could not confirm from an official Oklahoma source whether new graduates can work before passing the NCLEX today. Ask the Oklahoma board before you plan on it.
What is the NCLEX pass rate in Oklahoma?
80.5% in 2025: 2,217 of 2,755 first-time, U.S.-educated candidates passed the NCLEX-RN for Oklahoma (NCSBN). The national rate was 86.7%.
What do RNs earn in the Oklahoma City area?
The median is $82,920 a year, and a quarter of RNs there earn under $37.34 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The area employs 16,530 RNs.
Sources
- Pay and jobs: BLS OEWS, May 2025, all registered nurses.
- Board: NCSBN directory. Compact: nursecompact.com. Both read October 2026.
- Working before the NCLEX: not confirmed from an official source (October 2026); ask the board.
- NCLEX: NCSBN, 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics, first-time U.S.-educated candidates. Portions copyrighted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. All rights reserved.
- Program counts: Vibe Nursing, Oct 29, 2026 (how we count).