Average Salary in Portland Oregon: Median Income by Job & City
Median annual wage, all jobs
$60,690
Half of workers in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area earn more than $60,690 a year and half earn less, 19% above the U.S. median of $50,980. The average (mean) wage is $78,430.
Wages in Portland vs. the U.S.
| Measure | Portland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $60,690 | $50,980 |
| Mean annual wage | $78,430 | $69,770 |
| Median hourly wage | $29.18 | $24.51 |
| 10th percentile (annual) | $37,200 | $31,200 |
| 25th percentile (annual) | $45,320 | $37,590 |
| 75th percentile (annual) | $95,640 | $80,520 |
| 90th percentile (annual) | $136,920 | $128,560 |
| Jobs counted | 1,208,410 | 155,495,730 |
All occupations combined. Wages exclude self-employed workers and owners. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
What is a good salary in Portland?
In the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area, the lowest-paid 10% of workers earn under $37,200 a year and the top 10% earn over $136,920. A salary above the median of $60,690 puts you in the upper half of earners there.
The mean ($78,430) is higher than the median because a smaller number of very high earners pulls the average up. The median is the better guide to what a typical worker earns.
Median pay by occupation group in Portland
| Occupation group | Median annual | U.S. median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $136,440 | $126,520 | 80,700 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $126,120 | $109,280 | 47,850 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $123,680 | $86,530 | 64,540 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $107,380 | $99,520 | 35,670 |
| Legal | $99,000 | $102,500 | 9,650 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $90,240 | $82,660 | 92,070 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $86,680 | $82,530 | 12,590 |
| Construction and Extraction | $75,480 | $59,540 | 57,870 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $68,620 | $62,750 | 22,020 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $65,800 | $59,620 | 42,280 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $65,530 | $60,570 | 69,610 |
| Community and Social Service | $62,890 | $58,300 | 29,630 |
| Protective Service | $54,550 | $50,080 | 22,330 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $52,840 | $47,450 | 127,020 |
| Production | $51,870 | $46,990 | 67,410 |
| Healthcare Support | $48,420 | $38,340 | 51,440 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $47,340 | $44,350 | 104,320 |
| Sales and Related | $45,680 | $38,530 | 96,000 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $44,620 | $37,680 | 31,750 |
| Personal Care and Service | $41,600 | $36,410 | 33,470 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $39,080 | $35,050 | 107,090 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $39,060 | $36,630 | 3,090 |
Groups follow the Standard Occupational Classification. Each group mixes many jobs, so a single job can pay well above or below its group. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
Highest and lowest paying fields in Portland
The best-paid occupation groups by median wage are management ($136,440), computer and mathematical ($126,120), healthcare practitioners and technical ($123,680), architecture and engineering ($107,380), legal ($99,000).
The lowest-paid groups are farming, fishing, and forestry ($39,060), food preparation and serving related ($39,080), personal care and service ($41,600).
Where these numbers come from
BLS reports wages for metropolitan areas, not city limits. The figures here cover the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area, which includes the surrounding counties.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys employers about the wages they pay each job. The figures are pre-tax and count wage and salary workers only, so they leave out self-employed people and business owners. They also do not include benefits such as health insurance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Portland?
The median annual wage for all jobs is $60,690 and the mean is $78,430.
What is the median hourly wage in Portland?
$29.18 an hour, across all occupations.
Do people in Portland earn more than the national average?
The median wage in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area is 19% above the U.S. median of $50,980.
Which jobs pay the most in Portland?
Among broad occupation groups, management jobs have the highest median wage, at $136,440 a year.