Health Care Dominates Oregon’s Nonprofit Employment

A not-for-profit corporation, commonly referred to as a "nonprofit," qualifies for federal tax exempt status, and must reinvest any surplus revenues into efforts that further the mission of the organization. They are prohibited from passing profits on to those who control the organization. These organizations range from trade unions and religious groups to food banks and private schools. Many hospitals are also organized as nonprofit corporations.

Oregon's 2017 nonprofit statistics:

• 9,652 nonprofit establishments 
• 194,360 nonprofit jobs 
• 44% of all nonprofits were in the other services industry 
• 61% of nonprofit employment was in health care 
• $50,906 in annual average pay 
• $22.27 median hourly wage (1st quarter 2017) 
• Just 4.8 percent of nonprofit jobs paid $10.00 or less per hour 
• Most nonprofit jobs – 70.5 percent – paid $16.00 or more per hour 

Health care and social assistance dominated Oregon’s nonprofit employment in 2017, representing 118,957 jobs or 61 percent. Other services included 25,308 nonprofit jobs and educational services employed 20,856. Together the top three industries represented 85 percent of Oregon’s total nonprofit employment.

For more details about Oregon's nonprofits, read the full article written by Regional Economist Dallas Fridley.