Is Oregon a good state for your salary to go far?

Oregon ranks #28 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index, with a mean index of 99.3 across 370 occupations (100 = the average state). Its 2024 BEA cost of living is 103.4 (US = 100), and its 2025 state income tax schedule is applied to each occupation's median wage.

What is the cost of living in Oregon?

Oregon's Regional Price Parity (All Items) for 2024 is 103.4, where the US average is 100. That is above the national average, so a dollar buys less than it does nationally. The Gera US Real Pay Index divides take-home pay by this figure to express salaries in purchasing-power-equivalent dollars.

GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Oregon

Where Your Salary Goes Furthest in Oregon

Oregon ranks #28 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index (mean 99.3, base = 100). Cost of living 103.4 (US = 100); top income tax 9.90%.

Does a salary go further in Oregon? (cost of living + state tax)

In Oregon, the cost of living is 103.4 on the BEA index (US = 100) and the Gera US Real Pay Index averages 99.3 across 370 occupations, ranking it #28 of 51 states for how far pay goes after 2025 state income tax and 2024 BEA cost of living. Real BLS OEWS; re-dated annually.

Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)·As of May 2025 state estimates · updated annually · last refreshed 19 June 2026

Gera US Real Pay Index

Oregon ranks #28 of 51 states. Mean across 370 occupations; 100 = the average state, 99.3 means pay goes -0.7% less far after tax and cost of living.

How this is calculated

99.3

Real pay by occupation in Oregon (best first)

Occupation	BLS median	Real pay	Index
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists	$57,580	$51,611	141.8
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term	$58,280	$52,229	134.5
Private Detectives and Investigators	$76,480	$68,297	131.8
Electricians	$101,310	$90,217	131.0
Massage Therapists	$86,970	$77,557	129.2
Waiters and Waitresses	$48,410	$43,516	128.8
Tree Trimmers and Pruners	$75,440	$67,378	128.3
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	$97,050	$86,456	127.0
Correctional Officers and Jailers	$83,690	$74,662	126.2
Registered Nurses	$129,010	$114,658	123.3
Structural Iron and Steel Workers	$96,050	$85,573	122.8
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop	$40,720	$36,727	120.3
Psychiatric Technicians	$59,820	$53,589	120.0
Public Safety Telecommunicators	$71,980	$64,324	120.0
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	$131,090	$116,471	119.3
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers	$73,530	$65,692	118.2
Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians	$99,240	$88,390	118.0
Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians	$85,390	$76,163	117.5
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians	$83,010	$74,061	116.9
Surveyors	$97,070	$86,474	115.7
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors	$58,510	$52,432	115.5
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists	$121,920	$108,412	115.2
Highway Maintenance Workers	$65,330	$58,453	114.4
Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars	$86,230	$76,904	114.3
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	$44,410	$39,984	114.1
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers	$120,220	$106,911	113.6
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians	$102,290	$91,082	113.3
Dental Hygienists	$122,080	$108,554	113.3
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers	$75,710	$67,617	112.4
Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door	$97,110	$86,509	112.4
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors	$74,590	$66,628	112.2
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors	$63,210	$56,581	112.2
Glaziers	$70,890	$63,362	112.2
First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers	$99,890	$88,964	112.2
Producers and Directors	$87,460	$77,990	111.9
Personal Financial Advisors	$122,830	$109,216	111.7
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	$103,070	$91,771	111.4
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks	$61,300	$54,895	111.3
Medical Equipment Repairers	$76,600	$68,402	111.3
Manicurists and Pedicurists	$46,080	$41,459	111.2

Showing the 40 highest real-pay occupations of 370 BLS publishes for Oregon. Real pay = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the 2024 BEA cost of living (103.4, US = 100).

Where does your salary go furthest?

Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.

Gross annual salary (USD)Compare against state

In Oregon, a $85,000 salary is worth about $74,095 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.

State income tax $8,415 (≈ top marginal 9.90% (upper bound)) · take-home $76,585 · BEA cost of living 103.4 (US = 100).

The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $95,952, a $21,857 gain over Oregon.

#	State	Real value	Cost (RPP)
1	South Dakota	$95,952	88.6
2	Arkansas	$93,959	86.9
3	Louisiana	$93,473	88.2
4	Mississippi	$93,453	87.0
5	Iowa	$93,172	87.8
6	North Dakota	$93,161	89.0
7	Tennessee	$92,522	91.9
8	Oklahoma	$92,167	87.8
9	Wyoming	$91,703	92.7
10	Alabama	$90,911	88.8
11	Kentucky	$90,507	90.2
12	West Virginia	$90,397	89.5

Browse US jobs with salaries

Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).

Oregon real pay — FAQ

Is Oregon a good state for your salary to go far?: Oregon ranks #28 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index, with a mean index of 99.3 across 370 occupations (100 = the average state). Its 2024 BEA cost of living is 103.4 (US = 100), and its 2025 state income tax schedule is applied to each occupation's median wage.
What is the cost of living in Oregon?: Oregon's Regional Price Parity (All Items) for 2024 is 103.4, where the US average is 100. That is above the national average, so a dollar buys less than it does nationally. The Gera US Real Pay Index divides take-home pay by this figure to express salaries in purchasing-power-equivalent dollars.

Compare other states

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Related on GeraJobs

Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked
Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
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Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for Oregon is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.