U.S.
EMPLOYMENT EXPLORATION: OKLAHOMA
By Georgia Adamson, USA Career
Advisor
Oklahoma has a colorful history. Its name comes from two Indian words that mean “red person.” It is nicknamed the “Sooner” state, based on a time when illegal settlers tried to claim lands that hadn’t yet been opened for settlement. Residents speak over 50 languages and the state includes 55 Indian tribes.
Climate & Geography
Oklahoma is the 20th largest state in the United States. Except for the Panhandle area, it’s mostly flat plains and low hills, frequently occupied by oil and natural gas wells, large cattle herds and wheat fields. The highest point in the state reaches only 4,973 feet above sea level. Statewide monthly averages temperatures range from 93.9 down to 24.8 degrees F. Even the driest regions typically average at least 20-21 inches of rain annually, even though less than two percent of the state is covered by water. The state is known for tornadoes. A 50-year study in 2002 showed nine counties with totals ranging from 60 tornadoes up to 86 tornados per year.
Employment Opportunities
Oklahoma’s population is approximately 3.5 million, with an unemployment rate between 4.3 and 4.7 percent.
Nine of the state’s top employers are located in Oklahoma City, and six of them are in Tulsa. By far the largest employer is Tinker Air Force Base, with 22,000 employees.
Fastest-Growing Occupations:
The 10 fastest-growing occupations overall for 2002-2012 are projected to be: occupational therapist aides; survey researchers; medical assistants; fitness trainers and aerobics instructors; social and human service assistants; veterinary technologists and technicians; medical records and health information technicians; personal and home care aides; environmental scientists and specialists (including health); biomedical engineers; farm, ranch, and other agricultural managers; pharmacists; teachers; database administrators; and network and computer systems administrators.
A separate list of “Hot Careers” shows the top 10 as: registered nurses; general and operations managers; customer service representatives; truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer; elementary school teachers; secondary school teachers; sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing; first-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers; licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses; maintenance and repair workers.
Declining Occupations:
Occupations that don’t look promising include: word processors and typists; electrical and electronic equipment assemblers; petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers; door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers; computer operators; wellhead pumpers; brokerage clerks. Factoring in a bachelor’s degree shortens the “decline” list to petroleum engineers and geoscientists (except hydrologists and geographers).
Income & Cost of Living
The median household income is $35,900, and the per capita income is $26,600.
Oklahoma’s relatively low cost of living helps offset its lower salaries and compares well to other parts of the southwest region. The cost-of-living indices for Tulsa and Oklahoma City come in at 91.3, versus 101 for Dallas and 105.1 for Denver. When compared to major business centers across the U.S, the two major Oklahoma metro areas rank favorably against Boston’s 120.4, San Francisco’s 123.6 and New York City’s 134.1.
Online Resources
About Author
Georgia Adamson provides
career-management services, including personal coaching programs and résumé
- and cover letter writing services, through her company, A
Successful Career. Adamson works with job
seekers and career changers from entry to executive level throughout the
United States and in several other countries. Her résumés and cover
letters have appeared in nine books, and she is a Certified Employment
Interview Professional, a Credentialed Career Master, a Job and Career
Transition Coach, a Certified Professional Résumé Writer and a Certified
Career Management Coach.
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