Oregon has been one of the top paying states for nurses in the US for a while, but it is often dwarfed by California. Did you know that Oregon can compete with California for high nursing wages AND mandatory nurse ratios? In 2024, a new ratio law went into effect capping nurse patient ratios at 5:1 or Less. It gets better, by 2026 ALL med-surg ratios will be maxed at 4:1 or less. This is important because if you want to make $200k as a nurse in Oregon, you don’t want to take on awful workloads to do it.
Here is how an experienced RN with a BSN can realistically make $200k per year in Oregon. They should take a night shift job in the float pool at OHSU and be willing to work extra once a while.
- They will need 15 years of experience to have a base wage of $72.99 per hour on the BSN scale.
- They will get an additional 12.5% for working night shift.
- As a float pool nurse, they will get another $9 per hour.
- They should complete a bilingual program for another few grand more per year OR become certified for several thousand more per year.
- Working every other weekend on average will add another $3k.
- They should know a nurse at OHSU who picks up an extra shift, gets a $46/hour bonus ON TOP of overtime rates! And how does this all add up
When you add all these wages and differentials up, a nurse will make a base pay of $170k or $90/hour with BSN, 15 years of experience, working nights in the float pool. The bilingual pay adds another $3k per year. The weekends will be worth another 3K per year, taking you to $176k. Add in certification, and you’re looking at over $180k per year base for a 36 hour per week nurse. Yup $180k for three 12s per week! Next, simply work 12 extra shifts or pick up one shift per month and you will make over $200k even without either the certification or bilingual pay! Wait, I thought you had to be a CRNA to make a lot of money as a nurse? Nope, you just need to work in Oregon at top paying hospitals!
$200k per year works out to almost $4k per week and $16k per month! I mean that’s crazy for an RN right? Even a new grad at OHSU will have a base starting wage of 52.11 without a BSN and 54.59 with one. That’s $97k-$102k base pay without ANY differentials for a new grad.
OHSU is Oregon’s only public teaching hospital. They have new grad residencies, transition programs, and fellowships. They are one of the largest hospitals in Oregon and based in Portland. You’ll do pretty well there as a newer or experienced nurse!
In July 2025, base wages at OHSU will see 6% across the board raises to all wage rates per level of experience and education level. This means even without a BSN a brand new nurse will make $103k pe year base. That 15-year nurse with a BSN will make $137k, and the pay scale tops out at $165k base without considering any other differentials.
Of course, we are just talking base nurse wages and realistic additions to that base pay. An experienced nurse in various roles can easily make over $200k in Oregon without a ton of extra work. Even less experienced nurses will be able to easily make $120k-$150k without any extra shifts.
This doesn’t even consider other benefits for Full-time nurses like hundreds of hours of PTO and Sick time, retirement matches, insurance, and more. Welcome to Oregon, nurses seeking higher pay and better working conditions!
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