Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education Salary in Portland, OR (2024)
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area earn a median of $86,770 per year based on 5,940 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +34.4% against the national median of $64,580 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education actually sit across the pay range in Portland, OR, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $25.41 | $52,850 | |
| 25th percentile | $36.16 | $75,210 | |
| Median | — | $86,770 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $48.18 | $100,220 | |
| 90th percentile | $60.91 | $126,700 | |
| Average (mean) | — | $87,400 |
How Portland, OR compares
The local median of $86,770 runs +34.4% above the US median of $64,580 for this occupation; it pays 47.0% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($59,040); within the metro it ranks 168th of 664 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Portland, OR — this occupation | $86,770 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $64,580 | +34.4% |
| Portland, OR — all occupations | $59,040 | +47.0% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $99,840 | -13.1% |
A location quotient of 0.70 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 3.1%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 168th of 664 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Portland, OR
To put $86,770 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 168th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Dentists, General | $184,420 | 760 |
| Pediatricians, General | $181,990 | 600 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $178,210 | — |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $174,100 | 130 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $170,410 | — |
| Medical Dosimetrists | $170,220 | 30 |
| Pharmacists | $169,520 | 2,420 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $169,510 | 650 |
| Marketing Managers | $165,000 | 4,440 |
| Lawyers | $161,420 | 5,600 |
Where secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $51,670 to $99,840. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $99,840 | 12,240 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $99,740 | 6,440 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $99,530 | 7,450 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $99,260 | 77,530 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $97,970 | 27,900 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $97,910 | 12,780 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $95,220 | 20,760 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $86,770 | 5,940 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $80,440 | 34,720 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $78,440 | 25,520 |
See the full national picture on the Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education in Portland, OR?
The median annual wage is $86,770. That means half of the secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education working in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $87,400.
What do the highest and lowest paid secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education in Portland, OR earn?
The bottom 10% earn $52,850 or less, while the top 10% earn $126,700 or more — a spread of $73,850 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $75,210 and $100,220.
Is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education pay in Portland, OR above the local average?
Yes, it is 47.0% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $59,040. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Portland, OR pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $86,770 the metro median is 34.4% higher than the US median of $64,580 for secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $51,670 to $99,840.
How many secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education work in Portland, OR?
BLS counts about 5,940 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 4.89 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. A location quotient of 0.70 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 6.8%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.