The 25 Highest Paying Jobs in Portland, OR (Mar 23)

BOX Truck Owner Operator

Salary range: $51,933-$182,764 per year

A box truck owner-operator is a truck driver who transports cargo and makes deliveries using a truck that they own or lease. A box truck is usually 4 to 7 meters long and has a cargo bay; while these trucks are not semi-trailer trucks, they can be used to hitch additional cargo. Box truck owner-operators contract their equipment and labor to companies in for short or long range shipments.

Pmhnp

Salary range: $117,348-$168,782 per year

As a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, often shortened to PMHNP, your job is to help diagnose mental health conditions in a patient and prescribe the best course of treatment. As part of this, you may use multiple assessment exams to identify the condition, research treatment strategies, or talk with the patient to better understand their unique history and needs. Unlike most other mental health practitioners, you also perform physical assessments and diagnostic exams instead of focusing exclusively on the mind. PMHNPs may work in a clinic, but you can also find this job in hospitals and other advanced care facilities.

Senior Project Manager

Salary range: $92,880-$137,822 per year

A senior project manager oversees work on projects from the initial idea phase through to completion. In large companies, a senior project manager supervises junior and mid-level project managers who are directly involved with ongoing projects. A senior project manager serves as a liaison between different departments and outside vendors and suppliers. Other senior project manager duties include troubleshooting problems and ensuring that projects adhere to timelines and budgets.

Nurse Practitioner

Salary range: $94,877-$127,335 per year

Nurse practitioners are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with additional responsibilities including prescribing medication, examining patients, diagnosing illnesses, and providing treatment, much as physicians do. Nurse practitioners are educated and trained to provide health care services, such as the diagnosis and treatment of acute illness and chronic conditions.

Occupational Therapy

Salary range: $77,899-$114,851 per year

As an occupational therapist, you help people overcome physiological and cognitive obstacles so that they may better participate in work, society, and all aspects of their day-to-day lives. You use daily activities as a part of the rehabilitation and therapy process, contextualizing progress with the relatable tasks of normal life. Your goals as occupational therapist include helping clients participate in school, work, home life, and social situations. To this end, your duties may include evaluating the current living environment of the client, assessing their needs, and then creating an occupational therapy treatment plan in consultation with other caregivers.

Airport Shuttle Driver

Salary range: $33,956-$100,869 per year

An airport shuttle driver is in charge of drop off and pick up duties at an airport. In this career, you may drive a shuttle van or bus that goes to and from a hotel to an airport. Other airport shuttle drivers may work only at an airport, shuttling customers between terminals or from terminals to car rental or parking areas. Your responsibilities are to inquire about the location to which a customer needs to travel and assist passengers with their luggage or any special needs they have.

Physical Therapist

Salary range: $75,902-$99,871 per year

Physical therapists, or PTs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, help injured clients with mobility and pain management. Individuals in need of rehabilitation or those who suffer from chronic conditions rely on PTs to improve their range of motion, strengthen injured muscles, and correct alignment issues. Physical therapists should have a thorough knowledge of a patient's medical history and should be in frequent communication with the patient’s primary care physician. It is also their job to track patient progress, modify treatment plans, and educate the patient’s family on stretches and other aftercare.

House Sitter

Salary range: $31,459-$97,374 per year

A house sitter stays in or visits a home while the owners are away for an extended period. Some house sitting jobs can be for any amount of time, from one night to several months. Some house sitters may only visit the home in their care during the day to collect mail and ensure the house is in good order for the homeowner’s return. Others stay overnight at the property, watering plants, caring for pets, performing maintenance, and keeping the home in good order. A house sitting gig is a great way to make some extra income and can save you money if you need short-term housing. Professional house sitters may work through a company or as individual freelancers by privately responding to listings.

Flight Attendant

Salary range: $38,450-$91,881 per year

Flight Attendants do more than serve meals and drinks to passengers. Before the aircraft takes off, flight attendants attend a pre-flight briefing to receive all vital information about the flight. They must check the food supply and emergency equipment to make sure amounts are sufficient and everything is in place. They then greet passengers as they enter the aircraft, ensure luggage is stowed properly, and make sure passengers are in the correct seats. During the flight, they instruct passengers on safety and serve refreshments. In the event of an emergency, flight attendants play a significant role in evacuating the plane and maintaining passenger safety.

Senior Executive Assistant

Salary range: $57,425-$86,888 per year

A senior executive assistant (EA) performs tasks that support high-level executives and members of senior management. As a senior EA, your duties include schedule management and other administrative tasks such as preparing notes for meetings and liaising with other executives’ assistants. You may set meetings for executives and help prepare presentations on their behalf. You may also manage deadlines and handle communications. As a senior-level assistant, your responsibilities may include supervising office support staff and delegating tasks to other assistants.

Office RN

Salary range: $63,917-$80,396 per year

Office RNs work in a medical office or clinic setting, treating patients and assisting physicians. As an office registered nurse, you perform patient assessments, record vitals, and update patient records. You work with a doctor to provide education on procedures, answering questions and arranging for follow-ups visits. As an RN in a medical office, you tend to have the most face-to-face time with a patient. Your responsibilities include data entry, providing basic care, and helping patients understand and follow the doctor’s orders.

BCBA

Salary range: $66,414-$79,897 per year

BCBA stands for board-certified behavior analyst. They are mental health professionals who utilize data-driven techniques to treat behavioral problems. Their clients typically have social and emotional issues and may include elderly patients who have developed mental health difficulties and children with autism or another behavioral disorder. BCBAs usually meet with clients in their homes and observe their behavior, tracking numerous target points for improvement. They then implement a plan based on behavior psychology standards to treat these issues and monitor clients to help them achieve their goals. For example, a 10-year-old may have a history of kicking and biting others. A BCBA documents the number of times the child kicks and bites in a specified time period, implements a plan with the child's parents to reduce this behavior, and visits regularly to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. BCBAs also collaborates with other medical staff and caregivers to determine the client’s progress and setbacks.

Class A Truck Driver

Salary range: $46,939-$69,410 per year

A Class A truck driver job refers to the category of commercial driver’s license (CDL) needed to operate a large vehicle for the job. Usually, employers seek candidates who already have their Class A license, and can legally drive and tow a truck over 10,000 pounds. Those who have a license to drive a regular car or a license to drive a smaller truck will need to acquire a Class A level license before applying.

Social Worker

Salary range: $43,943-$64,416 per year

Social Workers help individuals, children, and families from all backgrounds to overcome personal difficulties and help their clients get the help they need. Assistance may include food and housing subsidies, health care, and job training. Part of their duties involve crisis prevention; many of their clients deal with poverty, abuse, addiction, and unemployment.

Audio Engineer

Salary range: $37,951-$64,416 per year

An Audio Engineer is involved in the recording and production of audio, sound, and music. Some Audio Engineers help record vocal or musical performances in a recording studio. Others manage sound output during live concerts. As an Audio Engineer, you might mix and edit tracks for studio albums, radio and television shows, movies, or video games. During recordings and performances, you may be responsible for setting up audio equipment, such as microphones, speakers, headphones, and mixers, and checking them to make sure they work correctly.

Accounting

Salary range: $35,454-$53,431 per year

Accounting jobs constitute any role in which you prepare taxes, financial statements, and other official documentation related to financial reporting. As an accountant, you are responsible for ensuring that all records contain accurate information and that you make all tax and other payments in a timely fashion. While many accountants specialize in personal finance, you may be asked to audit a company’s financial records to ensure that the business is running smoothly and efficiently. If you find issues, you report your findings and make recommendations for how to improve company or organizational efficiency. You can also work in financial forensics and search for financial malfeasances, such as tax fraud or embezzlement.

Photographer

Salary range: $27,464-$49,935 per year

Professional photographers capture moments using cameras and other equipment. They often take pictures of people, but they also photograph outdoor locations, artwork, animals, and a wide range of other subjects. Photographers may take pictures for their own use, or they may be hired by individuals, groups, or companies. Before the photo shoot, professional photographers offer advice about locations, settings, and poses based on their expertise. Standard tools used by a photographer include a camera, tripod, different types of camera lenses, photo editing software, and backdrops. Professional photographers may work independently on a contract basis, or they may work for a company or agency as a staff photographer.

Bottle Server

Salary range: $20,972-$49,935 per year

A bottle server provides specialized customer service for patrons who order an entire bottle of wine or liquor at a nightclub, lounge, or other entertainment venues. In this role, you make suggestions to guests on drink selection, pour and mix drinks at their table, and take orders for food and additional beverages. Your duties can vary slightly, depending on the venue where you work and the size of the crowds. Some clubs expect bottle servers to interact with customers, while others wnat you to promote and upsell certain products. Your responsibilities can also include taking other kinds of orders and serving cocktails when no patrons order bottle service.

DATA Entry

Salary range: $27,963-$48,437 per year

Data entry jobs involve typing information into electronic formats, whether that’s word processing, spreadsheets, or specific software. It’s a great career option for detail-oriented people—or even those who prefer to work remotely from home. Data entry jobs typically use a computer to enter data or information, often from a hard-copy paper format, into a software application. Some positions may include scanning documents and using optical character recognition or OCR. Some examples of data entry job duties include transcribing, updating customer information, and entering accounting records.

Nanny

Salary range: $25,467-$44,442 per year

A nanny plays a special role in a child’s life. Nannies are childcare professionals who assist parents with the day-to-day work of caring and raising children and are responsible for the children’s well-being and supportive of their emotional needs. As a nanny, your responsibilities may include preparing meals, dressing and bathing the children, arranging playdates, accompanying children to activities, and helping with schoolwork. Nannies typically work during the parent's work hours, but some families have nannies come early in the morning or stay at night until the kids go to bed. You may also be responsible for dropping off and picking up the kids at school and performing light housework.

Welding

Salary range: $31,459-$41,446 per year

Welding jobs are any jobs that include metal welding as a significant part of the work. There are many different fields that require welders, including manufacturing and construction. As a welder, you are trained to use a number of hand-held and automated tools to complete jobs. You use these tools to cut or fuse together metal parts. Other related positions include cutting, soldering, and brazing jobs. Other fields that have a significant welding component include ironwork and sheet metal work.

Delivery Driver

Salary range: $25,966-$38,450 per year

A delivery driver is a transportation professional who delivers well over short or long distances. As a delivery driver, you are responsible for delivering goods on time and with care, and tracking all deliveries. Depending on the job, you may be responsible for anything from supplies, to packages, to food—anything that can be delivered by vehicle. You may travel locally or long distances, requiring time away from home.

DOG Walker

Salary range: $24,967-$37,451 per year

Dog Walkers are hired by pet owners to take one or more dogs for walks. Pet owners often hire Dog Walkers during times when they are too busy to give their dogs the proper amount of exercise, if they are working extended hours, or going out of town. As a pet care professional, you need to know how to handle potential health problems or sudden aggression issues in your canine clients. You also must understand how to communicate well with pet owners and discuss any concerns you may observe during your walks. Your dog walking jobs allow you to interact with various dog breeds and dogs of all ages and personalities.

Private Caregiver

Salary range: $26,965-$36,952 per year

The duty of a private caregiver is to help a patient remain independent while living at home or in an assisted living facility. Your duties are also to relieve some of the responsibilities of the family of the client. As a private caregiver, you may provide medical help as well as companionship for senior clients or for people who are recovering from surgery or other traumas. Many private caregivers report to a nurse or more senior home care specialist, and you may have more than one patient, depending on the complexity of each patient’s needs.

Warehouse Worker

Salary range: $25,467-$33,956 per year

Warehouse Workers assist with all shipping, receiving, and inventory organization within the warehouse space. Their job is physical in nature and includes unloading and loading goods from trucks, picking designated items by hand or by forklift from a shelf, packaging these items, and preparing them for shipment. Warehouse Workers also move and transfer products between various sections of the warehouse and ensure that inventory is tracked and labeled correctly.

25 of the Highest Paying Jobs in Portland, OR for 2023

The top jobs in the Portland area can pay up to $182,764 per year

High Paying Portland Jobs