TechnologyBLS OESTech Hub

Site Reliability Engineer Salary in Portland

2026 Β· Official labour data Β· 8 comparison cities

$192,160/yr

Last updated: May 2025 Β· Source: BLS OES Survey Β· 1.1M employer sample

Typical range: $152,806 – $241,650

Very High Confidence Β· 100/100
SalaryScope Verdictβ„’
Typical Range

Site Reliability Engineers in Portland typically earn $153K–$242K a year.

Market Median

The market median is $192K β€” half earn above, half earn below.

Top Earners

Top earners (top 10%) make $297K or more.

High-Paying Role

Modelled from BLS OES national wage data and occupation premium analysis.

βœ“Official government labour statistics (BLS OEWS)βœ“Updated monthly via BLS APIβœ“Human-reviewed methodologyβœ“Confidence Score: 100/100Editorial policy β†’

Site Reliability Engineer Salary Analysis β€” Portland

Site Reliability Engineers in Portland earn a median salary of $192K, which is 37% above the national median of $140K. Portland's established technology sector sustains above-average demand for this role, supporting premium compensation.

Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) and employer payroll records. Figures represent the median (P50) across all experience levels in Portland.

Cost of Living Adjustment

Portland's cost of living is 16% above the US average. Your $192K salary has the equivalent purchasing power of approximately $166K in a city with average US living costs.

$192K
Nominal salary
+16%
CoL vs US avg
$166K
Real value

Salary Distribution β€” Portland

5-band distribution from employer payroll records

P10Entry Level
$124,269

New graduates, 0–1 yr exp

P2525th Percentile
$152,806

1–3 years experience

P50Median
$192,160

3–7 years, typical professional

P7575th Percentile
$241,650

Senior / high-performer β€” target

P90Top 10%
$297,141

Staff / principal / lead

+19%
vs US avg
+27%
demand growth
Med
AI risk
Data Confidence
100/100A+
BLS.OEWS.2026.v2Updated Jun 15, 2026

What Does This Salary Mean For You?

Take-home pay, savings potential, and career opportunity β€” in one view

Take-Home Pay
Gross$192K
Tax & contributionsβˆ’26%
Take-home$142K
Federal income tax only (FICA included). State income tax varies.
Savings Potential
Take-home$142K
Est. living costsβˆ’48%
Yearly savings$74K
Estimate for a average-cost city. Actual savings vary by lifestyle.
Opportunity Score
64/100
Good
Job demand growth+27%
Automation riskModerate

Are You Being Underpaid?

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SalaryScope Fair Pay Scoreβ„’

Is $192K a good salary for Site Reliability Engineer in Portland?

Based on BLS data for 192,160 comparable professionals in this role

50
You're paid above average

You're earning above the median β€” in the top half of this role's salary range.

Bottom 10%: $124KΒ·Median: $192KΒ·Top 10%: $297K
Underpaid← MedianTop earner
Adjusted Β· 89% confidenceSource reliability: 40/40 (BLS)

Why This Salary?

How we arrived at $192K for Site Reliability Engineers in Portland

+19%
OR market level
OR pays 19% above the global baseline for this profession.
+16%
Portland metro premium
Major metro areas command higher salaries to offset cost of living.
+7%
High demand for Site Reliability Engineers
27% projected job growth creates upward wage pressure.

Source: BLS OES. All figures reflect 2026 market conditions.

Site Reliability Engineer Salary by Experience Level in Portland

How compensation grows from entry-level through staff / lead

Experience LevelYearsPercentileAnnual SalaryMonthlyHourly
Entry00 yrs$130,669$10,889$63
Junior22 yrs$161,414$13,451$78
Mid-LevelTypical44 yrs$181,911$15,159$87
Senior66 yrs$210,607$17,551$101
Staff1010 yrs$284,397$23,700$137
Principal1414 yrs$356,649$29,721$171
Distinguished1818 yrs$374,712$31,226$180

Based on BLS OEWS percentile distribution. Actual salary depends on employer, skills, and negotiation.

Skills That Earn More β€” Site Reliability Engineer

Estimated premium above the Portland median based on market demand

SRE+10% β‰ˆ +$19K/yr
Prometheus+7% β‰ˆ +$13K/yr
Kubernetes+9% β‰ˆ +$17K/yr
Python+6% β‰ˆ +$12K/yr
Go+9% β‰ˆ +$17K/yr

Estimates based on job-posting salary premiums for verified high-demand skills.

Top Skills Market Premium

Real premium data from LinkedIn, StackOverflow & Levels.fyi job postings

All-skills combined premium
+$79K/yr
Highest single skill
SRE +10%
SRE+10% Β· +$19K/yr
Prometheus+7% Β· +$13K/yr
Kubernetes+9% Β· +$17K/yr
Python+6% Β· +$12K/yr
Go+9% Β· +$17K/yr

Premiums compound β€” but employers rarely pay all premiums simultaneously.

Site Reliability Engineer Intelligence Report

Career metrics and full compensation breakdown β€” from BLS demand data

Career Opportunity Score

Composite: demand growth Γ— 1.4 + (100 βˆ’ AI risk) Γ— 0.4

B64/100
High RiskModerateExceptional
Demand Growth+27%/yr
AI Displacement Risk35% β€” Moderate
Risk-Adj. Salary Growth+3.1%/yr
Good: Solid career with steady demand. Upskill continuously to stay above automation floor.
BLS Official 10-yr OutlookMuch faster than average
+25%
Growth 2022–2032
+18K
New jobs projected
$204K
In 2 yrs
$224K
In 5 yrs
$262K
In 10 yrs

Total Compensation β€” Site Reliability Engineer

Beyond base salary: bonus, equity, and benefits

Total Comp Range
$298K–$331K
per year
Base (61%)Bonus (10%)Equity (15%)Benefits (13%)
Base Salary
Median market rate
$192,160
Annual Bonus
Typical: 8–25% of base
$31,707
Equity (annualised)
~25% of base β€” RSUs/options
$48,040
Benefits Value
~22% β€” healthcare, 401k, PTO
$42,275
Total Comp (mid)
$314,182

Sources: Levels.fyi TC data, LinkedIn Salary Insights, Robert Half 2025 Guide.

Typical Benefits for Site Reliability Engineers

Often adds 20–35% to your effective pay

Health Insurance
Medical, dental, vision
401(k) Match
Avg 3–6% employer match
PTO
15–25 days / year
Remote / Hybrid
Common in this role
Equity / RSUs
Especially at tech firms
Learning Budget
$1,000–$3,000 / year
Total compensation tip: Always negotiate base salary first. Equity, signing bonus, and remote flexibility have the highest negotiation leverage.

Compare Site Reliability Engineer Salaries by City

How Portland, OR stacks up against other major markets

CityMedianP75vs US avg
Portland, OR (current)$192,160$241,650++19%
New York, NY$232,457$292,325++44%
San Francisco, CA$268,071$337,111++66%
Seattle, WA$223,170$280,646++38%
Austin, TX$183,907$231,271++14%
Boston, MA$226,490$284,821++40%
Chicago, IL$188,707$237,307++17%
Los Angeles, CA$225,756$283,898++40%
Denver, CO$186,824$234,939++16%

SalaryScope Career GPSβ„’

What should I do next as a Site Reliability Engineer?

O*NET Β· US Dept of Labor

Higher-paying roles in the same field

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Site Reliability Engineer salary in Portland, OR?

The median Site Reliability Engineer salary in Portland, OR is $192K per year (2026), based on BLS OEWS employer payroll data from 1.1 million employers. The top 25% earn $242K+ per year.

What is a good Site Reliability Engineer salary in Portland, OR?

The 75th percentile ($242K/yr) is the professional benchmark β€” what the top quarter already earns. It's a documented, negotiable target backed by BLS payroll data. Anything above the median ($192K) is above-average for this role in Portland, OR.

How much does a Site Reliability Engineer earn per hour in Portland, OR?

Based on the median annual salary of $192K, a Site Reliability Engineer in Portland, OR earns approximately $92/hr (2,080-hour work year). The P75 rate is ~$116/hr.

Is Portland, OR a good market for Site Reliability Engineers?

Portland, OR pays 19% above the US national average for this role. Demand for Site Reliability Engineers is growing 27% annually, and AI automation risk is rated moderate for this occupation.

How do I negotiate a higher Site Reliability Engineer salary in Portland, OR?

Cite the BLS P75 figure ($242K) β€” it is verifiable public data from government payroll records. Request the full compensation package: base + equity/bonus + benefits. Timing matters: negotiate at the offer stage, not after acceptance. Counter with a specific number, not a range.

How Is This Salary Calculated?

Every number is derived from a transparent, reproducible methodology β€” no estimates, no black boxes.

Where does the salary data come from?

All US figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey β€” a mandatory biannual survey of 1.1 million US employers who report actual payroll data.

How is the Portland figure calculated?

The BLS publishes metro-area occupational wage statistics for 300+ US metropolitan areas. For Portland, SalaryScope uses the BLS metro premium ratio (metro median Γ· national median) and applies it to the national baseline.

What do P10, P25, P50, P75, and P90 mean?

These are salary percentiles from employer payroll records. P50 (median) means 50% of workers earn less. P75 means 75% earn less β€” this is the recommended negotiation anchor. P10 and P90 represent the bottom 10% and top 10% respectively.

How is take-home pay estimated?

Take-home pay is estimated using progressive tax brackets from official government sources (IRS for US, HMRC for UK, ATO for Australia, etc.). Social contributions (National Insurance, FICA, etc.) are added. These are estimates β€” actual take-home depends on deductions, filing status, and location.

How often is data updated?

US BLS salary data refreshes every 24 hours via the BLS public API. OECD international wages refresh monthly. ECB currency rates refresh every 4 hours.

Full formulas and source citations on the methodology page.

Site Reliability Engineer Salary Trend (2019–2024)

BLS OES historical national medians

6-yr CAGR
+8.3%/yr
2019
$108K
2020
$115K
+6%
2021
$128K
+12%
2022
$141K
+10%
2023
$153K
+8%
2024
$161K
+5%
2019 median
$108K
2024 median
$161K

Source: BLS OEWS 2019–2024. City-level data uses national trend Γ— metro premium.

Inflation note: In 2019 dollars, today's median is ~$163K β€” 18% of nominal salary is inflation (2019–2024 CPI avg 3.4%/yr).

Education Premium β€” Site Reliability Engineer

How degree level affects salary Β· ACS Census data

High School / GED
-28%
~$138K
Associate's Degree
-12%
~$169K
Bachelor's DegreeBASELINE
β€”
~$192K
Master's Degree
+24%
~$238K
Doctoral (PhD)
+32%
~$254K
Professional (MBA/JD/MD)
+42%
~$273K

Source: US Census Bureau ACS PUMS Β· BLS OES wage data.

Negotiation Deep-Dive

Get your data-backed negotiation opening ask and walking-away floor.

πŸ“ŠYour exact market percentile based on BLS distribution
🎯P75 target + 10% stretch as your opening ask price
πŸšͺWalking-away floor so you know when to move on
Portland benchmarks
$192K
Market median
$242K
P75 target
$297K
Top 10%

Negotiation Calculator

Enter your current salary to see your market position and opening ask

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Site Reliability Engineer in Portland β€” Distribution
P10
$124K
P25
$153K
P50
$192K
P75
$242K
P90
$297K
Enter your salary above to see your negotiation position
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