Oklahoma may not immediately come to mind when you think of thriving tech hubs, yet it offers a robust job market full of lucrative opportunities. Fueled by economic growth and government initiatives, Oklahoma‘s tech sector has rapidly expanded – leading to a surge of high-paying roles needing top talent.
From Oklahoma City to Tulsa and beyond, professionals have plenty of options to launch or advance their tech careers while enjoying a lower cost of living.
In this extensive guide, we will explore the seven best-paying tech jobs in OK, shedding light on average salaries, required skills/credentials, and long-term earning potential.
Cyber Security Analyst (Average Salary: $86,818 – $132,308)
Cyber security analysts are indispensable in today‘s digital landscape, safeguarding sensitive data from malicious threats. By continuously monitoring networks/systems and investigating breaches, they prevent unauthorized data access across industries.
Key Responsibilities
- Conduct vulnerability assessments to identify security gaps in networks, applications, and systems
- Implement and maintain critical security controls like firewalls, encryption, access controls
- Rapidly respond to cybersecurity incidents and data breaches
- Make recommendations for enhancing organizational security posture
- Stay updated on emerging cyber threats, vulnerabilities, and prevention techniques
Average Oklahoma Salary
The average salary for a cyber security analyst ranges from $86,818 – $132,308 in Oklahoma, as per recent market data from ZipRecruiter. Entry-level analysts earn approximately $42,246, while specialized professionals can earn well into six figures.
Cybersecurity salaries vary based on:
- Years of hands-on experience
- Specific skills and credentials
- Clearance level (for government contractors)
- Company size and industry (finance and technology pay more)
Nonetheless, this role offers fantastic earning potential compared to national averages – especially when accounting for Oklahoma‘s very affordable cost of living.
Essential Skills and Credentials
- Bachelor‘s degree in cybersecurity, computer science or IT management
- Certifications like CISSP, CISM, CEH demonstrate specialized expertise
- Extensive knowledge of security frameworks like NIST Cybersecurity Framework
- Sharp critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Strong communication skills to educate non-technical employees
Overall, this complex and critical role offers six-figure salary potential for qualified professionals while allowing remote work opportunities.
Next, let‘s explore another immensely valuable job in tech…
Software Engineer (Average Salary $117,753 – $190,338)
Software engineers develop, maintain, and upgrade the complex systems powering modern organizations. By writing efficient code and troubleshooting issues, they bring innovative products and services to life across every industry.
Key Responsibilities
- Analyze user/business requirements and translate them into robust technical designs
- Build reusable, extensible, and maintainable software solutions using programming languages like Java, Python, C++ etc.
- Write code adhering to industry standards, specifications, budgets, and schedules
- Conduct testing, debugging, upgrades and maintenance through software lifecycle
- Provide recommendations to improve system performance, scalability and reliability
- Collaborate with product managers, QA specialists, leadership to meet objectives
Average Oklahoma Salary
Oklahoma software engineers earn an average salary between $117,753 – $190,338. While entry-level developers start around $48,745, senior engineers can make well into six figures at leading companies. Salary variations depend on:
- Specialization (front-end, back-end, full-stack, mobile etc.)
- Programming languages and tech stack
- Years of hands-on development experience
- Company size, funding stage, industry
Yet again, Oklahoma provides a very lucrative tech career pathway without the astronomical living costs of traditional tech hubs like Silicon Valley.
Essential Skills and Credentials
- Bachelor‘s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or related field
- Fluency in programming languages like Java, JavaScript, C++, Python etc.
- Understanding of software architecture patterns and system design
- Experience using source control tools like Git and SVN
- Stellar verbal communication and team collaboration abilities
With the exponential demand for software-driven innovation, skilled engineers will enjoy lucrative, stable careers in Oklahoma. Next up…
Systems Engineer (Average Salary $59,310 – $133,548)
Systems engineers architect and integrate the complex hardware and software systems underpinning modern tech infrastructure. By seamlessly bridging IT and business needs, they ensure systems reliably achieve organizational goals.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and plan systems infrastructure like servers, networks, storage etc.
- Research, evaluate and recommend new technologies and systems
- Install, configure and integrate hardware/software components
- Perform upgrades, maintenance and system administration
- Troubleshoot issues across operating systems and cloud platforms
- Collaborate with IT, developers and leadership on tech initiatives
Average Oklahoma Salary
The average systems engineer in Oklahoma earns approximately $88,998 per year. However, systems engineering salaries range between $59,310 for entry-level roles up to $133,548 for senior professionals. Variations stem from:
- Cloud platform expertise (AWS, Azure, VMware etc.)
- Depth of systems administration experience
- Hybrid on-premise and cloud infrastructure skills
- Soft skills like communication, documentation and strategic thinking
Once again, Oklahoma enables systems engineers to earn at par with top US tech hubs without the steep living costs.
Essential Skills and Credentials
- Bachelor‘s degree in computer science, IT or related engineering
- Certifications like CompTIA Network+, MCSE, CCNA, AWS Solutions Architect
- Programming knowledge to automate tasks and customize systems
- Virtualization expertise with hypervisors like VMware vSphere
- Strong diagnostic, troubleshooting and documentation abilities
With integral infrastructure roles in every modern company, systems engineering provides long-term career growth and resilience. Up next…
Application Security Engineer (Average Salary $66,515 – $89,992)
Application security engineers focus on reinforcing the code integrity of critical software to block threats. Using static/dynamic analysis, they proactively find and remediate vulnerabilities before hackers can exploit them.
Key Responsibilities
- Perform security design reviews during application development
- Conduct static/dynamic application security testing to find vulnerabilities
- Research and recommend fixes for identified application security flaws
- Develop and implement application security standards, policies and guidelines
- Educate developers on secure coding best practices to reduce risks
- Stay updated on the latest application security threats and trends
Average Oklahoma Salary
Application security engineers in Oklahoma earn an average salary of $77,668, ranging between $66,515 for entry-level roles up to $89,992 for senior professionals. Variations stem from:
- Years of application security testing experience (code review, penetration testing etc.)
- Programming language proficiency like Java, C#, JavaScript etc.
- Cloud application security skills on platforms like AWS, Azure and Google Cloud
- Certifications like CASE, CISSP that validate expertise
- Soft skills like analytical thinking and technical writing
Once more, Oklahoma offers lucrative infosec careers without astronomical living expenses.
Essential Skills and Credentials
- Bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, computer science or a related field
- Hands-on experience with static/dynamic application testing tools
- Strong grasp of secure coding principles and OWASP Top 10 risks
- Programming expertise in languages like Java, C#, Python etc.
- Certifications like CASE, CISSP to demonstrate credibility
With exponential app development, application security talent is a prized asset – making this a stable, future-proof career pathway.
Now let‘s pivot to a crucial leadership role…
Information Technology Manager (Average Salary $116,130 – $141,149)
IT managers spearhead technology strategy and operations for companies by aligning them with business goals. With oversight spanning systems, networks, budgets and teams – they optimize workflows through strategic planning and execution.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and implement IT policies, roadmaps and budgets supporting business objectives
- Oversee recruitment, talent development and performance management for IT teams
- Establish business continuity and disaster recovery plans to minimize risk
- Drive large-scale IT projects and technology transformations aligned to needs
- Continuously identify opportunities for process/technology improvements
- Stay updated on emerging technologies to guide strategic recommendations
Average Oklahoma Salary
The average IT manager earns $128,896 per year in Oklahoma, with salaries ranging from $116,130 to $141,149. Pay scales depend on:
- Years of experience managing complex IT projects and teams
- Hybrid technical and leadership skillsets
- Size of company and managed IT budget/headcount
- Certifications like PMP, CISM that demonstrate well-rounded expertise
- Vision to balance operational excellence with business innovation
Once more, Oklahoma enables generous IT leadership salaries without astronomical costs of living.
Essential Skills and Credentials
- Bachelor’s degree in information technology, computer science or related field
- IT certifications like PMP, CISM demonstrate well-rounded expertise
- 5+ years overseeing complex IT projects, budgets and teams
- Sharp business acumen and communication skills
- Leadership abilities to strategize, influence and drive change
With technology now integral to business, skilled IT management is indispensable for success.
Now let‘s explore an immensely valuable analytics role..
Data Scientist (Average Salary $94,000 – $153,000)
Data scientists extract powerful insights from vast volumes of data to guide critical business decisions. By building machine learning models and crunching numbers, they drive innovation and growth across industries.
Key Responsibilities
- Identify valuable datasets and data pipelines to meet analytical needs
- Build scalable data infrastructure for transformation, warehousing and reporting
- Utilize statistical/machine learning techniques to solve problems
- Develop models, algorithms and experiments analyzing relationships in data to derive insights
- Clearly communicate technical findings via visualization dashboards and presentations
- Continuously identify fresh datasets and techniques to drive innovation
Average Oklahoma Salary
Data scientists in Oklahoma earn between $94,000 – $153,000 per year on average. Salaries for this fast-growing role depend chiefly on:
- Depth of expertise in statistical modeling and machine learning
- Programming proficiency with Python/R and libraries like Pandas, NumPy
- Complex analytics experience with massive, unstructured datasets
- Soft skills like storytelling through data visualization and presentations
Oklahoma’s expanding economy and affordability make it welcoming for up-and-coming data professionals.
Essential Skills and Credentials
- Advanced degree in data science, statistics, computer science or related quantitative field
- Fluency in SQL, Python, R for data manipulation and analysis
- Experience building statistical models and machine learning algorithms
- Sharp analytical thinking and quantitative skills
- Creativity and communication skills to translate analytics into insights
With demand for analytics talent booming exponentially across sectors, data science offers versatile, future-proof career opportunities.
Finally, let‘s look at a complex backend role underpinning data reliability…
Database Administrator (Average Salary $55,000 – $124,000)
Database administrators (DBAs) ensure optimal performance and security of database management systems that organizations rely on for operations. By streamlining data storage/access and building data integrity checks, they enable innovation.
Key Responsibilities
- Architect, implement and upgrade database solutions aligned to business needs
- Apply data modeling techniques to ensure reliable database design
- Configure database settings for optimal performance and scalability
- Employ data integrity checks to ensure accuracy and consistency
- Implement database access controls and protective measures
- Monitor database resource usage trends to inform capacity planning
- Troubleshoot issues and restore databases from disruptions
Average Oklahoma Salary
The average database administrator in Oklahoma earns $82,519 annually. Entry-level DBAs start at $55,000, with experienced professionals earning up to $124,000 as they cultivate niche expertise. Salary growth depends largely on:
- DBMS platform skills like Oracle, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server etc.
- Mastery over scripting languages like PL/SQL
- Complex troubleshooting experience across heterogeneous databases
- Soft skills like communication, collaboration and documentation
Oklahoma provides fruitful prospects for database architects to grow their careers without astronomical costs of living hampering savings potential.
Essential Skills and Credentials
- Bachelor’s degree in information technology or computer science
- DBMS certifications like OCA/OCP for Oracle, MCDBA for Microsoft SQL
- Hands-on DBA experience managing business-critical databases
- Extensive SQL programming and shell scripting abilities
- Meticulous attention to detail and organizational skills
With data now an invaluable business asset, skilled DBAs will enjoy tremendous career stability and compensation growth.
Salary Comparison Table
| Job Title | Average Salary Range |
|---|---|
| Cyber Security Analyst | $86,818 – $132,308 |
| Software Engineer | $117,753 – $190,338 |
| Systems Engineer | $59,310 – $133,548 |
| Application Security Engineer | $66,515 – $89,992 |
| Information Technology Manager | $116,130 – $141,149 |
| Data Scientist | $94,000 – $153,000 |
| Database Administrator | $55,000 – $124,000 |
Key Takeaways
I hope this extensive guide has shed light on Oklahoma‘s underrated yet attractive tech landscape, busting misconceptions about heartland state job markets.
With projected IT sector growth of 13% through 2030 – almost quadruple the national average – the state offers fantastic opportunities for tech professionals at every career stage.
Whether you desire to launch your tech career or level up to senior roles, Oklahoma provides all the upside of America‘s resilient economy without the steep living costs hampering savings in coastal tech hubs.
Pair the state‘s supportive business environment and investments in emerging fields like aerospace, energy, transportation and biosciences – and you have a prime destination for lucrative technology careers.
So next time you ponder future pathways to tackle soaring inflation, don‘t overlook Oklahoma‘s blossoming heartland tech jobs bonanza.
