The median total compensation for software engineers in Portland is $150,500, according to research from the anonymous professional social networking site Blind.
The site compared total comp — which includes salary, stock and cash bonuses — in eight cities in the Pacific Northwest. Portland ranked No. 6, just behind Redmond, Washington, Microsoft’s hometown.
Topping the Pacific Northwest was Kirkland, Washington with median total compensation for software engineers of $241,222.
The median salary for Kirkland software engineers is $145,000. Portland engineers aren't far behind, at $132,250.
Two other Oregon cities we included in the study:
- Hillsboro came in with median total compensation at $133,000 and $110,000 median salary.
- Beaverton rounded out the list, just below Vancouver, British Columbia, with median total compensation and median salary both coming in at $100,000.
Data was self-reported by verified professionals who use the Blind platform. Blind has more than 5 million professionals globally who use the site to post information and communicate in public and private channels.
Blind also highlighted how PNW cities ranked when compared to the 75 best-paying cities nationally for software engineers. Portland ranked No. 30. Hillsboro was No. 55.
Looking at Austin, Texas, which is often in the mix when people are evaluating a move or expansion to the Rose City, the median total compensation is in line with the Portland metro at $151,843. The median salary in Austin is $127,000, slightly below Portland, according to Blind.
Portland remains a bargain for employers when compared with compensation paid to software engineers in San Francisco, where the total median compensation for software engineers is $225,000 and the median salary is $160,200, according to Blind.
If you are wondering which city ranked highest in pay for software engineers, it is Los Gatos, California. The Bay Area city has a median total compensation of $475,000 and a median salary of $451,000, according to Blind.
