What is the minimum wage in Oklahoma?

Name: 2023 Oklahoma Minimum Wage
Creator: DOL

2023 Oklahoma Minimum Wage

The 2023 Oklahoma Minimum Wage is $7.25.

Hourly$7.25

Effective 2023-01-01Source: Oklahoma Department of Labor Wage Law and Administrative Rules (Oklahoma Department of Labor)Verified 2026-09-01

Compared with 2022

Every figure on this page is unchanged from 2022.

Item	2022	2023	Change
Hourly	$7.25	$7.25	+$0 (+0.0%)

Who it applies to

Employers in Oklahoma

What changed this year, and why

The Oklahoma minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, equal to the federal minimum wage. Oklahoma municipalities cannot set minimum wage rates that differ from the federal minimum wage.

Common questions

What is the minimum wage in Oklahoma?: The Oklahoma minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, which matches the federal minimum wage rate.

Minors, students and training wages: who may be paid less than the rate on this page

In Oklahoma, the minimum age to be employed is 14 years. Children under 14 generally cannot work, but there are exceptions: children working on farms, for their parents, or for a business in which a parent owns an equity interest are exempt from the child labor rules. Children who sell or deliver newspapers to consumers are also exempt. These exemptions mean that in certain limited situations, children below the usual minimum age may work without the same protections. For covered workers in Oklahoma, however, no separate lower minimum wage applies to minors or young workers. Oklahoma's minimum wage is $7.25 per hour for all covered employees regardless of age, as long as the employer meets the state's threshold for coverage. Young workers who are 14 or older and do not fall into an exempt category are entitled to the full $7.25 per hour rate.

The minimum age to be employed in Oklahoma is 14 years. Children working either on farms or for parents or any entity in which a parent owns an equity interest are exempt. Children engaged in the sale or delivery of newspapers to consumers are also exempt.
Oklahoma Department of Labor Wage Law and Administrative Rules (Oklahoma Department of Labor)

When a city or county sets a higher minimum wage

In Oklahoma, the minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, which matches the federal minimum wage. Cities and counties in Oklahoma cannot set their own minimum wage rates that are higher or lower than this amount. Even if a local government wanted to require employers to pay more than $7.25 per hour, state law prevents them from doing so. This means that workers across Oklahoma are subject to the same minimum wage regardless of which city or county they work in. Employers must follow the federal and state minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, and no local ordinance can change this requirement. If you have questions about minimum wage requirements in Oklahoma, you should contact the Oklahoma Department of Labor or the U.S. Department of Labor for guidance.

Municipalities may not establish mandatory minimum wage rates for employers to pay or grant employees that differ from the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
Oklahoma Department of Labor Wage Law and Administrative Rules (Oklahoma Department of Labor)

Overtime is paid at one and one-half times the regular rate

Oklahoma has no state overtime law requiring premium pay for hours worked beyond a standard workweek. However, if an employer in Oklahoma is covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, that federal law requires time and one-half for all hours worked over 40 in a seven-day work week. Since Oklahoma's minimum wage equals the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, most employers subject to federal law must pay at least that base rate, and then time and one-half for overtime hours. Workers in Oklahoma should contact the U.S. Department of Labor to determine whether their employer is subject to federal overtime requirements. If the employer is not covered by federal wage and hour laws, Oklahoma does not require any overtime premium beyond the regular hourly rate.

Oklahoma has no state overtime laws. However, if a company is required to comply with federal wage and hour laws, time and one-half should be paid to cover employees for all hours worked over 40 hours in a seven-day work week.
Oklahoma Department of Labor Wage Law and Administrative Rules (Oklahoma Department of Labor)

Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint

In Oklahoma, workers with questions or complaints about minimum wage should contact the Oklahoma Department of Labor, which enforces state wage law. The department maintains a Wage & Hour Division that handles questions about wage payment, deductions, and minimum wage compliance. For minimum wage issues that fall under federal jurisdiction, the U.S. Department of Labor is the appropriate agency. Oklahoma workers can reach the state agency toll-free statewide, or visit the department's website. The Oklahoma Department of Labor investigates wage complaints and can pursue administrative proceedings on behalf of employees who have not been paid properly. Employers who retaliate against workers for filing complaints may face additional penalties under Oklahoma law.

If wages are refused after an employee asks the employer, the employee should contact the Oklahoma Department of Labor Wage & Hour Division, 405-521- 6100, or toll-free, statewide 1-888-269-5353.
Oklahoma Department of Labor Wage Law and Administrative Rules (Oklahoma Department of Labor)

State minimum wage laws that give more than the federal rate

Oklahoma does not have a separate state minimum wage that differs from the federal rate. The Oklahoma minimum wage is equal to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Because the state rate matches the federal floor rather than exceeding it, workers in Oklahoma are protected by the federal minimum wage standard. Oklahoma law does not provide additional employee protections beyond what federal law requires for minimum wage. Employers in Oklahoma must pay at least $7.25 per hour to comply with both state and federal requirements. If the federal minimum wage increases in the future, Oklahoma's rate will automatically increase to match it since the state rate is defined as equal to the federal rate.

The Oklahoma minimum wage is equal to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
Oklahoma Department of Labor Wage Law and Administrative Rules (Oklahoma Department of Labor)

When tips, meals or lodging count toward the minimum wage

In Oklahoma, when an employee receives tips along with meals or lodging from their employer, federal wage laws determine how these items affect the minimum wage. For employees covered by federal law, the maximum tip credit against the minimum wage is $5.12 per hour, meaning employers must pay tipped employees at least $2.13 per hour and can apply tip earnings toward meeting the full minimum wage obligation of $7.25 per hour. If tips do not bring the employee's total earnings up to $7.25 per hour, the employer must make up the difference. Oklahoma follows these federal rules because the state minimum wage equals the federal rate. The value of meals and lodging may also be counted toward the minimum wage under federal regulations, though specific limits apply. Workers in Oklahoma who receive tips should ensure their total compensation meets or exceeds $7.25 per hour when combining direct wages and tip credits.

For any employee falling under the jurisdiction of federal wage laws, the maximum tip credit against the minimum wage is $5.12 per hour. Employers must pay tipped employees at least $2.13 per hour and may apply tip earnings toward the balance of the minimum wage obligation.
Oklahoma Department of Labor Wage Law and Administrative Rules (Oklahoma Department of Labor)

What an employer may deduct from your pay

Oklahoma law does not publish its own separate list of paycheck deductions; instead it defers to federal rules. Under the Oklahoma statute governing semimonthly payment of wages, an employer must give each employee a written statement showing "the deductions made in connection with the payment of such wages," but the law does not enumerate which deductions are permitted. The question of what may be taken from an employee's wages - such as taxes, insurance premiums, union dues, or wage garnishments - is answered by the Fair Labor Standards Act and U.S. Department of Labor regulations. Workers in Oklahoma should look to federal guidance to determine which deductions an employer is allowed to make.

165.2 Semimonthly payment of wages on regular paydays– Payment in money–Itemized statement of deductions– Prohibited payments 12
Oklahoma Department of Labor Wage Law and Administrative Rules (Oklahoma Department of Labor)

Why the federal rate applies when the state rate is lower

Oklahoma law sets the state minimum wage at exactly the same level as the federal minimum wage: $7.25 per hour. Because the state rate mirrors the federal floor rather than exceeding it, the federal protections effectively control what Oklahoma employers must pay. Oklahoma employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must therefore pay at least $7.25 per hour. The state statute itself mandates this same figure, so there is no separate, higher Oklahoma-only rate to follow. Workers in Oklahoma should look to the federal rules for enforcement and to the $7.25 hourly figure as the baseline they are owed for every hour worked. If Congress raises the federal minimum wage in the future, Oklahoma's rate will rise with it automatically because the state figure is defined as equal to the federal one.