Saturday, February 14, 2026 • Keep an umbrella handy! 🌧️ Highs in mid-60s.

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By Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice
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OKLAHOMA CITY – The average salary of a state employee is significantly lower than comparable jobs in other sectors, according to a study by the Office of Management and Enterprise Services.

State employee pay is 48.05% below market, according to the report.

The average salary of an Oklahoma state employee, not including benefits, is $59,714, compared to $114,950 in the competitive labor market, according to the report.

State employees fared a little bit better in average total benefits costs, coming in 13.98% below market.

Salary and benefits combined put state employees at 39.21% below market.

The overall turnover rate improved slightly in fiscal year 2025, coming in at 21.59% compared to 22.42% the prior year.

In fiscal year 2025, employee turnover cost the state slightly more than $283 million, according to the report.

It is likely the state will lose even more ground against the market unless steps are taken to mitigate the growing lag, the report said.

👉 Click here for the full story.

Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.

Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.

A hand-curated list of the best journalism from across the state:

• ‘Tighten our belts’: Board certifies FY 2027 revenue projections, budget limit (NonDoc)

• New statewide vote on medical marijuana not likely to happen, legislative leaders indicate (Tulsa World)*

• Tributes pour in across Indian Country for former Chief Jim Gray (Osage News)

• More SNAP changes are here. Here’s what you can and can’t buy with Oklahoma food stamps. (Tulsa Flyer)

• Crowd gathers in Tulsa for training on immigrants' rights: 'We act legally when they don't' (Tulsa World)*

• ODMHSAS spars over consent decree findings; shares draft of plan to improve competency restoration (News 9)

• Tyson, Cargill agree to pay for cleanup of Oklahoma river after 20-year lawsuit (KOSU)

• Tulsa Hispanic commission launches ‘playbook’ to help businesses respond to ICE enforcement (Tulsa Flyer)

• Broken Arrow amphitheater creates jobs, boosts economy with park upgrades (2 News Oklahoma)

• Jenks High School seniors help veterans move into new transitional housing (2 News Oklahoma)

• Oklahoma judge weighs Richard Glossip's second request for bond (KOSU)

• Massachusetts man indicted for sending letter impersonating Ryan Walters (NonDoc)

• Oklahoma City teacher arrested for alleged sexual relationship with student (KOCO)

• 'This isn't my house': Oklahoma City homeowner discovers stranger asleep in living room (KOCO)

• Members of a metro Buddhist temple fight to get their monk back in (News 9)

• NBA All-Star Weekend features OKC Thunder players, more Oklahoma ties (KOSU)

• Durant High School renames gym to honor late coach and family (KXII)

Gov. Kevin Stitt landed in the national news cycle this week after he criticized the White House over reported plans to initially exclude some Democratic governors from a meeting tied to the National Governors Association, the bipartisan group of U.S. governors he currently chairs. Stitt said the governors represent their states — regardless of how those states voted — and should be able to meet with the president.

Grant Hermes, host of the Make It Make Sense podcast, told Oklahoma Memo the controversy escalated quickly and ended with the White House re-inviting those governors — but not before Trump publicly took aim at Stitt, labeling him a “RINO,” shorthand for “Republican in name only.” Hermes framed the episode as a rare moment of intraparty friction for Stitt, who has largely aligned with Trump-era Republican politics despite earlier primary-season divides.

The exchange also underscored a growing tension inside the modern GOP between traditional “states’ rights” conservatism and a more expansive federal posture. Hermes noted that governors — as executive leaders — often share a different set of incentives than members of Congress and can rally around one another when they believe presidential actions interfere with state-level authority.

A political research firm says it’s hearing something unexpected from rural voters: not just cost-of-living frustration, but deep anxiety about artificial intelligence — and candidates who ignore it may be missing an opening.

Adrianne Marsh, CEO of Altum Insight, told Oklahoma Memo that qualitative research with rural voters surfaced AI as “off the charts” in concern, tied to distrust, privacy fears and the sense that technology could undermine children’s future opportunities, local values and even the stability of small-town life.

Marsh argued the finding matters politically because many Republican leaders are closely aligned with tech and crypto interests, while rural voters aren’t convinced those leaders are listening to the downside risks. She said that creates a potential lane for candidates who can credibly claim the “consumer protection” mantle — but only if they test and refine the message instead of treating a single study as a silver bullet.

Watch the video above, or listen to the podcast wherever you get them — and to read the full report, click here.

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