By the end of 2022, Portland Oregon is expected to have a GDP per capita of $70,317. It’s grown steadily over the last several years, and so has the job market. In fact, Portland’s job market is 7 percent higher than the rest of the United States.
Are you looking for a job in Portland? If so, this guide will help you, whether you’re a seasoned professional making a career change or a student planning for the future.
Discussed below are some of the highest-paying jobs in Portland, as well as the highest-paying industries in Portland. You’ll learn about the highest-paying jobs in Portland for fresh graduates and the degrees they’ll need to earn to qualify for them, too.
What Salary Is Considered Rich in Portland?
Before breaking down the best-paid jobs in Portland, it helps to have a little more context about what makes a job in Portland a high-paying one and how much someone needs to earn here to live comfortably.
The average salary in Portland, Oregon is $66,136 per year. This is almost identical to the average salary in the United States, which is $66,665 per year.
Although Portland’s average salary is on par with the average salary in the U.S., it’s much more expensive to live here than it is in many other parts of the country. Housing costs are particularly higher in Portland compared to the U.S. — the median housing price in Portland is $536,900, and the median housing price in the U.S. is $291,700.
To live well in Portland and be able to afford the city’s high housing prices, a person would need to earn well over $100,000 per year. The more you can earn over this amount, the better off you’ll be and the more disposable income you’ll have to work with.
What Is the #1 Highest-Paid Position in Portland?
What kind of job do you need to find in Portland to be able to earn over $100,000 per year? The good news is that there are lots of high-paying jobs here. Of all the best-paid jobs in Portland, the number one highest-paying position is a surgeon.
Surgeons in Portland earn an average salary of $285,020 per year, which is more than 4 times the average salary for a Portland resident. Their entry-level salary is quite high, too, at $191,280 per year.
Because surgeons have to spend so much time in school before they can practice, not to mention the fact that they are highly skilled professionals who save lives on a daily basis, it makes sense that they are paid very well for their work.
If you aren’t interested in putting in the time and effort required to become a surgeon, don’t worry. There are plenty of other highly paid jobs here, including the 20 listed below (ranked from lowest to highest salary).
20. Natural Sciences Managers: Average Salary $137,960 per year
19. Pharmacists: Average Salary $138,570 per year
18. Lawyers: Average Salary $142,110 per year
17. Computer and Information Systems Managers: Average Salary $142,630 per year
16. Architectural and Engineering Managers: Average Salary $143,340 per year
15. Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates: Average Salary $148,100 per year
14. Computer and Information Research Scientists: Average Salary $150,090 per year
13. Podiatrists: Average Salary $154,650 per year
12. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers: Average Salary $161,900 per year
11. Other Physicians and Ophthalmologists: Average Salary $174,860 per year
10. Postsecondary Health Specialties Teachers: Average Salary $176,930 per year
9. General Pediatricians: Average Salary $181,010 per year
8. Psychiatrists: Average Salary $214,440 per year
7. General Dentists: Average Salary $223,210 per year
6. Nurse Anesthetists: Average Salary $224,950 per year
5. General Internal Medicine Physicians: Average Salary $239,170 per year
4. Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Average Salary $245,960 per year
3. Chief Executive Officers: Average Salary $252,770 per year
2. Anesthesiologists: Average Salary $269,610 per year
1. Surgeons: Average Salary $285,020 per year
Top 5 Highest-Paying Industries in Portland
When you’re making plans for a career change or trying to figure out what you want to do with your life, it helps to know about the highest-paying jobs in your city. However, it’s also important to know about the highest-paying industries in Portland.
Listed below are the top 5 highest-paying industries here, along with a list of the top 3 careers in each field and its current job prospects.
Not surprisingly, the healthcare industry is one of the highest-paying industries in Portland. There’s a great demand for healthcare workers here, from surgeons to nurses, so it makes sense that there would be lots of high-paying jobs available for those with medical backgrounds.
Top 3 Careers
- Surgeons: Average Salary $285,020 per year
- Anesthesiologists: Average Salary $269,610 per year
- Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Average Salary $245,960 per year
Job Prospects: Because there’s such a high demand for healthcare workers right now, the job prospects for those who want to work in this field are very promising. There are lots of jobs available here, many of which come with high salaries. If you want to find work in the healthcare industry in Portland, you’ll likely be able to get hired right away.
Lots of major companies operate out of Portland, including Intel, Nike, and US Bank. There are also plenty of small and medium-sized businesses here, too. Because there are so many businesses in this part of the country, there are also lots of job opportunities for those with business backgrounds, including people who are looking for management positions.
Top 3 Careers
- Chief Executive Officers: Average Salary $252,770 per year
- Marketing Managers: Average Salary $137,080 per year
- Sales Managers: Average Salary $134,500 per year
Job Prospects: The job prospects for those who want to work in the business sector are very promising. Remember, Portland has a healthier-than-average job market, which means there are a lot of opportunities for those who want to work in business, management, and administrative positions. Whether you have enough experience to become a manager or are just getting started in your career, you’ll likely find plenty of job openings here.
Postsecondary teachers (those who teach at the university level) can also earn high salaries in the Portland area. There are several higher education institutions here, including the University of Portland, Portland State University, Lewis & Clark College, and Reed College. As a result, there’s also a demand for postsecondary educators who can teach at these schools.
Top 3 Careers
- Postsecondary Health Specialties Teachers: Average Salary $176,930 per year
- Postsecondary Law Teachers: Average Salary $123,440 per year
- Postsecondary Computer Science Teachers: Average Salary $108,580 per year
Job Prospects: There are plenty of job openings for postsecondary instructors in Portland — more than in many other parts of the country. At the same time, though, this is also a highly competitive industry, with people from all over looking for jobs.
Your chances of finding a job in postsecondary education may be a bit better in Portland than in other areas, but you still will likely have to be patient while you wait for the right position to open up.
As is the case in many parts of the United States, the engineering industry is another high-paying industry in Portland. Engineers of all kinds can earn a great living in this city, no matter what their specialization is.
Top 3 Careers
- Architectural and Engineering Managers: Average Salary $143,340 per year
- Aerospace Engineers: Average Salary $118,240 per year
- Computer Hardware Engineers: Average Salary $117,230 per year
Job Prospects: The job prospects for engineers in Portland are quite promising. There’s always a demand for engineering professionals in this city, so you’ll likely be able to find a job easily once you start applying, as long as you have the proper training.
The information technology industry is another fast-growing and high-paying industry in Portland (and in the rest of the United States). There’s a high demand for professionals with experiencein computer science, software development, app development, network engineering, and other related fields.
Top 3 Careers
- Computer and Information Systems Managers: Average Salary $142,630 per year
- Computer Network Architects: Average Salary $120,260 per year
- Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers: Average Salary $111,300 per year
Job Prospects: The job prospects in Portland are quite good for those who want to work in the information technology sector. Because there is such a high demand for professionals with these specific skill sets, you’ll likely be able to get hired very quickly once you start sending out applications. Even if you don’t have a degree, you can still qualify for some highly paid IT positions.
Top 5 Highest-Paying Jobs in Portland for Fresh Graduates
If you want to earn a high salary right out of school, it’s also helpful to know about the highest-paying jobs in Portland for fresh graduates, specifically.
You might not be able to land a chief executive or management position right out of college. However, there are still lots of high-paying jobs that provide a good salary as soon as you graduate, including the following:
As the highest-paid professionals in all of Portland, it stands to reason that surgeons would have some of the highest starting salaries in the area, too. As a fresh graduate, you can earn an average salary of $191,280 per year as a surgeon here — that’s more than 3 times the average Portland resident’s salary.
Of course, it takes a lot of time and effort to become a surgeon. You’re looking at a 4-year bachelor’s degree, 4 years of medical school, plus at least 3 years of residency. It’ll be a while before you can start working and earning that high salary, but once you do, it’ll almost certainly be worth it.
Obstetricians and gynecologists also earn high entry-level salaries, likely because their skills are in high demand and they play an important role in the healthcare system.
OB-GYNs care for women before, during, and immediately after pregnancy. They deliver babies and provide other services, including prescribing birth control and caring for women going through menopause.
To become an OB-GYN, like a surgeon, you’ll need to complete 4 years of college and 4 years of medical school, followed by a residency that lasts between 3 and 7 years. After this long journey is complete, you can earn a high starting salary — $174,160 on average.
For those who are committed to the healthcare industry and are willing to put in the work, the promise of this salary is an added bonus that makes all their time and training worthwhile.
A nurse anesthetist is another healthcare professional with a high starting salary — the average entry-level salary is $153,790.
Nurse anesthetists are paid so well, in part, because they play such an integral role during surgeries. They are responsible for administering anesthesia and monitoring patients throughout the procedure to ensure they remain sedated and pain-free.
Not only do nurse anesthetists receive higher-than-average salaries, but they also are able to start their careers sooner than many other medical professionals. Nurse anesthetists need just a master’s degree before they can get hired, which takes an average of 6 years to complete. That’s a lot less than 11-15 years, right?
A power distributor and dispatcher is also known as a systems operator. They are responsible for controlling the flow of electricity from generating stations to users and substations. They prepare and issue switching orders and route electrical currents around specific areas that require maintenance or repairs.
A power distributor and dispatcher can enjoy a high starting salary of $92,000 per year on average, which is well above the average Portland resident’s salary. Over time, they can earn quite a bit more than this, too, with an average salary of $120,200 per year.
The good news is that you don’t necessarily need a college degree to do this job. A degree in engineering, computer science, or another related field could be useful, but it’s not 100 percent necessary. If you’re looking for a job that pays well and requires just a high school diploma (plus the completion of on-the-job training), this might be a good fit for you.
In addition to being some of the highest-paid professionals in Portland, airline pilots also enjoy some of the highest entry-level salaries, making this a great job for fresh graduates who want to earn an above-average salary as soon as they finish school.
The average starting salary for an airline pilot in Portland is $83,920 per year. Will time and experience, they can almost double that amount, though, and earn $161,900 per year (on average).
To become an airline pilot, you will need to complete a bachelor’s degree and gain a private and commercial pilot’s license, so it takes far less time to gain your certifications than it does for many of the other careers listed in this guide. Many universities and colleges offer programs to help you complete this training and gain the skills needed to be a successful flyer, too.
What Degree Pays Most in Portland?
To qualify for one of the best-paid jobs in Portland, you need to have a college degree. If you’re not sure what you want to study, the table below can help. It breaks down the top 5 degrees that will help you earn a high salary in Portland.
Degree Type | Potential Salary |
Medical | $285,020 per year |
Business | $252,770 per year |
Nursing | $224,950 per year |
Aviation | $161,900 per year |
Computer Science | $150,090 per year |
It’s important to note that there’s no guarantee you’ll earn a specific salary in Portland just because you have a particular degree. Lots of other factors contribute to your salary, including the type of company you work for and the job market at the time when you graduate.
That being said, you’ll generally be better off with a degree than without one. This is especially true if you want to earn a high salary and live comfortably in an expensive city like Portland.
Highest-Paying Jobs in Portland
Now that you know more about the highest-paying jobs in Portland and the kinds of degrees you need to qualify for them, do you have a better idea of what your future holds? Do you know what you want to study in school or what kind of career change you want to make?
Keep the information discussed in this guide in mind so you can make the best decisions for yourself and your finances.
If you need help finding job openings when the time comes to start applying, don’t forget to check out GrabJobs. Our easy-to-use job search tool helps you to narrow down your options based on lots of factors, including salary, job type, and education requirements.
Photo by Zack Spear on Unsplash
