State Question 832 - Minimum Wage

On June 16, 2026, Oklahomans will participate in a primary election to decide on State Question 832, a proposal to increase the minimum wage in Oklahoma. Business interests in the state generally oppose this measure, arguing that altering the current law would lead to price hikes that could burden working families and negatively impact small businesses and family farms by raising operational costs. 

Here’s what you need to know:

Oklahoma’s Current Minimum Wage Law

• The current minimum wage in Oklahoma is $7.25 per hour and mirrors the federal minimum wage as set by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Businesses with 10 or more full-time employees or those generating over $100,000 in gross annual sales are required to comply with this $7.25 rate.

• Smaller businesses may fall under a provision in Oklahoma law allowing for a state minimum wage of $2.00 per hour. However, the FLSA generally requires that employees be paid the higher federal minimum wage, making the $7.25 federal minimum applicable to the vast majority of Oklahoma workers.

• Exemptions to Oklahoma's current minimum wage laws include household service workers, certain agricultural workers, independent contractors, and tipped employees.

Provisions and Proponents of State Question 832

• Under State Question 832, the State’s current minimum wage would gradually increase yearly, beginning with a raise to $9/hour in 2025 to $15/hour in 2029.

• Beginning in 2030, the minimum wage would be adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index.Additionally, the passage of State Question 832 would remove certain exemptions from the Oklahoma Minimum Wage Act so that additional workers would be covered, such as part-time employees, certain students, minors, farm and agricultural workers, domestic service workers, among others.

• “Raise the Wage Oklahoma” is leading the Yes on SQ 832 campaign. Supporters include the National Education Association and the Oklahoma AFL-CIO, Oklahoma Decides Inc., (originally created to expand Medicare in the state) and the Tulsa Community Foundation (a consortium of more than 900 charitable organizations). Additionally contributions have been provided by the Hopewell Fund, a national organization to funnel money to what are generally considered liberal causes.

Opponents/Arguments Against SQ 832

• The principal opponents of State Question 832 are Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce and the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. They oppose the initiative, expressing concerns that: 1) a significant increase in the minimum wage could harm small businesses and the agricultural sector, potentially leading to job losses or reduced hiring; and 2) tying future wage increases to a federal index, like the Consumer Price Index, is problematic because it might not reflect the cost of living in Oklahoma accurately and could lead to unpredictable and open-ended increases.

• In Oklahoma, there are approximately 372,000 registered small businesses, which represents 99.4% of all businesses in the state. These small businesses play a significant role in the state's economy, contributing significantly to job growth and employment.  Since those businesses with 10 or more full-time employees or whose annual gross revenue exceeds $100,000 are subject to the minimum wage requirements, raising the minimum wage would clearly impact their business operations, possibly to the point of forcing them to lay off workers or even close their businesses altogether.