Accountant salary in Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA
No other area in Oregon pays accountants more than Portland-Vancouver: the median is $92,200 a year1. That is 7.5% above the Oregon statewide median of $85,800, and 10.2% above the US median of $83,680. Nationally that is #32 of 521 areas, in the top tenth. With about 10,100 accountants, no area in Oregon employs more.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Portland-Vancouver against Oregon and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | $64,680 | $92,200 | $136,730 | |
| Oregon | $62,590 | $85,800 | $130,650 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Portland-Vancouver earns $76,900–$109,870. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $136,730, only 2.1 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $32,970 wide, between the figure for Oregon ($29,800) and the US figure ($42,790).
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $64,680 | $5,390 | $31.10 | $83,458 |
| 25th percentile | $76,900 | $6,408 | $36.97 | $99,226 |
| Median | $92,200 | $7,683 | $44.33 | $118,968 |
| 75th percentile | $109,870 | $9,156 | $52.82 | $141,768 |
| 90th percentile | $136,730 | $11,394 | $65.74 | $176,426 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $15,300 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $17,670, or about $22,800 once benefits are added. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Portland-Vancouver, and the Oregon statewide median of $85,800 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Portland-Vancouver
At the $92,200 median, a local hire costs about $118,968 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $26,768 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Portland-Vancouver
Of the 17 roles we track in Portland-Vancouver, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($108,340); marketing specialists come next at $85,350.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +17.5% | 14,440 | |
| Accountant | this role | 10,100 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -7.4% | 8,130 | |
| Recruiter | -13.1% | 7,610 | |
| Executive Assistant | -14.6% | 3,880 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in Portland-Vancouver (+10.2%), between bookkeepers (+12.6%) and payroll specialists (+10.1%). The typical role here is at +9.9%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 8.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Portland-Vancouver, 7.8% across Oregon and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Oregon
Across the 11 areas of Oregon with data for this job, the median runs from $77,200 in Corvallis to $92,200 in Portland-Vancouver, a gap of $15,000 a year. No other area in Oregon has as many accountants, and all 10 others pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Portland-Vancouver | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | this area | 10,100 | |
| Salem, OR | -5.1% | 1,510 | |
| Bend, OR | -6.7% | 750 | |
| Albany, OR | -11.1% | 200 | |
| Medford, OR | -11.9% | 600 | |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | -13.3% | 1,120 | |
| Coast Oregon (Nonmetro) | -13.3% | 590 |
Portland-Vancouver against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Portland-Vancouver is #32 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Oregon, Charlotte-Concord and Mount Vernon-Anacortes pay just above Portland-Vancouver and Sacramento-Roseville and Springfield just below. All four are within $720 a year of the median in Portland-Vancouver. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Portland-Vancouver | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | +0.8% | 400 | pay | |
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +0.8% | 16,820 | pay | |
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | this area | 10,100 | ||
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | -0.1% | 13,170 | pay | |
| Springfield, MA | -0.2% | 1,720 | pay | |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY | -12.5% | 10,050 | jobs | |
| Orlando-Kissimmee, FL | -14.7% | 10,410 | jobs | |
| Pittsburgh, PA | -16.6% | 10,430 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA?
About $118,968 a year at the median, or $9,914 a month: $92,200 in pay plus about $26,768 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Portland-Vancouver?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $92,200 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $64,680, the 90th $136,730, and the middle half earned $76,900 to $109,870.
Is Portland-Vancouver the most expensive area in Oregon for accountants?
Yes. Its median of $92,200 is the highest of 11 areas in Oregon. Salem comes next at $87,480.
How many accountants work in Portland-Vancouver?
BLS counts about 10,100 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in Oregon has as many.
Does an accountant cost more than a marketing specialist in Portland-Vancouver?
Yes: $6,850 a year more at the median. The medians are $92,200 and $85,350.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.