Hydrologists pay range in Portland
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $79,000 a year or less, while the top 10% make $168,570 or more. The middle half of hydrologists in Portland earn between $95,470 and $128,670.
- $79K10th
- $95K25th
- $114KMedian
- $129K75th
- $169K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $118,810 | $9,901 | $57.12 |
| Median | $113,550 | $9,462 | $54.59 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $95,470 | $7,956 | $45.90 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $128,670 | $10,722 | $61.86 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Hydrologists salary after taxes in Portland
On the average salary of $118,810, a single filer in Portland takes home about $83,318 a year, or $6,943 a month and $3,205 every two weeks. Taxes take 30% 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 | $92,413 | $7,701 |
| Working in OR | $83,318 | $6,943 |
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 hydrologists? 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 $118,810 buys what about $112,701 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Portland ($60,690). A typical home costs $552,022, or 4.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Hydrologists salary in other Oregon cities
Portland ranks 1st of 2 Oregon metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Portland$118,810
- Bend$95,630
Highest-paying cities for hydrologists
Washington, DC pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($153,030).
- Washington, DC$153,030
- San Jose, CA$149,180
- San Francisco, CA$142,450
- Baltimore, MD$139,870
- Los Angeles, CA$130,070
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Hydrologists salary in Portland: questions
How much do hydrologists make an hour in Portland?
$57.12 an hour on average, and $54.59 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level hydrologists salary in Portland?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $79,000 a year and the 25th percentile is $95,470, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the hydrologists take-home pay in Portland?
About $83,318 a year ($6,943 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $118,810. Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
Do hydrologists earn more in Portland than elsewhere?
The average here is 14% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($104,261).
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 19-2043; area Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA (38900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.9%.
- 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 1.86, this job is 1.9 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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