Average Salary in Oregon (OR)

Oregon is one of only five states with no state sales tax — a structural feature that shifts revenue onto an unusually progressive income tax with a top marginal rate of 9.9%. The $76,362 median household income is above the national average, but the cost-of-living index of 113 pushes effective purchasing power back toward the middle of the pack, driven overwhelmingly by Portland metro housing costs. The economy is defined by two anchor employers: Intel (which operates its largest semiconductor manufacturing campus in the world in Hillsboro, just west of Portland — often called the Silicon Forest) and Nike (headquartered in Beaverton, with a large corporate and design workforce in the metro). The Willamette Valley south of Portland has a different economy — Eugene is anchored by the University of Oregon and a small-scale manufacturing and food-processing base. Eastern Oregon is more traditional, with ranching, agriculture (wheat, hay), and timber. The $14.70/hour minimum wage is tiered by region — Portland metro has a higher floor above $15.95 and rural counties a lower one — and is indexed annually. Property taxes are constrained by Measure 50 (1997), which limits assessment growth. Full breakdown follows.