Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Portland, OR Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Portland, OR, Oregon is $121,223 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 63 occupations and roughly 231,590 workers. Adjusted for Portland, OR's cost-of-living index of 130.1, that nominal average translates to $93,177 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Family Medicine Physician at $286,170; the lowest is Automotive Technician at $60,450.
Portland, OR, OR has cost-of-living above the national baseline (index 130.1). The 63 occupations reported here average $121,223 in median wages.
Highest-paying role in Portland, OR on BLS data is Family Medicine Physician at $286,170 median. Top-paying roles in any U.S. city skew toward physicians, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals; the specific ranking varies with the local industry mix. Workers comparing Portland, OR to other regional centers should look at both gross and cost-adjusted wages. The cost-of-living index is uniform across the city but actual household costs vary widely by neighborhood and lifestyle.
Salaries by Occupation in Portland, OR
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $286,170 | $190,510 – $318,170 | 700 |
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $212,660 | $126,610 – $312,530 | 480 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $209,440 | $140,300 – $373,870 | 990 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analyst | Technology | $206,220 | $131,020 – $351,690 | 660 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $183,720 | $120,350 – $274,530 | 5,680 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $172,610 | $100,130 – $286,640 | 4,050 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $168,830 | $127,100 – $196,500 | 2,070 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $164,680 | $103,590 – $292,310 | 5,550 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $163,810 | $105,180 – $216,960 | 1,110 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $162,640 | $94,000 – $282,690 | 3,910 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $158,890 | $130,270 – $200,720 | 1,390 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $156,000 | $94,040 – $213,540 | 18,260 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $155,330 | $75,000 – $285,800 | 5,170 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $151,260 | $93,360 – $336,600 | 3,210 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $148,900 | $100,790 – $258,630 | 2,010 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $137,200 | $96,550 – $185,760 | 1,050 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $136,250 | $89,700 – $166,870 | 350 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $131,720 | $83,670 – $218,900 | 1,010 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $130,310 | $97,180 – $155,650 | 24,220 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $129,890 | $85,020 – $205,270 | 5,230 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $129,600 | $78,110 – $208,110 | 1,700 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $128,080 | $84,250 – $164,720 | 2,320 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $127,360 | $83,560 – $176,150 | 4,020 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $126,380 | $80,810 – $183,190 | 1,850 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $123,100 | $107,650 – $147,470 | 2,380 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $122,830 | $54,940 – $344,850 | 0 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $121,050 | $62,140 – $280,300 | 21,070 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $120,640 | $62,180 – $187,920 | 880 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $117,280 | $76,800 – $214,610 | 2,590 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $112,100 | $85,490 – $131,710 | 730 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $109,760 | $56,760 – $195,910 | 1,550 |
| Audiologist | Healthcare | $109,560 | $80,590 – $128,410 | 90 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $107,650 | $81,720 – $143,780 | 1,140 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $106,280 | $78,860 – $166,060 | 4,180 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $106,250 | $82,270 – $134,610 | 1,810 |
| Electrician | Trades | $105,090 | $60,360 – $134,380 | 7,340 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $105,020 | $78,210 – $165,040 | 2,520 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $103,990 | $61,290 – $163,320 | 2,360 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $103,470 | $76,820 – $156,450 | 5,540 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $103,130 | $52,400 – $192,830 | 580 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $103,110 | $62,400 – $140,810 | 730 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $102,950 | $73,380 – $138,500 | 2,820 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $102,480 | $70,680 – $155,390 | 2,100 |
| Plumber | Trades | $101,010 | $57,640 – $147,100 | 4,600 |
| Architect | Engineering | $100,490 | $74,100 – $132,920 | 1,700 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $99,820 | $65,820 – $132,990 | 560 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $99,150 | $77,080 – $143,450 | 820 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $96,100 | $45,780 – $162,900 | 2,840 |
| Statistician | Technology | $93,620 | $54,580 – $167,380 | 390 |
| Accountant | Finance | $92,200 | $64,680 – $136,730 | 10,100 |
| Writer/Author | Creative | $87,560 | $52,620 – $159,470 | 600 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $85,350 | $50,280 – $163,440 | 8,130 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $84,120 | $58,640 – $108,090 | 6,790 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $83,010 | $49,660 – $116,990 | 1,540 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $82,330 | $50,270 – $107,650 | 7,530 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $78,380 | $48,170 – $129,400 | 3,050 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $75,650 | $47,890 – $170,680 | 3,090 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $75,430 | $48,970 – $100,350 | 3,510 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $73,920 | $50,690 – $137,740 | 850 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $73,710 | $47,440 – $108,440 | 9,210 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $69,010 | $46,320 – $109,030 | 1,400 |
| Welder | Trades | $62,050 | $48,050 – $83,940 | 3,300 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $60,450 | $40,040 – $93,310 | 4,180 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Portland, OR is Family Medicine Physician, with a median of $286,170 and a 90th-percentile reading of $318,170. That $127,660 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles is typical for a role of this seniority — entry-level workers cluster near the bottom of the band, while senior specialists and managers earn at the top.
Across all 63 BLS-tracked occupations in Portland, OR, the average median salary is $121,223. The top five roles average $219,642 — about 1.8× the citywide average — which is the expected shape for a U.S. metro economy: a small concentration of high-skill, high-credential occupations sits well above the broader middle.
Portland, OR carries an above-average cost of living (index 130.1, roughly 30% above the U.S. average), driven mostly by housing and transportation. Most professional roles here pay enough premium to compensate, but lower-percentile and mid-percentile workers see materially less purchasing power than nominal salaries suggest.
Salary Negotiation in Portland, OR
For salary negotiation in Portland, OR, the practical input is the percentile band for your role and city, not the citywide average. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for every metro and occupation; you can find your role's exact percentile in the table above and use the SalaryTruth percentile calculator to anchor your offer. Cost-of-living index 130.1 should also factor in any cross-metro comparison.
For city-vs-city moves, the right benchmark is COL-adjusted pay rather than nominal pay. Our COL-adjusted salaries guide shows the exact math; the negotiation playbook covers how to use BLS percentile bands to anchor offers.
How Portland, OR Salary Data Is Built
Wages on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — a federal survey of more than 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. We pull the BLS data file for Portland, OR, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (130.1) is a composite of housing, food, transportation, and utility data from public sources, calibrated to a U.S. national average of 100. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Portland, OR in 2026?
The average salary in Portland, OR is $121,223 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 63 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $121,223. The top-paying role is Family Medicine Physician at $286,170.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Portland, OR?
In Portland, OR, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $76,864 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 130.1). That is meaningfully below $100K of buying power — high-cost metros eat into nominal salaries. Compared to the city's average median of $121,223, $100K is below the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Portland, OR?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Portland, OR are Family Medicine Physician ($286,170), Pediatrician ($212,660), Dentist ($209,440), and Software Quality Assurance Analyst ($206,220). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $162,640 to $286,170. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/portland.
How does Portland, OR's cost of living affect salaries?
Portland, OR has a cost-of-living index of 130.1, 30% above the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $121,223 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $93,177 in an average-cost U.S. city. Housing is the dominant driver of this gap; in higher-COL markets, mortgage or rent typically eats 5–15 percentage points more of pre-tax pay than in average-cost metros.
How many people are employed in Portland, OR?
Across the 63 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Portland, OR metro is approximately 231,590. BLS OEWS sample-based estimates cover all major occupational categories but exclude very small or volatile fields where the sample is too thin to publish.
Where does this Portland, OR salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Portland, OR MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 63 occupations · COL Index 130.1.