StateRates

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro salaries

The median worker in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area earned $59,040 a year in 2024, about $28.38 an hour. That ranks #18 of the 391 metro areas published here, 19.3% above the national median.

Oregon Washington

Median pay $59,040 $28.38 per hour
Vs national +19.3% U.S. $49,500
Workers 1,213,760 wage and salary
Metro rank #18 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays 10.6% more than Oregon as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Housing here moved -0.8% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +12.8% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Semiconductor Processing Technicians 30.91× 7,820 $61,410
Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other 22.14× 10,870 $37,900
29-1291 7.64× 510 $63,620
Directors, Religious Activities and Education 7.26× 1,230 $47,500
Clergy 3.89× 1,780 $76,760
Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants 3.44× 2,660 $35,260
Information and Record Clerks, All Other 3.06× 3,460 $49,920
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians 2.76× 2,020 $77,480
Social Workers, All Other 2.68× 1,370 $64,130
Biological Technicians 2.55× 1,530 $47,390
Public Relations Managers 2.54× 1,520 $127,010
Real Estate Brokers 2.54× 990 $66,280

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Dentists, General $184,420 $88.66 760
Pediatricians, General $181,990 $87.50 600
Pharmacists $169,520 $81.50 2,420
Computer and Information Research Scientists $169,510 $81.50 650
Marketing Managers $165,000 $79.33 4,440
Lawyers $161,420 $77.61 5,600
Financial Managers $159,540 $76.70 5,090
Physician Assistants $156,450 $75.21 980
Art Directors $155,350 $74.69 900
Nurse Practitioners $151,890 $73.02 1,310
Software Developers $149,010 $71.64 16,620
Natural Sciences Managers $148,970 $71.62 860
Human Resources Managers $144,990 $69.71 1,940
Medical and Health Services Managers $144,420 $69.44 3,290
Database Architects $143,260 $68.88 570
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $139,370 $67.01 1,100
Purchasing Managers $139,040 $66.85 840
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $137,780 n/a 2,190
Construction Managers $136,970 $65.85 2,760
Sales Managers $135,340 $65.07 4,350
Advertising and Promotions Managers $132,650 $63.78 230
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $132,550 $63.73 230
Optometrists $132,110 $63.51 370
Commercial Pilots $131,250 n/a 350
Managers, All Other $131,170 $63.06 4,840
Computer Network Architects $130,810 $62.89 900
Engineers, All Other $129,550 $62.29 2,160
Registered Nurses $127,980 $61.53 24,930
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $127,090 $61.10 620
Public Relations Managers $127,010 $61.06 1,520
Information Security Analysts $126,640 $60.88 990
Industrial Engineers $126,530 $60.83 5,440
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $125,160 $60.18 700
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $124,890 n/a 3,640
Sales Engineers $123,500 $59.38 930
Nurse Midwives $123,080 $59.18 200
Veterinarians $122,990 $59.13 1,020
Computer Systems Analysts $122,300 $58.80 3,760
Training and Development Managers $122,290 $58.79 390
Environmental Engineers $122,290 $58.80 470
Detectives and Criminal Investigators $121,530 $58.43 290
Computer Programmers $120,870 $58.11 970
Financial Risk Specialists $120,600 $57.98 290
School Psychologists $120,130 $57.75 420
Administrative Services Managers $119,890 $57.64 2,090
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $119,270 $57.34 2,610
Dental Hygienists $118,950 $57.19 2,170
Industrial Production Managers $118,820 $57.13 2,180
Computer Occupations, All Other $117,020 $56.26 2,750
Data Scientists $114,390 $55.00 2,090
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers $114,270 $54.94 650
Electrical Engineers $114,130 $54.87 3,050
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers $113,090 $54.37 550
Facilities Managers $112,820 $54.24 1,140
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists $110,590 $53.17 290
General and Operations Managers $110,350 $53.05 25,260
Crane and Tower Operators $110,280 $53.02 320
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $109,480 $52.64 960
Special Effects Artists and Animators $108,630 $52.23 370
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary $108,320 n/a 510

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Fast Food and Counter Workers 33,490 $34,850 $16.76
Stockers and Order Fillers 27,790 $43,190 $20.77
Retail Salespersons 27,440 $36,770 $17.68
General and Operations Managers 25,260 $110,350 $53.05
Registered Nurses 24,930 $127,980 $61.53
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 22,190 $44,320 $21.31
Cashiers 19,740 $35,710 $17.17
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 18,580 $45,550 $21.90
Software Developers 16,620 $149,010 $71.64
Office Clerks, General 15,920 $50,230 $24.15
Customer Service Representatives 15,140 $47,280 $22.73
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 14,460 $63,500 $30.53
Project Management Specialists 14,080 $102,100 $49.09
Waiters and Waitresses 13,920 $36,060 $17.34
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 13,760 $38,160 $18.35
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 13,660 $52,450 $25.22
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 13,020 $53,050 $25.50
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 12,770 $38,060 n/a
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 12,010 $78,620 $37.80
Cooks, Restaurant 11,970 $39,260 $18.87

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other Oregon metro areas

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?

The median across all occupations is $59,040, or $28.38 an hour, covering 1,213,760 wage and salary workers. The mean is $76,490, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pay more than the rest of Oregon?

Yes. The metro median of $59,040 is 10.6% above the Oregon median of $53,390. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?

Dentists, General ($184,420), Pediatricians, General ($181,990), Pharmacists ($169,520). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro unusually full of?

Semiconductor Processing Technicians, at 30.91× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.