How pay works in Portland, OR across 9 observed careers
Portland, OR lists 9 careers with observed metro percentiles in USD. Pay index 1.08 (8% above national); COL 100 vs a US baseline of 100.
Software Engineer leads this Portland table at US$156,000 a year, with Lawyer at US$155,330 and Registered Nurse at US$130,310. The midpoint of the listed set is Financial Analyst at US$117,280 — a better “typical covered career here” than row #1 alone. Top-of-list mix: 3 technology, 3 finance & business, and 1 legal.
Population in the dataset is about 652,503. Larger labour markets usually support wider industry mix; smaller ones can look “high paying” on one clinical or tech title and thin everywhere else. Many top cash roles in the United States still run through employer sponsorship and specialty licensing.
The United States shows about 2.9% CPI in 2024. Open a role’s Portland salary page for p10–p90, take-home, and rent models — this hub is the directory. Missing careers may still have a national United States page even when this metro lacks observed percentiles.
Reading pay and COL together in Portland
Use pay index (1.08) for wage level vs the United States, and COL (100) for prices. High on both is not the same as high real leftover.
Figures are observed metro medians where listed, in USD, gross. They are market estimates — not a promise from any one employer.
What tops the Portland cash list
Software Engineer: Software engineers design, build, and maintain the applications and systems that power modern businesses. Observed median here: US$156,000. That lead reflects how this metro prices the occupation, not a recommendation to retrain tomorrow.