Healthcare & Medical Jobs in Oklahoma City, OK
Health care is one of Oklahoma City's three anchor industries, led by INTEGRIS Health, OU Health, Mercy and SSM Health, which together list more than 30,000 local jobs with the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. The guides below cover every healthcare and medical role in Oklahoma City, who is hiring and what it pays.
Why Healthcare Work Is Different in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City's medical jobs concentrate in a few large campuses rather than spreading evenly across the metro. The biggest is the Oklahoma Health Center east of downtown around NE 13th Street and Lincoln Boulevard, home to OU Health's OU Medical Center and Oklahoma Children's, the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the VA Oklahoma City Health Care System. INTEGRIS Health, the statewide system headquartered here, runs Baptist Medical Center off Northwest Expressway and Southwest Medical Center on South Western Avenue. Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City anchors the far north side on West Memorial Road, SSM Health St. Anthony sits in Midtown with emergency healthplexes around the edges of the metro, and Norman Regional's HealthPlex serves the I-35 corridor to the south.
That concentration shapes the job market. Commutes are car-dependent, with heavy flows on I-35 from Norman, Moore and Edmond and on I-40 from Yukon and Midwest City, so where a campus sits on the highway map matters when you choose an employer. The big systems compete hard for nurses with year-long new-graduate residencies at INTEGRIS and Mercy, and OU Health advertises up to $25,000 in student loan repayment for nurses. Oklahoma belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact, so nurses with a multistate license from another compact state can start here without a second license. Pay floors are low by national standards: Oklahoma's minimum wage is still $7.25 after voters rejected State Question 832 in June 2026, and entry-level health care postings, such as SSM Health's $18 an hour patient access role, sit well above that floor.
Top Healthcare & Medical Employers in Oklahoma City
These are the Oklahoma City area employers that hire the most healthcare workers, with employment figures from the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber:
- INTEGRIS Health - about 11,000 local employees, with nursing, allied health, medical assistant and patient access career tracks plus a paid CNA training program.
- OU Health - about 9,500 employees at OU Medical Center, Oklahoma Children's, Stephenson Cancer Center and OU Health Edmond Medical Center.
- Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City - about 6,500 employees on West Memorial Road, with a 12-month nurse residency covering med-surg, ICU, labor and delivery and NICU.
- SSM Health - about 5,600 employees at St. Anthony Hospital in Midtown, its healthplexes and SSM Health Medical Group clinics.
- Norman Regional Health System - the Norman system hires nursing, allied health and support staff for the HealthPlex and its Moore campus.
- VA Oklahoma City Health Care System - the federal medical center on NE 13th Street posts nursing, lab and support roles on USAJOBS.
- Variety Care - the community health center network hires medical assistants, front office staff and providers for its clinics.
Healthcare & Medical Career Paths in Oklahoma City
- Nursing - Registered Nurse and Licensed Practical Nurse. The largest track in the city, licensed by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing, with clear ladders from LPN to RN at local colleges.
- Front office and patient access - Medical Receptionist. The fastest way in with no license, and a common first step toward clinical work.
- Industry overview - Healthcare. A starting point that maps the whole field in Oklahoma City before you pick a role.
How to Start a Healthcare & Medical Career in Oklahoma City
- Oklahoma Board of Nursing license - required for RNs and LPNs. You finish a Board-approved program, pass the NCLEX and clear a fingerprint background check.
- Nurse Aide Registry certification - certified nurse aides are listed on the Oklahoma State Department of Health Nurse Aide Registry after passing a state-approved training and competency program.
- Nursing degrees - the OU Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing on the Oklahoma Health Center campus, Oklahoma City Community College in south Oklahoma City, OSU-Oklahoma City on North Portland Avenue and Rose State College in Midwest City all run Board-approved RN programs.
- Metro Technology Centers - practical nursing, medical assisting and nursing services programs, plus a Medical Office Specialist program at its Springlake Campus.
- National certifications - medical assistant credentials such as the CMA and RMA, which INTEGRIS requires for its medical assistants, and lab credentials from ASCP, which SSM Health asks of lab technicians.
Only the nursing licenses and nurse aide certification are required by Oklahoma law; front office work needs no license, and most other credentials are employer preference that raises your starting pay.
Healthcare & Medical Salaries in Oklahoma City
- Entry - about $15 to $19 an hour for receptionists, patient access staff and nursing assistants.
- Mid - about $19 to $30 an hour for medical assistants and licensed practical nurses.
- Senior - about $32 to $49 an hour for registered nurses, with a metro median near $40.
These are estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 survey for the Oklahoma City metro, cross-checked against local postings. Hospital postings such as SSM Health's lab openings add differentials for nights and weekends, while federal jobs at the VA follow the GS scale; recent VA Oklahoma City registered nurse postings listed $75,766 to $140,903 a year. The large systems add benefits such as tuition help, sign-on bonuses and loan repayment to compete for licensed staff.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the biggest healthcare employers in Oklahoma City?
INTEGRIS Health, OU Health, Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City and SSM Health are the largest, according to the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. The VA Oklahoma City Health Care System and Norman Regional Health System are also major employers in the metro.
Do I need a license to work in healthcare in Oklahoma City?
It depends on the role. Registered nurses and LPNs need a license from the Oklahoma Board of Nursing, and nurse aides must be on the state Nurse Aide Registry. Front office roles such as medical receptionist need no license.
Can nurses from other states work in Oklahoma City?
Yes, if they hold a multistate license from a Nurse Licensure Compact state. Oklahoma has issued multistate licenses since January 2018, so compact nurses can work here without a separate Oklahoma license.
How much do healthcare workers make in Oklahoma City?
Pay ranges widely by role. The May 2025 federal survey put the metro median at $39.87 an hour for registered nurses, $28.78 for LPNs and $16.85 for receptionists, and large systems add shift pay and sign-on bonuses for licensed staff.
Where can I train for a healthcare job in Oklahoma City?
Metro Technology Centers, Oklahoma City Community College, OSU-Oklahoma City, Rose State College and the OU Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing all train for local healthcare jobs. Some employers also pay for training, such as INTEGRIS Health's paid CNA program.
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