Physician Assistants salary in Portland, OR
Median pay for physician assistants in Portland, OR: $145,740/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $109,990 – $177,810 · about 790 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($125,700) by +$20,040 (+16%).
What it's really worth in Portland
With Portland's cost of living at 107 (US=100), that $145,740 has the buying power of about $136,571 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $90,451 · median home $552,022 · median rent $1,797/mo.
How Portland ranks for this job
On raw pay, Portland, OR is 17th of the 180 metros we hold physician assistants wages for. Once Portland's cost of living is applied, it ranks 49th.
The headline number flatters Portland. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, physician assistants 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 3.8× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,797/mo works out at 15% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where physician assistants 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 | $208,000 | +43% | 2× |
| Vallejo, CA | $174,670 | +20% | 1.3× |
| Modesto, CA | $171,600 | +18% | 1.1× |
| San Francisco, CA | $171,470 | +18% | 1.8× |
Same job elsewhere in OR
| Metro | Median pay | vs Portland | Rent vs Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | $134,630 | −8% | 0.9× |
| Eugene, OR | $131,470 | −10% | 1× |
Staying in OR keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires physician assistants around Portland
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Providence Health & Services · Healthcare
- OHSU · Education
- Portland Public Schools · Education
Other jobs in Portland
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 180 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.