Chemists pay range in Portland
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $61,950 a year or less, while the top 10% make $162,930 or more. The middle half of chemists in Portland earn between $77,260 and $121,840.
- $62K10th
- $77K25th
- $95KMedian
- $122K75th
- $163K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $103,080 | $8,590 | $49.56 |
| Median | $94,990 | $7,916 | $45.67 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $77,260 | $6,438 | $37.14 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $121,840 | $10,153 | $58.58 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Chemists salary after taxes in Portland
On the average salary of $103,080, a single filer in Portland takes home about $73,629 a year, or $6,136 a month and $2,832 every two weeks. Taxes take 29% of gross pay.
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in WA | $81,347 | $6,779 |
| Working in OR | $73,629 | $6,136 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
Is Portland a good place for chemists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Portland area are 5% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.4), so the average $103,080 buys what about $97,779 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Portland ($60,690). A typical home costs $552,022, or 5.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Chemists salary in other Oregon cities
Portland ranks 2nd of 4 Oregon metro areas for this job; Eugene pays the most ($107,360).
Highest-paying cities for chemists
Washington, DC pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($144,550).
- Washington, DC$144,550
- Bay City, MI$139,910
- Lexington Park, MD$132,480
- San Francisco, CA$130,870
- Boston, MA$130,520
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Chemists salary in Portland: questions
How much do chemists make an hour in Portland?
$49.56 an hour on average, and $45.67 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level chemists salary in Portland?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $61,950 a year and the 25th percentile is $77,260, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the chemists take-home pay in Portland?
About $73,629 a year ($6,136 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $103,080. Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
Do chemists earn more in Portland than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($101,816).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 19-2031; area Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA (38900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.8%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.66, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.66).
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