Labor Market Pulse · Information Technology · October 2026
Information Technology Labor Market Report: Tulsa, OK MSA — October 2026
Tulsa IT pay splits as security surges and generalist roles soften.
Cybersecurity Analyst advertised pay rose to $92,351 and Network Engineer pay hit $97,402, even as metro unemployment climbed to 4.3% and Software Engineer pay slipped to $123,924.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Metro unemployment rate: 4.3% — Up from 3.4% a year earlier, Q3 2026
- Oklahoma tech employment growth: 2.3% — 2020-2025, vs 10.1% nationally, ranks 47th
- National tech layoffs YTD: 133,417 — Through Oct 21, already exceeds all of 2025
- Tulsa nonfarm employment growth: +0.4% YoY — 484,450 jobs, Q3 2026 vs Q3 2025
Key takeaways
Cybersecurity pay is pulling away from the rest of IT.
Metro Cybersecurity Analyst advertised pay rose at a significant clip to $92,351, closing in on national levels ($107,327) faster than any other tracked IT role. Current conditions suggest security headcount plans may need rebenchmarking mid-cycle, ahead of the next annual review.
Network Engineer demand is outrunning the rest of infrastructure.
Metro Network Engineer advertised pay climbed to $97,402, a moderate increase that outpaces flat Systems Administrator pay at $75,880. The gap may reflect data center and hybrid-infrastructure buildout pulling network talent toward specialized roles while general sysadmin work stays commoditized.
Software Engineer and Data Scientist pay are both declining locally.
Metro Software Engineer pay fell to $123,924 and Data Scientist pay dropped significantly to $104,404, both moving opposite their stable national counterparts. This divergence may signal Tulsa employers facing less competition for generalist technical talent than peer metros, an opening for cost-conscious hiring if retention risk is low.
Help Desk pay compression could accelerate outsourcing decisions.
Metro Help Desk/IT Support advertised pay fell to $44,819, tracking a moderate national decline to $53,129. Falling wages in this tier, paired with the 87% of tech leaders reporting lack of leadership support for modernization statewide, make managed support services an increasingly straightforward budget comparison.
Median advertised pay by role — Tulsa, OK MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientist | $90,396 | $104,404 | $121,310 | Significant decline | $145,881 |
| Systems Administrator | $66,464 | $75,880 | $84,058 | Stable | $102,503 |
| Network Engineer | $75,104 | $97,402 | $108,473 | Moderate increase | $115,757 |
| Software Engineer | $87,136 | $123,924 | $138,314 | Moderate decline | $154,403 |
| Help Desk/IT Support Specialist | $37,919 | $44,819 | $48,785 | Moderate decline | $53,129 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | $80,677 | $92,351 | $125,457 | Significant increase | $107,327 |
| IT Project Manager | $78,111 | $108,273 | $123,419 | Moderate decline | $118,150 |
WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings (reported as the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay). Download: CSV · JSON
Local market conditions
Tulsa's unemployment rate climbed to 4.3% in Q3 2026, up nearly a full point from 3.4% a year earlier, even as nonfarm employment edged up 0.4% year-over-year to 484,450 jobs — a labor market cooling at the margins while still adding headcount. Statewide, Oklahoma tech employment grew just 2.3% from 2020-2025 against 10.1% nationally, a structural supply gap that keeps pressure on advertised pay for scarce technical skills even as broader hiring softens.
What it means
Rising metro unemployment alongside Oklahoma's 47th-ranked tech employment growth signals a labor market that looks loose on the surface but remains tight for specialized infrastructure, security and AI-adjacent skills — the two conditions call for different responses within the same budget cycle. Build-vs-buy decisions deserve fresh scrutiny: with 47.2% of Oklahoma STEM graduates staying in-state and 17% leaving for Texas, internal mobility and retention investment likely outperform external recruiting for scarce roles, while routine infrastructure and support functions are better candidates for managed services given local wage compression in those tiers. Consider reviewing which IT functions face real talent scarcity versus which face only cost pressure, and align retention spend accordingly.
Looking ahead
Worth watching: Tulsa's unemployment rise from 3.4% to 4.3% year-over-year has not yet translated into falling IT wages across the board — Cybersecurity and Network Engineer pay are still climbing. Watch whether softening overall employment eventually cools advertised pay in these roles or whether skills scarcity keeps them insulated.
Emerging pressure point: 133,417 national tech layoffs through October already exceed all of 2025, yet Oklahoma WARN filings remain minimal. Monitor whether laid-off talent from larger markets begins relocating toward Tulsa's lower cost structure, which could ease scarcity in AI and cloud-adjacent roles.
Early indicator: Construction on the $1 billion east Tulsa industrial park continues into 2026, a project likely to generate adjacent infrastructure and operational technology hiring. IT leaders supporting logistics or manufacturing clients should track whether this draws network and security talent away from existing employers.
Potential inflection point: Oklahoma's 47.2% STEM graduate retention rate against a 17% outflow to Texas remains a binding constraint on local IT talent supply. Watch whether Tulsa's lower cost of living and the industrial park's job creation shift that balance over the next two quarters.
Methodology
Advertised pay from active employer job postings, not survey data. WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings: distribution analysis shows roughly the lowest 10% of raw values are erroneous entries, so the reported median is the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay. WageScape observes 98% of U.S. job openings daily.
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