Occupational Wages in Oregon

Last week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released employment and wage data for occupations in Oregon's metropolitan areas. Workers in the Portland metro area had the highest average hourly wage out of the metro areas in Oregon at $23.44 in May 2012, which was about 6 percent higher than the national average of $22.01. The average hourly wage in the Corvallis metro area ($23.13) was also higher than the national average. Average hourly wages in Bend ($19.78), Eugene ($20.42), Medford ($19.66) and Salem ($20.28) fell below the nationwide average. 

Within each area, wages for occupational groups varied widely, with management, legal, and healthcare practitioners and technical occupations often being the highest paying categories. On the other end of the scale, food preparation and serving related, and personal care and service occupations tended to have the lowest average hourly wages. Office and administrative support occupations comprised the largest share of total employment in the six metropolitan areas.

For more information about occupational employment and wage information from the BLS, check out the news releases for each metro area. Also check out the Occupational Information Center on QualityInfo.org for more occupational information.