Job Shortages
The tables below show the top three occupations that are projected from 2018-2028 of Oklahoma employers based on the level of education they require. There is a state minimum wage of $7.25 in Oklahoma. The one highlighted occupation under each of the three education levels has been selected to expand on in terms of potential career advancement.
Potential Career Advancement
1) Retail Salesperson to Supervisor of Retail Sales Workers
Retail Salesperson Job Description:
- Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers
Entry Level Requirements:
- On-the-job training
- English language proficiency
Supervisor of Retail Sales Workers Job Description:
- Supervise and coordinate activities of retail sales workers in a department
Career Advancement Requirements:
- High School diploma or GED typically required
2) Bookkeeping, Accounting & Audit Clerk to Accountant & Auditor
Bookkeeping, Accounting & Audit Clerk Job Description:
- Compute, classify and record numerical data to keep financial records accurate and complete
Entry Level Requirements:
- Certification is not required by Oklahoma law, but an Associate’s degree is generally required
- Accounting training programs in Oklahoma are listed here
Accountant & Auditor Job Description:
- Analyze financial information and prepare financial reports on activities in an organization
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree with Accounting concentration
- At least 1 year of accounting experience
- Pass the CPA exam after applying with the Oklahoma Accountancy Board, more information here
- Pass the AICPA ethics exam with a minimum score of 90 ($189-$245)
- State residency required, but citizenship not required
3) Accountant & Auditor to Financial Manager
Accountant & Auditor Job Description:
- Analyze financial information and prepare financial reports on activities in an organization
Entry Level Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree with Accounting concentration
- At least 1 year of accounting experience
- Pass the CPA exam after applying with the Oklahoma Accountancy Board, more information here
- Pass the AICPA ethics exam with a minimum score of 90 ($189-$245)
- State residency required, but citizenship not required
Financial Manager Job Description:
- Plan, direct, or coordinate accounting, investing, banking, insurance, securities, and other financial activities of a branch, office, or department of an establishment
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in finance related field, Master’s degree encouraged
- 5+ years of experience in business or financial occupation, more information found here
Immigration in Oklahoma
The following are facts about the immigrant community in Oklahoma:
- Immigrants comprise 6% of the state population and 8% of the Oklahoma labor force
- Top industries of immigrant employment in Oklahoma:
- Accommodation and Food Services, 26,097
- Construction, 23,153
- Manufacturing, 21,482
- Health Care and Social Assistance, 16,795
- Retail Trade, 15,009
- 14,453 immigrant business owners account for 7% of all self-employed Oklahoma residents
- 37% of immigrants in Oklahoma are naturalized and another 38% are undocumented
- Top foreign-born countries of origin:
- Mexico, 45%
- Vietnam, 5%
- India, 5%
- Germany, 3%
- Guatemala, 3%
- 6% of native-born Oklahomans are children of an immigrant
- Educational attainment of foreign born adults in Oklahoma:
- High School diploma or less – 59%
- More than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree – 17%
- Bachelor’s degree or higher – 24%
- Share of Brain Waste* – 23%
* Share of immigrant professionals, who are unemployed, employed at poverty-level wages in High School diploma or less jobs, or significantly underemployed in more than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree jobs
Sources
Jobs
Projections Managing Partnership (PMP), Projections Central – State Occupational Projections, “Long Term Occupational Projection (2018-2028)”; http://www.projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates; https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, “Education and training assignments by detailed occupation,” 2019; https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-and-training-by-occupation.htm
National Council of State Legislatures, “State Minimum Wages”, December 2020; http://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wage-chart.aspx#Table
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Economic News Release, “Employees on Nonfarm Payrolls by State, Seasonally adjusted”, November 2020; https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t03.htm
Potential Career Advancement
National Conference of State Legislatures, “The National Occupational Licensing Database”, March 2020: https://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/occupational-licensing-statute-database.aspx
Immigration
American Immigration Council, State by State Fact Sheet, August 2020; https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/topics/state-by-state