Expert Software Engineer salary in Portland, OR
Based on 268 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Hillsboro, Beaverton, Vancouver, Wilsonville, Gresham.
Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $158,309 |
| 25th | $166,627 |
| 50th (median) | $180,000 |
| 75th | $200,000 |
| 90th | $222,852 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $125,000 | $123,000 | $134,668 | 202 |
| FY2021 | $136,500 | $128,000 | $150,000 | 245 |
| FY2022 | $145,000 | $135,000 | $165,000 | 360 |
| FY2023 | $153,615 | $144,100 | $175,350 | 229 |
| FY2024 | $160,264 | $152,884 | $180,000 | 186 |
| FY2025 | $177,861 | $162,287 | $195,000 | 197 |
| FY2026 | $196,252 | $178,000 | $215,243 | 71 |
Cost of living
Portland's median expert Software Engineer salary of $180,000 is worth about $170,700 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Portland = 105.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Developers in the Portland, OR area earned a median of $156,000 in May 2025 (18,260 employed). The H-1B median here is $180,000, 15% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Nike | $194,300 | 92 |
| NVIDIA | $184,000 | 21 |
| Intel | $187,460 | 15 |
| Siemens | too few | 9 |
| Apple | too few | 7 |
| Autodesk | too few | 7 |
| Hp | too few | 6 |
| Panasonic Avionics | too few | 5 |
| eBay | too few | 4 |
| Advanced Micro Devices | too few | 3 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $102,898 | 125 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $127,878 | 525 |
| Senior · Level III | $153,831 | 405 |
| Expert · Level IV | $180,000 | 268 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $102,898 | $102,898 | 125 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $112,070 | $127,878 | 525 |
| Senior · Level III | $135,200 | $153,831 | 405 |
| Expert · Level IV | $158,309 | $180,000 | 268 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.