Oregon RN Salary 2026
Last reviewed: by Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
What RNs actually earn in Oregon
The mean registered nurse salary in Oregon is $123,140 a year, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. That puts Oregon 21% above the national RN mean of $101,420, and 3rd-highest in the country.
That mean covers every RN in the state — new graduates and thirty-year charge nurses, day shift and nights, bedside and management. In practice new-graduate wages in Oregon land around $92,355, and experienced specialty or supervisory nurses reach roughly $172,396. If you are comparing a specific offer, the ladder below is more useful than the all-RN average.
Oregon pay across the nursing ladder
Six roles, all Oregon figures, each against its national anchor:
| Role | Mean annual | vs national | State rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse (all RNs) | $123,140 | 21% above national | 3rd |
| ICU / critical care RN | $117,737 | 38% above national | 11th |
| Emergency department RN | $91,706 | — | 8th |
| Travel nurse (posted base) | $106,925 | 6% above national | 8th |
| Nurse practitioner | $148,030 | 8% above national | 3rd |
| CRNA | $272,846 | 10% above national | 5th |
RN, NP and CRNA figures are BLS May 2025 OEWS unless the state note says otherwise. ICU, ER and travel figures are 2026 aggregator data (ZipRecruiter, Vivian, TheCRNA) — those specialties have no separate federal SOC code, so no BLS series exists for them.
What that salary is actually worth
Oregon's regional price parity is 104.7 against a national average of 100, so goods and services here cost 4.7% more than the national norm. Run the $123,140 mean through that and it carries the purchasing power of $117,612 anywhere else in the country.
Oregon ranks 3rd on nominal pay and 2nd once cost of living is taken out, so the headline number is roughly honest here — what you are offered is close to what it is worth.
What is driving Oregon pay right now
New 2024 nurse staffing-ratio law (HB 2697) live since June 1, 2024 — ICU 1:2, Med-Surg 1:5, fines up to $5,000/violation. ONA union strength. 2025 update: Providence Oregon 46-day strike Jan-Feb 2025 ended with immediate 16-22% raises, total 20-42% over contract life — largest healthcare strike in Oregon history. OHSU strike authorized.
Staffing-ratio law: HB 2697 went live June 1, 2024 — comprehensive ratios for all hospitals. ICU 1:2, Med-Surg 1:5, CNAs capped at 7 day / 11 night. Driving Oregon RN pay up in 2025-2026. Ratio legislation matters to pay because it changes how many nurses a hospital is required to have on the floor, which tightens the local labour market well before any raise is negotiated.
Recent contract activity: (8 hospitals, ~5,000 RNs/MDs/NPs): 46-day strike Jan-Feb 2025 ended with immediate 16-22% raises, total 20-42% over contract life. Largest healthcare strike in Oregon history.
Who you are competing with
Because Oregon is not a Nurse Licensure Compact state, every nurse working here needs a Oregon licence specifically. That slows down out-of-state hiring and travel placements, and in a shortage it tends to push rates up faster than in compact states, because the supply of nurses who can legally take the shift is smaller. Full detail on requirements and timelines is in the Oregon licensure guide.
Where the jobs are in Oregon
The largest RN employment markets in Oregon are Portland, Salem. Metro wages generally run 5-15% above the state mean, and rural postings 5-10% below — though rural and critical-access hospitals often close part of that gap with sign-on bonuses and loan repayment, because they compete for a much smaller pool of applicants. ANCC Magnet-designated hospitals typically pay 8-12% more than non-Magnet facilities for the same role.
Tax and take-home in Oregon
Oregon state income tax: graduated to 9.9%. State income tax comes out before anything else, so compare cross-state offers on take-home rather than gross. Federal brackets and FICA (6.2% Social Security plus 1.45% Medicare) apply the same everywhere. The pay calculator models federal and Oregon state tax together, and the cost-of-living calculator compares two states on take-home rather than headline pay.
Differentials and premium pay
Base rate is rarely the whole story. Most Oregon hospitals pay a night differential of roughly $2-7/hr, weekends $1-3/hr, holidays at $1-3/hr or time-and-a-half, and charge-nurse pay of $2-5/hr on top. A nurse working a permanent night rotation with every third weekend can add several thousand a year over the base figures above. The shift differential calculator works out what a given rotation is actually worth.
Common questions
What is the average RN salary in Oregon?
The mean registered nurse salary in Oregon is $123,140 per year, per the BLS May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. That is 21% above the national RN mean of $101,420, and ranks 3rd-highest in the country.
Is $123,140 a good RN salary in Oregon?
Adjusted for Oregon's cost of living (BEA regional price parity 104.7, where 100 is the national average), $123,140 has the purchasing power of about $117,612 nationally — 2nd among the 51 states and DC. Compare offers on the adjusted figure, not the headline one.
Which Oregon nursing roles pay the most?
CRNAs lead at $272,846, followed by nurse practitioners at $148,030. Within bedside nursing, ICU and critical care ($117,737) typically pays above the all-RN mean.
Related Oregon guides
See nursing licensure in Oregon for Board of Nursing requirements and compact status, and travel nursing in Oregon for contract rates and stipend detail. National context: pay and data, highest-paying RN specialties.