Are you a prospective registered nurse (RN) wanting more information about nurse incomes? You may be already an RN in Oregon and want to know how your income compares to others like you. This RN income resource guide has answers to all your questions and might even answer questions you didn't think to ask.
This resource provides publicly available information about average RN wages in Oregon. While Nursa currently offers independent contractor RNs in Oregon the opportunity to access per diem jobs that pay on an hourly basis rather than access to salaried or wage-based employment opportunities, this information may be a helpful frame of reference for you as you assess the market landscape both in regard to per diem jobs and employment opportunities.
How Much Do Nurses Make in Oregon?
Several factors with varying impact levels can help you understand how much you can make as a nurse. Accordingly, these factors are as follows:
- Location: Where you work matters. Incomes vary by state and within the state by urban, suburban, and rural regions.
- License: Are you a registered nurse with an associate's degree in nursing (ADN) or a bachelor's degree (BSN)? BSN-educated RNs typically earn more than their ADN counterparts. Moreover, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) have graduate degrees and usually receive higher wages than BSN RNs.
- Specialty: Experience within a specialty can increase your prospective income based on the specialty's demand and difficulty level.
- Experience: The more practical work experience you have, the more likely you will earn higher wages.
What's the Average RN Salary in the State of Oregon?
The mean wage for RNs in Oregon is $106,610 per year or $51.26 per hour. These figures are substantially higher than the national averages of $89,010 and $42.80, respectively. Oregon is in the country's top three highest-paying states, with only California and Hawaii outranking it. The following table examines how Oregon's wage estimates compare to the other four highest-paying states and the state-specific living wages.
Data source: Dr. Amy K. Glasmeier and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology https://livingwage.mit.edu (Most recent data as of September 2023)
Registered Nurse Pay in Oregon Percentiles
The data averages are helpful as a baseline. Nevertheless, knowing and understanding the income percentiles and how you can apply the knowledge will help to inform your expectations and plan your goals. The following table outlines the hourly and annual percentiles to compare Oregon's data against the overall national data.
Data source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_or.htm (Most recent as of September 2023)
Want to learn more about other incomes for nursing professionals in Oregon? Dig deeper into our salary research for licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in Oregon.
Understanding the RN Pay in Oregon Percentiles
Now, to use the income ercentiles to inform expectations and goals, we need to understand what they mean. To demonstrate, we'll analyze the annual Oregon wage data as follows:
- 10 percent of RNs earn $81,470 or less, while 90 percent earn more.
- 25 percent of RNs earn $94,510 or less, while 75 percent earn more.
- 50 percent of RNs earn less than $106,680, and 50 percent earn more.
- 75 percent of RNs earn $120,060 or less, while 25 percent earn more.
- 90 percent of RNs earn $131,210 or less, while 10 percent earn more.
How Can I Become an RN in Oregon?
The location quotient for registered nurses in the entire state is 0.95, which means the concentration of RNs is slightly less than the national average (1.0). There are around 37,000 working registered nurses in Oregon, and the projected growth for the occupation is six percent through to the year 2032, which is faster than the average of all professions. Become an RN and help to meet the rising demand by graduating from an Oregon nursing program and passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The Oregon State Board of Nursing (OSBN) maintains a list of approved programs, which you can access on the OSBN website.
Learn More about Living and Working as a Nurse in Oregon
RN Wages Per Hour Throughout Oregon
We've established that experience, license, specialization, and state location are all significant factors determining compensation. Those pay rates vary in Oregon, as shown in the following table.
Data source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_or.htm (Most recent as of September 2023)
Highest-Paying Cities for RNs
While the above table provides figures for regions throughout the state, not all high-paying towns and cities appear in the list. For example, the Portland and Hillsboro metropolitan area is at the top of the table regarding wages, but those aren't the only two cities in the region. Other high-paying cities in that metro area alone include the following:
Take advantage of other cities nearby, such as Canby, Newberg, McMinnville, Molalla, Scappoose, and Corvallis.
How Can I Earn More as an RN in Oregon?
Specialization or earning an advanced degree in nursing aren't the only ways to increase your pay as a nurse. Working as a contract nurse and picking up per diem RN jobs in Oregon facilities in and around your community is a quick and easy opportunity to earn more.
Per diem shift work benefits facilities by allowing them to fill their gaps even on short notice. This quick staffing strategy will enable them to save on the financial and time costs of the hiring process and employee benefits that accompany traditional staff hiring. These savings pave the way for facilities to offer per diem shift postings at higher-than-usual pay rates to motivate nurses to snatch them up.
The financial benefits of working high-paying per diem shifts are twofold and depend on what you decide is best for your situation. As an independent nurse contractor, you choose what shifts you are willing to work, meaning you can pick up shifts as a side job without giving up your primary job. Having even a few high-paying shifts per month payout is extra earnings on top of your regular paycheck. Alternatively, you can switch to per diem shifts as your full-time job. It's up to you to choose.
How Can I Find RN Jobs near Me in Oregon?
Knowing how much you can earn in Oregon may help you choose the best option when considering independent contractor work or applying for salaried or wage-based employment. You can pick up per diem RN jobs throughout Oregon by downloading Nursa. Create a professional profile that includes your work experience and certifications, verify your nursing license, follow the prompts to set up your wallet (Nursa pays twice a week), and browse registered nursing jobs in Oregon. You can set your search filters according to your needs, carefully review a post's criteria, and apply for the shifts you want.
Nursa is free for nurses to use, and there are no requirements for how often you pick up shifts. It's entirely up to you how often you pick up a shift. The demand is high, but the choice is yours. Work when you want and where you want. Pick up a shift with Nursa.
