Healthcare Jobs in Oklahoma City, OK
Healthcare is one of the pillars of the Oklahoma City economy: INTEGRIS Health, OU Health, Mercy and SSM Health together employ more than 32,000 people across the metro, by the chamber's count. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring, what the work pays and how to get started.
Current healthcare Openings in Oklahoma City, OK
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Healthcare Work in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City's hospital jobs sit in a handful of clusters. The biggest is the Oklahoma Health Center around NE 13th Street and Lincoln Boulevard, just east of downtown, where OU Health's OU Medical Center, the OU Health Sciences Center and the VA Oklahoma City Health Care System share one campus. INTEGRIS Health Baptist Medical Center anchors the Northwest Expressway corridor, INTEGRIS Health Southwest Medical Center serves the south side on South Western Avenue, Mercy runs its flagship hospital on West Memorial Road in far north OKC, and SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital sits in Midtown. Down I-35, Norman Regional's HealthPlex anchors Norman.
What makes the market different is the mix. OKC has the state's academic medical center, with trauma and transplant care at OU Health, a large federal employer in the VA, and two Oklahoma-based systems competing for the same nurses and techs. Oklahoma is also a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a multistate license from another compact state works here from day one.
Top Oklahoma City Employers Hiring Healthcare Workers
These Oklahoma City health systems hire across nursing, allied health and support roles:
- INTEGRIS Health - the Oklahoma-based system hires nurses, allied health staff, medical assistants and non-clinical staff at Baptist and Southwest Medical Centers.
- OU Health - the state's academic health system staffs adult and pediatric units, trauma and transplant at its NE 13th Street campus.
- Mercy - Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City on West Memorial Road hires nurses and runs a 12-month new graduate residency.
- SSM Health - St. Anthony Hospital in Midtown and SSM Health Medical Group clinics hire RNs, LPNs and graduate nurses.
- VA Oklahoma City Health Care System - the federal medical center posts nursing roles on USAJOBS with published pay ranges.
- Norman Regional Health System - the Cleveland County system hires nursing, physician and support staff at its Norman campuses.
Healthcare Salaries in Oklahoma City
- Entry level: about $15 to $19 an hour for nursing assistants and medical assistants.
- Experienced: roughly $24 to $30 an hour for licensed practical nurses.
- Senior: $37 to $48 an hour for most registered nurses, with the top tenth above $49.
These are estimates from federal wage data for the Oklahoma City metro and vary by license, shift and employer. Night, weekend and critical care shifts pay more, VA nursing jobs publish ranges of $75,766 to $140,903 a year for staff RNs, and the large systems add tuition help and loan repayment on top of base pay.
How to Start a Healthcare Career in Oklahoma City
Many people start as a certified nurse aide, listed with the Oklahoma State Department of Health Nurse Aide Registry. Metro Technology Centers runs an 11-month day and 12-month evening Practical Nursing program, and associate degree nursing programs run at Oklahoma City Community College, OSU-Oklahoma City and Rose State College in Midwest City. The University of Oklahoma Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing offers traditional, accelerated, LPN-BSN and RN-BSN tracks on the OU Health campus. Nurses are licensed by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing after passing the NCLEX and a fingerprint background check.
What the Job Involves
Healthcare work covers bedside care, clinic support, diagnostics and the office work that keeps a hospital running. Depending on the role, a shift can mean taking vital signs, giving medications, assisting with procedures, charting in an electronic health record, drawing blood, running imaging or lab tests, or scheduling and checking in patients. Most hospital roles run on 8 or 12 hour shifts, including nights and weekends.
Skills Employers Look For
- A current license or certification for the role, plus BLS from the American Heart Association
- Electronic health record charting
- Clear communication with patients and families
- Attention to detail with medications and orders
- Comfort with 12 hour, night and weekend shifts
- Teamwork under pressure
Career Path and Advancement
The Oklahoma City ladder is well marked. A nurse aide can train as an LPN at Metro Tech, then use the LPN-to-RN career ladder at OSU-Oklahoma City, then finish a BSN through OU's LPN-BSN or RN-BSN track. The big systems pay for much of it: OU Health advertises up to $5,250 a year in tuition assistance and full tuition for BSN and graduate nursing degrees after six months. From staff nurse, the path leads to charge nurse, nurse manager and advanced practice roles.
Related Careers in Oklahoma City
If healthcare interests you, this Oklahoma City guide goes deeper on the biggest role in the field:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to work in healthcare in Oklahoma City?
It depends on the role. Registered and licensed practical nurses are licensed by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing, and certified nurse aides are listed with the Oklahoma State Department of Health Nurse Aide Registry. Many support and administrative jobs need no license, though hospitals usually ask for BLS certification for patient-facing roles.
How much do healthcare jobs pay in Oklahoma City?
Federal wage data for the metro puts nursing assistants and medical assistants at about $15 to $19 an hour, licensed practical nurses at roughly $24 to $30, and registered nurses at about $37 to $48. Shift, specialty and employer all move the number.
Which Oklahoma City hospitals hire new graduates?
INTEGRIS Health runs a year-long nurse residency accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and Mercy runs a 12-month residency in Oklahoma City covering med-surg, ICU, labor and delivery and NICU units. SSM Health also posts graduate nurse roles at St. Anthony Hospital.
Can I work in Oklahoma City with a nursing license from another state?
Yes, if it is a multistate license from a Nurse Licensure Compact state, because Oklahoma joined the compact and has issued multistate licenses since January 2018. Nurses from non-compact states apply to the Oklahoma Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement.
Where can I train for a healthcare job in Oklahoma City?
Metro Technology Centers offers practical nursing, while Oklahoma City Community College, OSU-Oklahoma City and Rose State College offer associate degree nursing. The University of Oklahoma Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing offers bachelor's programs on the OU Health campus.
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