What is the real (cost-adjusted) RN salary in Oregon?

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 104.8 for Oregon), the real-wage equivalent is $118,298 — what the $123,990 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $100,618 to $124,795.

What does the top of the RN pay scale look like in Oregon?

The 90th percentile lands at $143,410. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $130,800.

Where does Oregon rank for RN pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Oregon ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.

How wide is the wage spread in Oregon?

P10 to P90 spans $95,040 to $143,410. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

When does this data update?

BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.

Is Oregon an NLC compact state for RN licensure?

No — Oregon is not an NLC compact member as of the most recent NCSBN list. RNs moving to Oregon need to apply for a Oregon-issued license through endorsement; an NLC multistate license alone is not sufficient.

How does specialty (ICU, OR, NICU, ER, L&D) affect RN pay in Oregon?

BLS reports a single 'Registered Nurses' SOC code (29-1141), so the figures on this page are not specialty-segmented. In practice, ICU, NICU, and OR roles in Oregon typically pay 8-15% above the all-RN median; L&D and ER vary by hospital system. Travel-RN contracts can substantially exceed staff rates during demand spikes.

Registered Nurse Pay in Oregon: $124K Median + Purchasing Power (2026)

TL;DR

Oregon pays RNs a BLS median of $123,990 — the more useful number is $118,298, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
BLS percentile breakdown: P10 $95,040 · P25 $105,460 · P75 $130,800 · P90 $143,410.
Mid-band cost of living: real and nominal wage are within a few percent of each other.
Nominal: #3/51 · Real: #3/51 — ranking shifts by 0 positions after RPP.
Oregon is not in the NLC compact; RNs need a state-specific license here, no multistate shortcut.

Wage breakdown — Oregon

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$95,040	$90,677
P25 (lower quartile)	$105,460	$100,618
P50 (median)	$123,990	$118,298
P75 (upper quartile)	$130,800	$124,795
P90 (top tier)	$143,410	$136,826
Mean	$120,470	$114,939
Employment	39,900 RNs in Oregon

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Oregon index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	104.8
Goods	104.8
Services	91.0
Rents	109.2

Oregon's overall RPP (104.8) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

After-tax take-home — Oregon (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (RN)	$123,990	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$18,576	15.0% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$10,308	4.75–9.9% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$9,485	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$85,621	69.1% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$81,690	÷ (104.8 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Oregon state-tax burden means for RN take-home

Oregon carries one of the heavier state-tax loads in the country at this income tier (8.3% effective on the BLS median). Combined with federal and FICA, gross-to-take-home spread is 30.9%, leaving $85,621 pre-RPP and $81,690 after the 104.8 cost-of-living index — a $42,300 gap from the headline gross.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $93,600 for RNs with mean pay of $98,430 and total employment of 3,282,010. Oregon sits at #3 on nominal pay and #3 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. Nominal and real ranking are the same — cost of living and pay scale together.

Licensure — Oregon (NLC)

Oregon is not currently a NLC member. RNs moving to Oregon must apply for a Oregon-issued license through endorsement; a multistate license from a Compact state alone is not sufficient. Endorsement timelines and fees are set by the Oregon Board of Nursing.

Legislative status (2026-05): Study committee report due 2025; no active bill.

Source: NCSBN compact implementation tracker — re-synced quarterly. See NLC reciprocity hub for the cross-state matrix and changelog for status changes.

Frequently asked questions

What is the real (cost-adjusted) RN salary in Oregon?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 104.8 for Oregon), the real-wage equivalent is $118,298 — what the $123,990 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $100,618 to $124,795.
What does the top of the RN pay scale look like in Oregon?: The 90th percentile lands at $143,410. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $130,800.
Where does Oregon rank for RN pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Oregon ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
How wide is the wage spread in Oregon?: P10 to P90 spans $95,040 to $143,410. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
When does this data update?: BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
Is Oregon an NLC compact state for RN licensure?: No — Oregon is not an NLC compact member as of the most recent NCSBN list. RNs moving to Oregon need to apply for a Oregon-issued license through endorsement; an NLC multistate license alone is not sufficient.
How does specialty (ICU, OR, NICU, ER, L&D) affect RN pay in Oregon?: BLS reports a single 'Registered Nurses' SOC code (29-1141), so the figures on this page are not specialty-segmented. In practice, ICU, NICU, and OR roles in Oregon typically pay 8-15% above the all-RN median; L&D and ER vary by hospital system. Travel-RN contracts can substantially exceed staff rates during demand spikes.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 29-1141, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how Oregon RN pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.