Share-Based Compensation - Summary of Stock Options Outstanding (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Number of shares vested and exercisable	668,130	583,115	565,876
Options vested and exercisable weighted average remaining contractual life	4 years 7 months 19 days	5 years 2 months 1 day	5 years 1 month 13 days
Options vested and exercisable weighted average exercise price	$ 6.36	$ 5.75	$ 4.90
Options vested and exercisable intrinsic value	$ 10,731	$ 9,068	$ 2,476
$3.21 - 6.89
Range of exercise prices, lower range	$ 3.21	$ 3.21
Range of exercise prices, upper range	$ 6.89	$ 6.89
Number of shares vested and exercisable	411,553	422,003
Options vested and exercisable weighted average remaining contractual life	3 years 5 months 15 days	4 years 1 month 2 days
Options vested and exercisable weighted average exercise price	$ 5.16	$ 4.85
Options vested and exercisable intrinsic value	7,113	6,941
$7.13 - 8.17
Range of exercise prices, lower range	$ 7.13	$ 7.13
Range of exercise prices, upper range	$ 8.17	$ 8.17
Number of shares vested and exercisable	81,050	63,225
Options vested and exercisable weighted average remaining contractual life	6 years 6 months 14 days	7 years 5 months 12 days
Options vested and exercisable weighted average exercise price	$ 7.27	$ 7.24
Options vested and exercisable intrinsic value	1,226	889
$8.65 - 21.14
Range of exercise prices, lower range	$ 8.65
Range of exercise prices, upper range	$ 21.14
Number of shares vested and exercisable	175,527
Options vested and exercisable weighted average remaining contractual life	6 years 6 months 12 days
Options vested and exercisable weighted average exercise price	$ 8.76
Options vested and exercisable intrinsic value	2,392
$8.65 - 9.34
Range of exercise prices, lower range		$ 8.65
Range of exercise prices, upper range		$ 9.34
Number of shares vested and exercisable		97,887
Options vested and exercisable weighted average remaining contractual life		8 years 4 months 17 days
Options vested and exercisable weighted average exercise price		$ 8.65
Options vested and exercisable intrinsic value		1,238
$3.21 - 4.31
Range of exercise prices, lower range			$ 3.21
Range of exercise prices, upper range			$ 4.31
Number of shares vested and exercisable			149,288
Options vested and exercisable weighted average remaining contractual life			2 years 10 months 10 days
Options vested and exercisable weighted average exercise price			$ 3.57
Options vested and exercisable intrinsic value			851
$4.54 - 5.77
Range of exercise prices, lower range			$ 4.54
Range of exercise prices, upper range			$ 5.77
Number of shares vested and exercisable			303,863
Options vested and exercisable weighted average remaining contractual life			5 years 2 months 19 days
Options vested and exercisable weighted average exercise price			$ 4.79
Options vested and exercisable intrinsic value			1,362
$6.09 - 8.13
Range of exercise prices, lower range			$ 6.09
Range of exercise prices, upper range			$ 8.13
Number of shares vested and exercisable			112,725
Options vested and exercisable weighted average remaining contractual life			7 years 10 months 10 days
Options vested and exercisable weighted average exercise price			$ 6.95
Options vested and exercisable intrinsic value			$ 263

Amount of difference between fair value of the underlying shares reserved for issuance and exercise price of vested portions of options outstanding and currently exercisable.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisableIntrinsicValue1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Weighted average exercise price as of the balance sheet date for those equity-based payment arrangements exercisable and outstanding.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (c)(1)(iii)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeExercisableOptionsWeightedAverageExercisePrice1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Weighted average remaining contractual term of exercisable stock options, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (e)(2)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeExercisableOptionsWeightedAverageRemainingContractualTerm2
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The floor of a customized range of exercise prices for purposes of disclosing shares potentially issuable under outstanding stock option awards on all stock option plans and other required information pertaining to awards in the customized range.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (g)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeLowerRangeLimit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of shares reserved for issuance pertaining to the outstanding exercisable stock options as of the balance sheet date in the customized range of exercise prices for which the market and performance vesting condition has been satisfied.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (c)(iii)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeNumberOfExercisableOptions
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The ceiling of a customized range of exercise prices for purposes of disclosing shares potentially issuable under outstanding stock option awards on all stock option plans and other required information pertaining to awards in the customized range.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (g)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeUpperRangeLimit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=aaon_ExercisePriceRangeAMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=aaon_ExercisePriceRangeBMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=aaon_ExercisePriceRangeCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=aaon_ExercisePriceRangeEMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=aaon_ExercisePriceRangeFMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=aaon_ExercisePriceRangeGMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=aaon_ExercisePriceRangeHMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: