PlainTeacher

State profile · NCES F-33 FY2023

Teacher Salary in Oklahoma

Oklahoma sits in the lowest third of reporting jurisdictions at $48,569 (#48 of 49). According to the NCES Common Core of Data finance survey, estimated teacher pay and per-pupil spending are available for every public school district in Oklahoma.

$48,569
Est. state avg salary

Well below benchmark

-30.9%
vs national
#48
National rank
507
Districts

Keep this state in your shortlist

Save it in this browser, then return when PlainTeacher adds a newer public-data release. No account or personal details required.

View saved

$48,569/year (est.)

Oklahoma sits in the lowest third of reporting jurisdictions at $48,569 (#48 of 49). Estimated average teacher salary is $48,569, materially below the national average of $70,245, ranking #48 of 49, across 413 public school districts with reliable data (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Lower-third estimated pay: Oklahoma sits in the lowest third of reporting jurisdictions at $48,569 (#48 of 49).
  • lower third nationally (#48 of 49)
  • Oklahoma ranks #48 of 49 on the salary estimate and #25 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • $24,466 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying districts
  • #43 of 47 states for pay dispersion (narrowest decile, 1.60x top/bottom ratio)
  • -30.9% vs the national average
  • +6.4% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (balanced cohort, not the FTE average above)
  • #48 of 49 purchasing-power-adjusted (BEA RPP 88.7)

The distinguishing axis

How wide is the district pay spread in Oklahoma?

Varnum sits at $65,364 and Ringwood at $40,897 among reliable-salary districts. That 1.60x top-to-bottom ratio ranks #43 of 47 comparable states, in the narrowest decile.

This describes the observed F-33 distribution, not why it exists. The comparison excludes service agencies and states with fewer than five reliable district estimates; see the dispersion method.

Oklahoma purchasing-power check on lower-third pay

Oklahoma's nominal average teacher salary ranks #48 of the 49 states and territories that report teacher salaries. Adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2023 Regional Price Parity (88.7, US = 100, a relative state-level price-level index, not a district or metro cost-of-living figure), the estimate becomes $55,427, ranking #48 of 49 , unchanged from the nominal rank. This purchasing-power view is not published by NEA's teacher-pay rankings or the aggregator sites; it comes from combining our own F-33-derived salary estimate with BEA's public RPP series. See the full 51-state release for methodology and download. BEA Regional Price Parities · NCES CCD F-33

Oklahoma in the teacher-salary distribution

FY2023 estimated state averages from the same NCES-derived ranking

$48,569 2nd percentile higher than 2% of 49 reporting states and territories

Show national distribution $0–$5,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 2 reporting states and territories (4%). This entry sits in this band. $50,000–$55,000: 6 reporting states and territories (12%). Above this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Above this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 9 reporting states and territories (18%). Above this entry. $65,000–$70,000: 7 reporting states and territories (14%). Above this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 2 reporting states and territories (4%). Above this entry. $75,000–$80,000: 4 reporting states and territories (8%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. $115,000–$120,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $120,000–$125,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. Oklahoma $0 $125,000 reporting state salary estimates, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more reporting states and territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey; state estimates derived from reported instructional-salary expenditure and teacher FTE · FY2023

Oklahoma's comparable salary trend

Same reporting-district cohort, FY2019-FY2023

FY2023 estimated average
$45,015 6.40992787518091% vs FY2019
502 districts held in the panel
$40,000$42,000$44,000$46,000$48,000 FY2019FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023 Oklahoma est. avg teacher salary, FY2019: $42,303Oklahoma est. avg teacher salary, FY2020: $44,562Oklahoma est. avg teacher salary, FY2021: $47,125Oklahoma est. avg teacher salary, FY2022: $45,624Oklahoma est. avg teacher salary, FY2023: $45,015 $42,303 $45,015 ▲ +6.4%
Read the chart as text
Period Oklahoma est. avg teacher salary
FY2019 $42,303
FY2020 $44,562
FY2021 $47,125
FY2022 $45,624
FY2023 $45,015

Highest-paying districts in Oklahoma

Estimated average teacher salary, enrolling districts (200+ students)

Est. avg salary

What this shows Varnum leads Oklahoma on the F-33 instructional-salary estimate. Service entities (CTCs, county offices) are excluded, their enrollment-based ratios are not reliable salary figures.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

Top 3 districts

1 $65,364

Varnum

Est. avg teacher salary
2 $64,076

Mangum

Est. avg teacher salary
3 $62,150

Davenport

Est. avg teacher salary

Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment Per-Pupil Exp
Ardmore $43,397 2,591 $14,806
Pleasant Grove $43,308 211 $11,673
Hilldale $43,287 2,033 $11,768
Roff $43,201 277 $16,282
Okay $43,080 371 $10,108
El Reno $42,828 2,907 $13,150
Byng $42,801 1,784 $11,147
Whitebead $42,791 333 $9,336
Lone Grove $42,735 1,447 $10,972
Boise City $42,295 290 $17,962
Mcloud $42,234 1,667 $11,036
Maysville $40,986 324 $12,037
Ringwood $40,897 368 $12,802

Showing 401–413 of 413 enrolling districts. Specialized non-enrolling agencies (career/technical centers, county offices, service co-ops) are excluded from the salary ranking, their enrollment-based estimates are not reliable.

Lowest-Paying Districts in Oklahoma

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment
Ringwood $40,897 368
Maysville $40,986 324
Mcloud $42,234 1,667
Boise City $42,295 290
Lone Grove $42,735 1,447
Whitebead $42,791 333
Byng $42,801 1,784
El Reno $42,828 2,907
Okay $43,080 371
Roff $43,201 277

Among enrolling districts (200+ students) with a reliable estimate; service entities excluded, see methodology.

Nationwide peers near Oklahoma's lower-third pay

Two nationwide peer sets for Oklahoma: closest on estimated average teacher salary ($48,569 here) and closest on total student enrollment (649,731 here). Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not geographic containment.

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other states by unweighted district-mean teacher pay (F-33 derived, ≥5 districts with reliable estimates).

Similar enrollment

Nearest other states by NCES-reported K-12 enrollment. Salary peers above are excluded.

Compare Nearby-Ranked States

Mississippi
$51,325
Rank #45
South Dakota
$50,422
Rank #46
North Carolina
$49,898
Rank #47
Arkansas
$43,221
Rank #49

Data: NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey + Staff Universe Survey, FY2023. Salary figures divide instructional expenditure (variable Z33) by each district's reported teacher FTE, or an estimated FTE for the small minority with no reported figure. Not individual salary data. Read our methodology.

Oklahoma teacher salary FAQ

What is the average teacher salary in Oklahoma?

Across 413 Oklahoma public school districts with reliable data, the average teacher salary is $48,569 (NCES CCD F-33 reported teacher salaries divided by CCD Staff Universe Survey teacher headcounts, FY2023). It is a district-level mean derived from finance filings, so it will not match a contract-salary survey exactly, read it as a relative comparison.

Which Oklahoma school district pays teachers the most?

Varnum reports the highest average teacher salary in Oklahoma at $65,364, while Ringwood sits at the lower end at $40,897.

How does Oklahoma teacher pay compare to the national average?

Oklahoma's average of $48,569 is materially below the national average of $70,245 (-30.9%), ranking #48 of the 49 jurisdictions with a reliable district estimate.

How many school districts are in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma has 507 public school districts in the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, together serving 649,731 students.

How much do teachers make in Oklahoma?

District-average teacher pay in Oklahoma sits in a comparatively narrow band, from $40,897 in Ringwood to $65,364 in Varnum. With that little district-to-district spread the statewide figure is a reasonable guide to what most districts pay. These are district-wide averages from NCES CCD F-33 (FY2023), not individual salaries or pay-scale steps.

Can teachers earn $100,000 in Oklahoma?

No Oklahoma district with reliable data reports an estimated average teacher salary at or above $100,000; the state's highest is Varnum at $65,364. This is a district-wide average, not an individual salary, step, or years-of-experience figure.

How does Oklahoma rank after adjusting for cost of living?

Within the separate enrollment-weighted state comparison, BEA's 2023 Regional Price Parity (88.7, US=100) adjusts Oklahoma's nominal estimate of $49,153 from #49 to $55,427 and #48. The headline uses an unweighted district mean, so this does not replace it. Neither measure is take-home pay, taxes, or district/metro cost of living.

Explore Oklahoma

Disclaimer & data sources

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher for Oklahoma