Tapers Salary
In Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, tapers earn $92,490 at the median, or about $44.47 an hour. The range runs from $58K at the entry level to $101K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $87,735 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,922/month, about 33.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $92K get you in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About tapers
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What this looks like in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro sits well above the national pay line for tapers, local pay runs about 35% higher than the U.S. median of $68K. Rent runs $1,922/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 35% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tapers in metros near Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Salem | $71K | $69K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $68K | $60K |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $80K | $72K |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas | $61K | $61K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Entry-level tapers (10th percentile) start around $58K. Mid-career wages sit at $92K. Top earners bring in $101K or more, a $43K spread from bottom to top.
Tapers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Tapers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $113K | +66% | 320 |
| Hawaii | $95K | +40% | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $82K | +20% | 60 |
| Washington | $79K | +16% | 1,550 |
| Minnesota | $78K | +14% | 220 |
| New York | $78K | +14% | N/A |
| Kansas | $74K | +9% | 30 |
| Ohio | $74K | +8% | 110 |
| California | $73K | +8% | 4,540 |
| Oregon | $71K | +5% | 500 |
| Iowa | $67K | -2% | 100 |
| Massachusetts | $65K | -5% | 510 |
| Michigan | $64K | -7% | 190 |
| Connecticut | $64K | -7% | 80 |
| Missouri | $63K | -8% | 220 |
| Nevada | $61K | -11% | 1,190 |
| Wisconsin | $58K | -15% | 70 |
| Idaho | $58K | -15% | 310 |
| Arizona | $56K | -18% | 780 |
| Colorado | $55K | -20% | N/A |
| Utah | $53K | -22% | 210 |
| Florida | $49K | -28% | N/A |
| New Mexico | $48K | -29% | 60 |
| North Carolina | $46K | -33% | N/A |
| Texas | $44K | -36% | 220 |
| Indiana | $43K | -37% | 120 |
| West Virginia | $42K | -39% | 30 |
Showing 1–10 of 27 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track tapers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a taper afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $92K, rent takes 35% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,922/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tapers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tapers typically earn — is $58K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,494/month. At HUD’s $1,922/month FMR, rent would take 55% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is taper a high-paying job in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Local pay is 35% above the national median — $92K here vs. $68K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 5% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compare to the national average for tapers?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays $92K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +35%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $88K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tapers make in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The median is $92,490 a year, that works out to about $44 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $58,240, and experienced tapers can clear $100,880. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $92K enough to live in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,490/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,922/month, which eats 35% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a tapers salary go in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median tapers salary is worth about $87,735 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tapers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.