By : Sam Royka//June 18, 2026//
The Rack59 data center in western Oklahoma City offers jobs in the AI sector. The entrance sign is shown in front of the data center’s on-site OGE electrical substation. (Photo/Sam Royka, The Journal Record)
OKC AI job market surges 66%, ranking among nation’s fastest-growing metros
The Rack59 data center in western Oklahoma City offers jobs in the AI sector. The entrance sign is shown in front of the data center’s on-site OGE electrical substation. (Photo/Sam Royka, The Journal Record)
By : Sam Royka//June 18, 2026//
– AI-related hiring in Oklahoma City increased 66% year over year.
– Oklahoma ranked eighth among surprising AI job markets.
– Demand is expanding beyond traditional technology roles.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City ranks among the nation’s fastest-growing markets for artificial intelligence jobs, with AI-related hiring up 66% from a year ago, according to new data from Indeed.
The job site recently ranked Oklahoma City eighth among the most surprising U.S. metros with high concentrations of AI-related job opportunities.
“In Oklahoma City, AI hiring is primarily centered around engineering and technical data positions rather than being limited to specialized AI roles,” said An Nguyen, an economist with Indeed.
The most common AI-related job titles in the metro include software engineers, data engineers, data analysts, automation engineers and AI training specialists, Nguyen said.
The growth mirrors a broader statewide trend. Oklahoma recorded 6,246 AI-related job postings in 2025, up from 4,125 in 2023, according to Stanford University’s 2026 AI Index Report.
While AI hiring continues to grow, the technology’s long-term impact on employment remains uncertain. One-third of organizations surveyed by consulting firm McKinsey expect AI to contribute to workforce reductions by 2026, though Stanford’s report found little evidence of widespread AI-driven layoffs so far.
McKinsey’s 2025 report also showed 62% of survey respondents said their organizations were testing the waters with AI assistants, showing a trend of curiosity in AI implementation.
The demand for AI-related workers is no longer limited to traditional technology companies. Nguyen said employers are increasingly seeking workers who can use or support AI systems in fields ranging from healthcare to customer service.
“The presence of non-technical roles (that include work with AI), including customer service representatives and ultrasonographers, indicates that AI adoption is expanding beyond technical titles,” Nguyen said.
At the same time, some entry-level technology positions appear to be under pressure. Stanford reported that employment among software developers ages 22 to 25 fell nearly 20% nationally over the past two years, a trend some analysts have linked to AI-assisted coding tools and a broader slowdown in tech hiring.
Oklahoma’s growing AI infrastructure could further boost demand for specialized workers. In August 2025, Google announced plans to invest $9 billion to expand its cloud and AI infrastructure in Oklahoma. Oklahoma City also became home to a new Cerebras AI compute facility late last year.
While most AI-related jobs are still concentrated in larger technology hubs, Oklahoma City’s rapid growth suggests the technology’s economic impact is increasingly reaching smaller and mid-sized markets.
Nationally, interest from workers continues to climb. Job seeker searches for AI-related positions have increased elevenfold since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, Nguyen said.
Share this!
Luther town board adopted a six-month moratorium on Beltline Energy’s 320-acre data center project, delaying d[…]
June 18, 2026
Apple plans to raise prices on products due to rising memory and storage chip costs amid AI-driven demand and […]
June 18, 2026
The National League of Cities hosts the 2026 Women in Municipal Government Summer Conference in Broken Arrow, […]
June 18, 2026
Jeff Bezos told a Paris technology conference that artificial intelligence will create labor shortages rather […]
June 17, 2026
Stardust Power begins site engineering at its planned Muskogee lithium refinery, moving the project closer to […]
June 16, 2026
The FutureOK Forum spotlights women driving change in Oklahoma’s business community with a luncheon focused on[…]
June 16, 2026
Sign up for your daily digest of Oklahoma News.
An Oklahoma grand jury indicted a man on murder and drug distribution charges in connection with the[…]
Luigi Mangione plans to use an extreme emotional disturbance defense in the Manhattan trial for the […]
Tribal sovereignty remains active in Oklahoma despite ongoing legal challenges and court cases invol[…]
A Canadian mother sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman alleging ChatGPT encouraged her daughter’s suicide […]
Bill Gates testified to Congress that Jeffrey Epstein pressured him using knowledge of his extramari[…]
The Salvation Army broke ground on a $2 million project in Norman that will expand shelter capacity […]
Xerxes, the Oklahoma City Zoo’s 1-year-old Asian elephant calf, became the first elephant in zoo his[…]
Francis Tuttle students restored a historic U-Haul truck featuring a Bob Waldmire Route 66 mural for[…]
An Oklahoma grand jury indicted a man on murder and drug distribution charges in connection with the[…]
The National League of Cities hosts the 2026 Women in Municipal Government Summer Conference in Brok[…]
World War II veteran Bill Cordill took to the skies in a restored Stearman biplane through Dream Fli[…]
The American Meteor Society reports a surge in fireball meteors across North America, with scientist[…]
Morningstar values SpaceX at $780 billion, less than half its IPO target of $1.75 trillion, citing u[…]
Rocket One shares jump 40% after biotech firm rebrands into AI and space computing, sparking investo[…]
Large U.S. mutual and index funds are setting aside cash to add SpaceX and OpenAI IPOs, anticipating[…]
The Journal Record is an award-winning daily general business and legal publication that includes a daily print newspaper and a 24/7 website. Both focus on local and statewide business trends and in-depth stories that convey the voice of the Oklahoma business community.
Get our free e-alerts & breaking news notifications!
Subscribe for access to the latest digital and special editions.
© 2026 BridgeTower Media. All rights reserved.
Use of this website is subject to its Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy
This website uses cookies, web beacons, pixels, tags, software development kits, and related tracking technologies, as described in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy, for purposes that may include website operation, analytics, analyzing site usage, enhancing site navigation optimizing a user’s experience, and third-party advertising or marketing purposes. Through these technologies, we and certain third parties may automatically collect information about your interactions with our website, such as your browsing behavior and page views. We also may share this information about your activity on our website with our social media, advertising, analytics, and other business partners. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of these technologies and that we can share information about your activity on our website with third parties in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. If you do not agree with our use of non-essential tracking technologies, please click “Reject All.” You may opt out of certain non-essential technologies by clicking “Cookie Settings.”
