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Closing the OKC Wage Gap: High-Paying Jobs and Fast Cash Gigs · The 405 Payroll

• 0:13
  Welcome to The 405 Payroll, I'm Claire Brooks.
• 0:17
  This is the show that takes Oklahoma City's hiring news and turns it into something
• 0:21
  you can use today, before your lunch break is over.
• 0:24
  And I'm Miles.
• 0:25
  Today we've got three employers with real starting pay, a training path toward
• 0:30
  twenty bucks an hour and up, two ways to pick up cash this week,
• 0:33
  and one Monday morning move that could help with rent in a pinch.
• 0:37
  But first, the headline.
• 0:39
  The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the Oklahoma City metro added 2,100 jobs in
• 0:44
  August 2026.
• 0:46
  That came out in late September, and it's a big jump from the 600 jobs added in
• 0:50
  July.
• 0:51
  Okay, but is 2,100 big?
• 0:53
  Numbers just float around without a yardstick.
• 0:56
  Fair.
• 0:57
  Over the past five years, the metro has averaged about 1,100 new jobs a month.
• 1:01
  So August came in at nearly double the usual pace, and it ranks as the eleventh
• 1:06
  strongest month out of the last sixty.
• 1:08
  Eleventh out of sixty is solid.
• 1:10
  I'll add some honesty, though.
• 1:12
  The same data shows 2025 averaged a loss of about 408 jobs a month,
• 1:17
  and these figures get revised later.
• 1:19
  So this is a rebound, not a victory lap.
• 1:23
  Agreed.
• 1:24
  Here's my read on why it matters if you're paying rent here.
• 1:27
  More jobs added means more openings to apply to, and that's the part you can use
• 1:32
  this week.
• 1:34
  Now the part that hits the budget.
• 1:35
  ZipRecruiter's salary tracking puts the average entry level wage in OKC at $14.35 an
• 1:41
  hour, and the median is around $12.93.
• 1:44
  And the common benchmark is that rent should stay around 30 percent of your income.
• 1:48
  For a median two bedroom in the metro, that math calls for about $20 to $22 an hour.
• 1:55
  So if you're earning $14 to $16 and the rent still gets paid every month,
• 2:00
  that's somebody doing a hard thing every single day.
• 2:03
  The gap is between the pay scale and the rent scale.
• 2:05
  It's not about your effort.
• 2:07
  Right, and a gap like that closes in steps.
• 2:10
  A raise of $5 an hour is about $800 more a month if you're working around 160 hours.
• 2:17
  Eight hundred dollars.
• 2:19
  That's a very real number.
• 2:20
  So that's our mission today.
• 2:22
  Not a giant leap, just the next rung, plus a few ways to get there.
• 2:26
  Let's go see who's hiring.
• 2:28
  Three employers, real numbers.
• 2:30
  First up, Tinker Federal Credit Union, with branches in Midwest City and Oklahoma
• 2:35
  City.
• 2:36
  Credit union.
• 2:37
  So I'm guessing suits and spreadsheets?
• 2:39
  Not necessarily.
• 2:40
  The Member Service Officer role starts at $22.20 an hour.
• 2:44
  The hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, with rotating Saturday
• 2:49
  mornings from 8:30 to 12:30.
• 2:51
  They also list a part time Teller at $20 an hour and a Branch Operations Assistant
• 2:56
  at $20.
• 2:57
  And if you're handier than you are chatty, there's a Facilities Maintenance
• 3:01
  Technician posting at $24.64 to $34.19 an hour.
• 3:05
  Yes.
• 3:06
  For the service roles, the requirements are a high school diploma or GED plus
• 3:11
  customer or clerical experience.
• 3:13
  Then TFCU trains you in house through something called TFCU University,
• 3:17
  so you don't need an outside finance credential.
• 3:21
  So if you've spent years running a register or working a counter,
• 3:25
  it's worth asking whether that customer experience fits.
• 3:28
  How do people apply?
• 3:29
  Online at tinkerfcu dot org slash careers, or you can email talent acquisition at
• 3:35
  careers at tinkerfcu dot org.
• 3:38
  Next, T Mobile.
• 3:40
  The role is Mobile Associate, store in store retail sales, with locations including
• 3:45
  the Mayfair area, ZIP 73112, and ZIP 73132 in northwest OKC.
• 3:51
  The base is $18 an hour, plus an extra $5 an hour in training pay during onboarding.
• 3:57
  That's $23 an hour while you learn.
• 4:00
  After training, it moves to an $18 to $20 base plus commission.
• 4:04
  Full time and part time shifts are available, and part time associates can get
• 4:09
  benefits too.
• 4:10
  You apply right at tmobile dot careers.
• 4:12
  Third, Copart in south OKC, ZIP 73129.
• 4:17
  Inventory Specialist, $18 to $20.29 an hour, part time with a minimum of 20 hours a
• 4:23
  week.
• 4:24
  After five months, you can join their employee stock purchase plan.
• 4:28
  You apply through Copart's career portal, and you need to be 18 or older.
• 4:32
  Now a quick safety note, straight from the City of Oklahoma City's own employment
• 4:36
  page.
• 4:37
  Fake job postings are on the rise.
• 4:39
  Never pay for training, equipment, or a background check, and verify openings on the
• 4:44
  real company site.
• 4:45
  Good rule.
• 4:46
  If it asks for money to get hired, close the tab.
• 4:49
  And a small win to hold on to.
• 4:51
  Even the lowest of these, the $18 an hour at Copart or T Mobile,
• 4:56
  is already above that $14.35 entry level average.
• 5:00
  Which means the next application you send could be the raise.
• 5:03
  Chapter three.
• 5:05
  Say you're at $15 to $18 an hour and you want $22 to $28.
• 5:10
  What's the move?
• 5:11
  One of the most concrete paths we found is Electrical Trades at Moore Norman
• 5:15
  Technology Center, which serves Moore, Norman, and south Oklahoma City.
• 5:20
  They have an apprentice pathway and a 500 hour evening electrician training.
• 5:25
  Evening, so you keep your day job.
• 5:27
  Exactly.
• 5:27
  The evening classes are designed for working adults.
• 5:30
  I don't want to guess the exact length in months, so ask MNTC for current start
• 5:34
  dates and the weekly schedule.
• 5:36
  Fair.
• 5:37
  What does the paycheck look like on the other end?
• 5:40
  O NET Oklahoma wage data tracks electrical apprentices and technicians from an entry
• 5:45
  median of $17.83 an hour, up to a range of $25 to $42.71 as
• 5:52
  you progress through licensing.
• 5:54
  So you'd start near where a lot of our listeners already are,
• 5:57
  and the ceiling is well past that $22 to $28 target.
• 6:01
  What does it cost?
• 6:03
  In district tuition is $2,725.
• 6:07
  The total is $3,370, and that includes tools, an OSHA 10 certification,
• 6:13
  and the $25 Oklahoma State Electrical Apprentice License.
• 6:18
  That's not nothing when you're watching every dollar.
• 6:21
  So what's free or funded?
• 6:23
  Several options.
• 6:24
  The Central Oklahoma Workforce Innovation Board, through WIOA,
• 6:28
  offers adult grants.
• 6:30
  The Moore Norman Technology Center Foundation has scholarships,
• 6:33
  and there are Otha Grimes Memorial Scholarships too.
• 6:36
  I also saw something called MNTC Tuition Assistance.
• 6:40
  Yes, up to $4,000, but that one is for qualifying in district residents who are 21
• 6:46
  and younger.
• 6:47
  And Federal Pell Grants apply to programs over 600 hours.
• 6:52
  This one is 500, so ask the financial aid office whether your program qualifies
• 6:56
  rather than assuming.
• 6:57
  One more thing I like.
• 6:59
  MNTC doesn't participate in federal student loans, so there's no loan balance
• 7:04
  following you home.
• 7:05
  Which keeps it simple.
• 7:06
  You either get a grant or scholarship, or you pay the tuition,
• 7:10
  and that's the whole story.
• 7:12
  So what's the first step this week?
• 7:14
  Two calls.
• 7:15
  One to Moore Norman Technology Center about the evening electrician training and
• 7:18
  start dates, and one to the Central Oklahoma Workforce Innovation Board about an
• 7:23
  adult grant.
• 7:24
  Two calls.
• 7:25
  I think we can all do two calls.
• 7:27
  Chapter four, extra money this week.
• 7:29
  Miles, I know you like a fast payout.
• 7:31
  Money that shows up fast is my favorite kind.
• 7:34
  Then start with Veryable.
• 7:36
  It's an on demand labor app with daily shifts, which they call Ops,
• 7:40
  in local manufacturing, logistics, and distribution facilities around Oklahoma City.
• 7:45
  What's it pay?
• 7:47
  Typically $16 to $22 an hour, which works out to about $120 to $160 for an eight
• 7:53
  hour shift.
• 7:54
  Payment lands the next day in your Veryable Vault digital account,
• 7:58
  weekends included.
• 7:59
  Next day pay is huge when a bill is due Friday.
• 8:02
  How do you get going?
• 8:03
  Download the Veryable app, then complete a background check,
• 8:07
  a tax form, and the Vault setup.
• 8:09
  Approval commonly takes 24 to 48 hours, so if you start today,
• 8:13
  you could be picking up a shift this week.
• 8:15
  And you choose the shifts, so they can fit around your regular job.
• 8:19
  That's how the app describes it, daily shifts and flexible work.
• 8:23
  Option two is for the night owls.
• 8:25
  Valet Living, doorstep trash collection at apartment communities.
• 8:28
  The posting is Doorstep Trash Collection Specialist, nights,
• 8:32
  in central OKC, ZIP 73102, and the wider metro.
• 8:37
  Pay is $16 an hour on foot, and $19 an hour if you use your own pickup truck.
• 8:42
  What's the schedule like?
• 8:44
  Evenings, roughly 8:00 to 10:30 PM, Sunday through Thursday,
• 8:48
  about 10 to 15 hours a week.
• 8:50
  No Friday or Saturday shifts.
• 8:52
  Let's do the math out loud.
• 8:54
  Ten hours at $16 is $160.
• 8:58
  Fifteen hours at $19 is $285.
• 9:01
  So that's $160 to $285 a week, or $640 to $1,140 a month,
• 9:08
  before taxes.
• 9:09
  And because it's evenings, it doesn't collide with a daytime job.
• 9:13
  Even the low end is real money for about ten hours a week.
• 9:17
  How do you start?
• 9:19
  The posting is on Indeed with an easy apply option.
• 9:22
  Search Valet Living in Oklahoma City and look for the nights listing.
• 9:27
  My advice is pick one this week, not both, unless you truly have the hours.
• 9:32
  You're already working hard, and this is just an option on the table.
• 9:36
  Chapter five, making it stick.
• 9:39
  A raise is great, and we want it to hold up when a surprise shows up.
• 9:44
  A flat tire, a medical bill, a cutoff notice.
• 9:47
  Which is why everyone should know about Upward Transitions.
• 9:51
  They've been in Oklahoma City since 1925, serving Oklahoma County,
• 9:55
  and they run emergency rent and utility assistance.
• 9:59
  What does it cover?
• 10:00
  One time help, up to two months of rent, not to exceed $1,000,
• 10:05
  or help with a utility cutoff.
• 10:07
  It's for families with children under 18, or seniors 55 and older,
• 10:11
  who are facing an eviction notice, meaning a five day notice to quit,
• 10:15
  or a utility disconnection.
• 10:17
  So it's targeted.
• 10:18
  If that's not you, it's still worth knowing for a neighbor.
• 10:21
  Now the critical rule.
• 10:23
  Applications open only on Monday mornings at 7:00 AM sharp,
• 10:27
  online at upwardtransitions dot org.
• 10:31
  There's also a phone line at 9:00 AM on Mondays, four oh five,
• 10:35
  two three two, five five oh seven.
• 10:38
  Why the sharp timing?
• 10:39
  Weekly funds fill within minutes.
• 10:41
  So have your proof of hardship, income verification, and your lease or cutoff notice
• 10:46
  ready before 7:00.
• 10:48
  Then here's a small win.
• 10:49
  Set a Monday alarm and scan those documents tonight, before you ever need them.
• 10:54
  That's a smart little move.
• 10:56
  Now the habit.
• 10:57
  It's called the Half Step Buffer Rule.
• 10:59
  Whenever a pay bump gives you an extra $400 to $800 a month,
• 11:04
  you automatically send half into a separate emergency fund,
• 11:07
  or toward debt payoff, before your spending grows.
• 11:11
  So $400 more, and $200 goes to the side.
• 11:14
  $800 more, and $400 goes to the side.
• 11:17
  And you still get the other half to enjoy.
• 11:19
  That's the part people forget.
• 11:20
  The raise is still yours.
• 11:22
  The key word is automatically.
• 11:24
  Set the transfer for payday, so you're not deciding every single time.
• 11:27
  And it's untouchable, meaning it's separate from the account you spend from.
• 11:32
  No judgment about where it goes, emergency fund or debt.
• 11:36
  It's a tool, that's all.
• 11:38
  A cushion of even a few hundred dollars can make a hard month feel a lot less scary.
• 11:43
  That's what we're building.
• 11:45
  Time to close.
• 11:46
  We were asked for a true story of someone moving up, and I want to be straight with
• 11:51
  you.
• 11:52
  We don't have a named person's story to hand you today, and we won't invent one.
• 11:57
  Right.
• 11:57
  So instead, let's walk through a path built only from the real numbers we covered.
• 12:02
  Think of it as a worked example, not a testimonial.
• 12:05
  Picture someone at $15 an hour, working 160 hours a month.
• 12:09
  That's $2,400 a month before taxes.
• 12:13
  They apply to the T Mobile Mobile Associate job.
• 12:15
  During training, it's $23 an hour, and afterward an $18 to $20 base plus commission.
• 12:22
  At a $20 base, that's $3,200 a month.
• 12:25
  That's $800 more than before, and now they're right at that $20 to $22 range we
• 12:30
  talked about for rent.
• 12:32
  Then the Half Step Buffer Rule kicks in.
• 12:34
  Half of that extra $800 is $400 a month into the emergency fund.
• 12:38
  And they still keep $400 to enjoy.
• 12:41
  Meanwhile, they make those two calls about the evening electrician training at Moore
• 12:45
  Norman Technology Center, and ask about an adult grant.
• 12:48
  That's the next rung, with that O NET range of $25 to $42.71 as licensing
• 12:54
  progresses.
• 12:55
  And if a hard week hits along the way, they already know Monday at 7:00 AM is when
• 13:00
  Upward Transitions opens.
• 13:03
  None of that is magic.
• 13:04
  It's a series of small, doable steps, and every one of them is a win worth
• 13:08
  celebrating.
• 13:09
  Which brings us to your one action for today.
• 13:13
  Before the end of the day, submit one application.
• 13:17
  Open tinkerfcu dot org slash careers, or tmobile dot careers,
• 13:21
  and send in one.
• 13:23
  One application, fifteen minutes or less.
• 13:26
  If it's a no, you've lost nothing.
• 13:29
  If it's a yes, it could be the $800 a month we started with.
• 13:34
  And remember, you're already working hard.
• 13:36
  Today is just about pointing that effort at a bigger paycheck.
• 13:41
  That's The 405 Payroll.
• 13:42
  I'm Claire Brooks.
• 13:44
  And I'm Miles.
• 13:45
  Go send that application, and we'll see you tomorrow at lunch.