Oklahoma City cannot set a minimum wage above the federal $7.25 per hour floor because Oklahoma Statute 40-160.4, enacted in 2014, expressly preempts cities and counties from establishing local minimum wage or mandatory benefit ordinances.
OK §40-160.4, the Minimum Wage Reform Act of 2014, was passed specifically to block Oklahoma City from considering a $10.10 ballot initiative championed by then-mayoral candidates and labor groups. The statute preempts any local rule mandating wages, vacation, sick leave, or health benefits beyond state law. Oklahoma's minimum wage tracks the federal $7.25 per hour rate unchanged since 2009. Tipped workers earn $2.13 plus tips. OKC employers are bound by federal Fair Labor Standards Act overtime rules at 1.5x for hours over 40 per week.
Cities adopting local wage rules face state lawsuits and ordinance invalidation. Employers paying below federal minimum face FLSA back wages and double damages.
See how Oklahoma City's minimum wage preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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