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

Last updated: May 15, 2026 Built for: Total Rewards, Comp, HR Sample: BLS OEWS + disclosed-range postings
Market Median
$118,000
base, annual
Competitive Range
$105K–$135K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+4.0%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~32
Portland metro average
To hire a Registered Nurse in Portland at market, plan on a base salary range of $105,000 to $135,000, with $118,000 as the midpoint. To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 32 days, expect to lead at $135K–$155K 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 RN 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
$92K–$105K
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
$112.8K–$124.8K
Default for most Portland employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~32 days. A range width of ~30% (min $105,000 to max $135,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a RN's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$128.2K–$155K
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.

RN salary percentile distribution in Portland, OR

Where the Portland market actually sits for RN base pay.

10th $92K
25th $105K
Median $118K
75th $135K
90th $155K

Most Portland employers building a range for this role anchor the midpoint to the market median ($118,000) and set range width at 30–35% — a min of $105,000 and a max of $135,000. This keeps the band wide enough for experience-based progression without concentrating range penetration at the cap.

Oregon pay transparency compliance for RN job postings

What you must post when hiring a RN 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 RN role in Portland, a compliant good-faith range looks like $105,000 to $135,000. No statutory requirement applies, but if you disclose voluntarily, post a good-faith range of $105,000–$135,000 rather than a single number — it screens out misaligned candidates and reduces offer-stage fallout.

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

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

Employer Type Disclosed Range Sign-on Bonus
OHSU (Oregon Health & Science University) Academic medical center $115K–$148K Common ($8K–$15K)
Providence Health & Services Health system $114K–$145K Very common ($12K–$22K)
Legacy Health Health system $112K–$142K Very common ($12K–$22K)
Kaiser Permanente Northwest Integrated health system $114K–$145K Common ($8K–$15K)
Randall Children's Hospital (Legacy) Pediatric specialty $114K–$145K Common ($8K–$15K)

RN talent supply and hiring difficulty in Portland

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

~32
Avg Days to Fill
~2,200
Active Postings
~24,500
Portland RN Workforce
Tight
Supply : Demand

Portland RN market driven by OHSU, Providence, Legacy Health, and Kaiser Permanente Northwest.

Skill premiums RN candidates command in Portland, OR

Skill / Credential Pay Premium Demand Signal
CCRN +8–12% Very high
CEN +7–11% Very high
CNOR +8–12% Very high
BSN (vs ADN) +5–8% Standard

RN total compensation in Portland — what candidates expect beyond base

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

Component Typical Value Prevalence in Portland Postings
Base salary $118,000 (median) 100%
Shift differential +14–22% premium ~92%
Sign-on bonus $10,000–$22,000 ~76%
Certification pay +5–12% premium ~62%
Tuition reimbursement $3,000–$5,500/yr ~64%
Estimated total comp benchmark ~$145K–$175K —

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.

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

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

Setting Median Competitive Range Hiring Difficulty
Acute-care hospital (med-surg) $114,000 $102K–$132K Tight
ICU / Critical care $135,000 $120K–$155K Very high
Emergency department $130,000 $115K–$150K Very high
OR / Perioperative $132,000 $118K–$152K High
Ambulatory / clinic $98,000 $88K–$112K Moderate

RN salary in Portland vs. other Oregon and nearby metros

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

Location Median Base vs. Portland Hiring Difficulty
Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro, OR-WA $118,000 — Tight
Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WA $132,000 +11.9% Tight
San Francisco–Oakland–Hayward, CA $158,000 +33.9% Very tight
Sacramento–Roseville, CA $132,000 +11.9% Tight
Oregon statewide $108,000 −8.5% —
U.S. national $93,600 — —

FAQ: hiring a Registered Nurse in Portland, OR

Market median is $118,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $118,000 — typically $105,000 to $135,000. To lead the market, plan on $135K–$155K base plus a sign-on bonus.
No statewide law requires a posted range in Oregon. Disclosing one voluntarily — a good-faith range such as $105,000–$135,000 — is increasingly the market norm and improves application rates.
$106,000 falls below the Portland market median of $118,000 — 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 76% of Portland metro RN postings include a sign-on bonus. Providence and Legacy lead with $12K–$22K offers.
Average fill time is approximately 32 days in the Portland metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($135K+) fill in roughly 18–22 days. Roles below the 25th percentile ($105K) commonly take 45+ days and have elevated turnover within the first 90 days.
By Portland-metro posting volume: OHSU (Oregon Health & Science University), 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 RN in Portland — for example, $105,000 to $135,000. 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 RN pay benchmarks — Oregon metros and nearby nursing roles

Same role, nearby metros
RN pay benchmark — Seattle, WA → RN pay benchmark — San Francisco, CA → RN pay benchmark — Sacramento, CA → All RN pay benchmarks →
Related roles in Portland
Certified Nursing Assistant pay benchmark — Portland → Nurse Practitioner 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.