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What to Pay a Nurse Practitioner in Portland, OR (2026)

Last updated: May 15, 2026 Built for: Total Rewards, Comp, HR Sample: BLS OEWS + disclosed-range postings
Market Median
$148,000
base, annual
Competitive Range
$129K–$170K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+3.9%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~34
Portland metro average
To hire a Nurse Practitioner in Portland at market, plan on a base salary range of $129,000 to $170,000, with $148,000 as the midpoint. To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 34 days, expect to lead at $170K–$195K 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 NP 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
$112K–$129K
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
$140.4K–$156.8K
Default for most Portland employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~34 days. A range width of ~30% (min $129,000 to max $170,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a NP's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$161.2K–$195K
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.

NP salary percentile distribution in Portland, OR

Where the Portland market actually sits for NP base pay.

10th $112K
25th $129K
Median $148K
75th $170K
90th $195K

Most Portland employers building a range for this role anchor the midpoint to the market median ($148,000) and set range width at 30–35% — a min of $129,000 and a max of $170,000. This keeps the band wide enough for experience-based progression without concentrating range penetration at the cap.

Oregon pay transparency compliance for NP job postings

What you must post when hiring a NP 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 NP role in Portland, a compliant good-faith range looks like $129,000 to $170,000. No statutory requirement applies, but if you disclose voluntarily, post a good-faith range of $129,000–$170,000 rather than a single number — it screens out misaligned candidates and reduces offer-stage fallout.

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

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

Employer Type Disclosed Range Sign-on Bonus
OHSU Academic medical center $145K–$184K Common ($10K–$18K)
Providence Health & Services Health system $139K–$178K Very common ($10K–$18K)
Legacy Health Health system $139K–$178K Very common ($10K–$18K)
Kaiser Permanente Northwest Integrated health system $139K–$178K Very common ($10K–$18K)
Randall Children's Hospital (Legacy) Pediatric specialty $139K–$178K Very common ($10K–$18K)

NP talent supply and hiring difficulty in Portland

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

~34
Avg Days to Fill
~820
Active Postings
~5,000
Portland NP Workforce
Tight
Supply : Demand

Portland NP market anchored by academic medical centers and integrated health systems. FNP is dominant; PMHNP and AGACNP command premiums.

Skill premiums NP candidates command in Portland, OR

Skill / Credential Pay Premium Demand Signal
PMHNP (Psychiatric) +10–16% Very high
AGACNP (Acute Care) +8–13% Very high
Bilingual Spanish +4–7% High
DEA prescriptive authority Required Standard

NP total compensation in Portland — what candidates expect beyond base

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

Component Typical Value Prevalence in Portland Postings
Base salary $148,000 (median) 100%
Productivity bonus (RVU-based) $15K–$41K ~60%
Sign-on bonus $10K–$24K ~64%
Loan repayment (FQHCs) $25K–$50K total ~24%
CME allowance $3,000–$5,000/yr ~88%
Estimated total comp benchmark ~$175K–$207K —

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.

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

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

Setting Median Competitive Range Hiring Difficulty
Primary care $133,000 $118K–$151K Moderate
Hospital (acute care) $163,000 $145K–$184K Very high
Specialty clinic $155,000 $139K–$175K High
Urgent care $139,000 $124K–$157K Moderate
Psychiatric / PMHNP $175,000 $157K–$198K Very high

NP salary in Portland vs. other Oregon and nearby metros

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

FAQ: hiring a Nurse Practitioner in Portland, OR

Market median is $148,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $148,000 — typically $129,000 to $170,000. To lead the market, plan on $170K–$195K base plus a sign-on bonus.
No statewide law requires a posted range in Oregon. Disclosing one voluntarily — a good-faith range such as $129,000–$170,000 — is increasingly the market norm and improves application rates.
$133,000 falls below the Portland market median of $148,000 — 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 64% of Portland NP postings include a sign-on bonus ($10K–$24K). Health systems lead; FQHCs offer loan repayment instead.
Average fill time is approximately 34 days in the Portland metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($170K+) fill in roughly 18–22 days. Roles below the 25th percentile ($129K) 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, Randall Children's Hospital (Legacy) lead the pack.
A 30–35% range width (min to max) is standard for NP in Portland — for example, $129,000 to $170,000. 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 NP pay benchmarks — Oregon metros and nearby nursing roles

Same role, nearby metros
NP pay benchmark — Seattle, WA → NP pay benchmark — San Francisco, CA → NP pay benchmark — Denver, CO → All NP pay benchmarks →
Related roles in Portland
Certified Nursing Assistant pay benchmark — Portland → Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist 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.