Graphic Designers salary in Portland, OR

Median pay for graphic designers in Portland, OR: $59,590/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $48,270 – $95,100 · about 3,530 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($50,005) by +$9,585 (+19%).

What it's really worth in Portland

With Portland's cost of living at 107 (US=100), that $59,590 has the buying power of about $55,841 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $90,451 · median home $552,022 · median rent $1,797/mo.

Full Portland cost of living & taxes →

How Portland ranks for this job

On raw pay, Portland, OR is 35th of the 186 metros we hold graphic designers wages for. Once Portland's cost of living is applied, it ranks 67th.

The headline number flatters Portland. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, graphic designers here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.

What that salary buys in Portland

A median home in Portland, OR costs $552,022 — about 9.3× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $1,797/mo works out at 36% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.

Where graphic designers earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Portland.

Metro	Median pay	vs Portland	Rent vs Portland
San Jose, CA	$96,260	+62%	2×
San Francisco, CA	$92,380	+55%	1.8×
Washington, DC	$80,100	+34%	1.3×
New York, NY	$75,900	+27%	1.9×

Same job elsewhere in OR

Metro	Median pay	vs Portland	Rent vs Portland
Salem, OR	$58,690	−2%	0.9×
Eugene, OR	$49,900	−16%	1×

Staying in OR keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires graphic designers around Portland

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• Intel · Tech
• Fred Meyer · Retail

Other jobs in Portland