Hiring a computer systems analyst in Portland, OR

Employers in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area pay computer systems analysts a median of $127,360, with the middle half of the market between $101,720 and $149,700. Portland residents working in computer and mathematical occupations report a median of $102,069, which is 20% below what the metro pays for this role.

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What does a computer systems analyst earn here?

Place of work

What employers pay

Annual wages paid by employers in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
25th percentile	$101,720
Median	$127,360
75th percentile	$149,700

Half of computer systems analysts in this area earn between $101,720 and $149,700. A band set below $101,720 competes for the bottom quarter of the market.

Place of residence

What Portland residents earn

$102,069

Median earnings of Portland residents working in computer and mathematical occupations, 18,689 people. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. Where people live, not where they work, so it is not the same measurement as the wages beside it.

The 20% figure is not a pay gap. ACS counts the civilian employed population 16 and over, part-time and part-year work included; OEWS counts wage-and-salary jobs only. The two populations differ, so read this number against other cities rather than as a shortfall: the same definitional difference applies to every city equally, which is what makes a city-to-city reading sound.

The role pays well above the local residential norm, which usually means you can hire from inside Portland rather than competing for commuters.

What does the role actually involve?

Core tasks

Troubleshoot program and system malfunctions to restore normal functioning.
Provide staff and users with assistance solving computer-related problems, such as malfunctions and program problems.
Test, maintain, and monitor computer programs and systems, including coordinating the installation of computer programs and systems.
Use the computer in the analysis and solution of business problems, such as development of integrated production and inventory control and cost analysis systems.
Coordinate and link the computer systems within an organization to increase compatibility so that information can be shared.

O*NET 29.1, task statements for SOC 15-1211.

Tools and technologies in demand

Atlassian JIRA, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Visio, Operating system software, Python.

O*NET 29.1, flagged in demand or hot for this occupation. Useful as a screen, not as a checklist.

Is the talent actually in Portland?

This is a job zone five: extensive preparation needed occupation. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

That matters here, because 53.5% of Portland adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That is a deep local pool for a degree-requiring role. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501.

The average Portland commute runs 24.6 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 25.3% already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Clackamas County, computer systems design and related services employs 3,368 and turns over 5.9% a quarter, with 242 hires against 273 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $12,356 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 5415.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about computer systems analysts. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a low-churn market, where people do not move often and passive candidates are the whole game.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's median would bill roughly $25,472 to $38,208 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Price this search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen.