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What to Pay a Certified Nursing Assistant in Portland, OR (2026)

Last updated: May 15, 2026 Built for: Total Rewards, Comp, HR Sample: BLS OEWS + disclosed-range postings
Market Median
$56,000
base, annual
Competitive Range
$49K–$64K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+3.9%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~24
Portland metro average
To hire a Certified Nursing Assistant in Portland at market, plan on a base salary range of $49,000 to $64,000, with $56,000 as the midpoint. To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 24 days, expect to lead at $64K–$74K plus a sign-on bonus, common in skilled nursing settings. Oregon does not currently require pay range disclosure in job postings.

How to set your CNA pay range in Portland

Three pay positions, modeled against current Portland market data. Pick the one that matches your comp philosophy and the role's strategic value.

Lag Market
Pay Below Median
$43K–$49K
Workable in non-acute settings with strong non-cash differentiation. Expect longer fill times and turnover ~1.4× the Portland average.
Match Market — recommended
Pay at Median
$53.2K–$59.2K
Default for most Portland employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~24 days. A range width of ~30% (min $49,000 to max $64,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a CNA's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$60.8K–$74K
Use for hard-to-fill specialties (wound care, IV therapy, bilingual), 24/7 SNF roles, or when speed-to-hire trumps budget. Reduces fill time by 35–45% on average.

CNA salary percentile distribution in Portland, OR

Where the Portland market actually sits for CNA base pay.

10th $43K
25th $49K
Median $56K
75th $64K
90th $74K

Most Portland employers building a range for this role anchor the midpoint to the market median ($56,000) and set range width at 30–35% — a min of $49,000 and a max of $64,000. This keeps the band wide enough for experience-based progression without concentrating range penetration at the cap.

Oregon pay transparency compliance for CNA job postings

What you must post when hiring a CNA in Oregon.

Not required statewide. Oregon has no statewide pay transparency law. Posting a range is optional — but roughly half of healthcare employers in the market now disclose ranges voluntarily, and candidates increasingly skip postings without one.

For a CNA role in Portland, a compliant good-faith range looks like $49,000 to $64,000. No statutory requirement applies, but if you disclose voluntarily, post a good-faith range of $49,000–$64,000 rather than a single number — it screens out misaligned candidates and reduces offer-stage fallout.

Top CNA employers in Portland — who you're competing against

Top healthcare employers hiring CNAs in the Portland metro and what they're posting.

Employer Type Disclosed Range Sign-on Bonus
OHSU Academic medical center $54K–$68K Common ($2K–$4K)
Providence Health & Services Health system $49K–$64K Very common ($2K–$4K)
Legacy Health Health system $49K–$64K Very common ($2K–$4K)
Kaiser Permanente Northwest Integrated health system $49K–$64K Very common ($2K–$4K)
Brookdale Senior Living SNF / assisted living $45K–$57K Very common ($3K–$5K)

CNA talent supply and hiring difficulty in Portland

How hard is it to fill a CNA role in Portland.

~24
Avg Days to Fill
~2,000
Active Postings
~24,000
Portland CNA Workforce
Tight
Supply : Demand

Portland CNA market reflects local SNF/LTC demand and hospital support role hiring.

Skill premiums CNA candidates command in Portland, OR

Skill / Credential Pay Premium Demand Signal
Bilingual Spanish +3–6% High
Dementia / memory care +4–6% Very high
Hospice / palliative care +4–6% High
Restorative + lift cert +3–5% High

CNA total compensation in Portland — what candidates expect beyond base

Total rewards mix for CNAs in Portland. "Prevalence" reflects share of Portland disclosed-range postings including each element.

Component Typical Value Prevalence in Portland Postings
Base salary $56,000 (median) 100%
Shift differential +10–16% premium ~80%
Sign-on bonus $2K–$6K ~52%
Overtime opportunity $6K–$12K annualized ~88%
Tuition reimbursement (LPN bridge) $2,000–$4,500/yr ~34%
Estimated total comp benchmark ~$68K–$81K —

Shift differentials and sign-on bonuses are typically table stakes rather than differentiators. Tuition reimbursement for LPN-to-RN bridge programs is increasingly the lever that wins competitive offers, particularly for early-career candidates.

CNA pay by setting in Portland — SNF, hospital, clinic, home health

Where the CNA range splits by employer type in the Portland metro.

Setting Median Competitive Range Hiring Difficulty
SNF / LTC $50,000 $46K–$57K High
Hospital $63,000 $56K–$69K Moderate
Home health $56,000 $49K–$64K High
Assisted living $48,000 $44K–$54K Moderate
Hospice $59,000 $53K–$66K Moderate

CNA salary in Portland vs. other Oregon and nearby metros

What you'd pay if you hired in a nearby metro instead.

FAQ: hiring a Certified Nursing Assistant in Portland, OR

Market median is $56,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $56,000 — typically $49,000 to $64,000. To lead the market, plan on $64K–$74K base plus a sign-on bonus.
No statewide law requires a posted range in Oregon. Disclosing one voluntarily — a good-faith range such as $49,000–$64,000 — is increasingly the market norm and improves application rates.
$50,000 falls below the Portland market median of $56,000 — roughly at the 25th–50th percentile locally. Acceptable in SNF or physician office settings where the candidate pool is deeper; below-market for hospital or specialty roles.
Roughly 52% of Portland CNA postings include a sign-on bonus, concentrated in SNF and home health ($2K–$6K).
Average fill time is approximately 24 days in the Portland metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($64K+) fill in roughly 18–22 days. Roles below the 25th percentile ($49K) commonly take 45+ days and have elevated turnover within the first 90 days.
By Portland-metro posting volume: OHSU, Providence Health & Services, Legacy Health, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Brookdale Senior Living lead the pack.
A 30–35% range width (min to max) is standard for CNA in Portland — for example, $49,000 to $64,000. Narrower than 25% compresses progression and creates compa-ratio pressure within 18 months.
No. Oregon has no pay transparency law covering internal or external postings. Note that remote roles open to candidates in states like Colorado or California may still trigger those states' disclosure requirements.

Related CNA pay benchmarks — Oregon metros and nearby nursing roles

Same role, nearby metros
CNA pay benchmark — Seattle, WA → CNA pay benchmark — San Francisco, CA → CNA pay benchmark — Denver, CO → All CNA pay benchmarks →
Related roles in Portland
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist pay benchmark — Portland → Nurse Practitioner pay benchmark — Portland → Registered Nurse pay benchmark — Portland → Travel Nurse pay benchmark — Portland → All roles' pay benchmarks →

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Data refreshed May 15, 2026. Next scheduled update: August 15, 2026.
© 2026 BetterComp. Market data informational only — not legal advice.