Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program
Oklahoma Department of Commerce
5% of new OK payroll, 10 years
Oklahoma's direct payroll rebate for new quality jobs
Oklahoma's flagship economic development incentive pays qualifying companies a quarterly cash rebate equal to 5% of new payroll for up to 10 years. Unlike tax credits or loans, this is a direct cash payment to the business — no tax liability required. A manufacturing company creating 100 new jobs at $55,000 average wage receives approximately $275,000 per year for 10 years. Requires minimum 10 net new OK jobs at or above threshold wage, plus health insurance benefit. Companies must generate at least $2,500,000 in new annual payroll within 3 years, and at least 75% of gross receipts must come from outside Oklahoma (or the company qualifies as a headquarters operation).
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- $25,000
- Realistic amount
- A 50-employee expansion at $55,000 average OK wage receives approximately $137,500/year in quarterly cash rebates, total…
- Deadline
- Rolling — apply before hiring the new employees. Applications accepted year-round.
- Status
- active
- States
- OK
- Payment model
- post award
Who qualifies
- Create at least 10 net new full-time Oklahoma jobs (standard program) — Small Employer version requires only 2 jobs for manufacturers with fewer than 90 OK employees
- New jobs must pay at or above the Oklahoma average county wage for the occupation OR at least 110% of county average wage in some tier categories
- Must provide health insurance benefit to qualifying employees (employer contribution required)
- Business must be in a qualifying industry sector (manufacturing, headquarters, research, services — not retail or food service)
- Company's OK payroll must be subject to Oklahoma withholding tax
- Minimum 75% of company gross receipts must come from outside Oklahoma OR the company is classified as a headquarters operation
- Must generate at least $2,500,000 in new annual payroll within 3 years of approval
Hard requirements
- Must be incorporated
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Program rebates are unrestricted cash — no expense categorization required
- Qualifying wages paid to net new Oklahoma employees
- Health insurance contributions are verified as eligibility requirement but not reimbursed separately
Ineligible expenses
- Wages for employees transferred from another Oklahoma location (not 'net new')
- Part-time positions (fewer than 35 hours/week)
- Wages below the county average wage threshold
- Jobs without employer-provided health insurance
How to apply
-
1
Confirm eligibility and contact Oklahoma Commerce
Contact the Oklahoma Department of Commerce to confirm your industry, wage tier, and projected job count qualify. Commerce can estimate your annual payment before you apply.
~6 hrs
-
2
Submit Quality Jobs application
Complete the Quality Jobs Program application with: company profile, industry NAICS classification, Oklahoma facility details, projected new employee count and wages, health insurance benefit plan summary, and revenue source documentation.
~6 hrs
-
3
Receive approval and begin hiring
Oklahoma Commerce reviews and issues approval within 30–60 days. Begin hiring qualifying new Oklahoma employees after approval. Do not count employees hired before the approval date.
~6 hrs
-
4
File quarterly payroll reports and receive payments
Submit quarterly payroll reports to Oklahoma Commerce documenting qualifying new employee wages and health insurance coverage. Commerce verifies data and issues quarterly cash payments within 60 days of each filing.
~6 hrs
Oklahoma's Quality Jobs is one of the few state programs that pays direct cash quarterly — no tax liability needed. The 75%-gross-receipts-from-outside-OK rule is the most common eligibility trap for service businesses. Manufacturers and tech companies usually clear it easily; a local restaurant would not. Don't forget the $2.5M minimum annual payroll requirement — a small team with a few high-salary positions can qualify but you need to model the numbers before applying.
Deadline & timing
Must apply before new qualifying employees are hired. Oklahoma Commerce Department processes applications within 30–60 days. Quarterly payroll reports and certification required to receive each quarterly payment. Payments begin after verified new employee headcount and wage documentation submitted.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.