Registered Nurse Jobs in Portland, OR
Registered nurses in Portland are paid on union and system scales that run from about $47 to more than $90 an hour, and four big health systems compete for them from Marquam Hill to Clackamas. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to get licensed in Oregon.
Current registered nurse Openings in Portland, OR
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Registered Nurse Work in Portland
Health care is the part of the Portland economy still adding jobs. The metro gained 5,200 health care and social assistance jobs in the year to August 2026 while total employment fell, and OHSU, Providence, Legacy and Kaiser are four of the region's five largest employers. RN work clusters on Marquam Hill, where OHSU Hospital, Doernbecher Children's and the Portland VA sit side by side, along NE Glisan at Providence Portland, on SW Barnes Road at Providence St. Vincent, in North Portland at Legacy Emanuel, and out at Kaiser Sunnyside in Clackamas.
Two things make nursing here different from the rest of the country. Oregon's hospital staffing law, HB 2697, writes nurse-to-patient ratios into statute, including 1:2 in the ICU and 1:4 on medical-surgical units since July 2026, which keeps hospitals hiring. And many Portland hospital nurses are unionized, so pay follows posted step scales rather than individual offers.
Top Portland Employers Hiring Registered Nurses
These Portland-area employers have posted RN openings or recruit RNs for their local hospitals and clinics:
- OHSU - Oregon's academic medical center hires RNs for OHSU Hospital and Doernbecher Children's on Marquam Hill, with ONA-represented pay steps.
- Providence - runs Providence Portland Medical Center on NE Glisan and Providence St. Vincent on the west side, both Magnet hospitals with a new-grad RN residency.
- Legacy Health - hires staff RNs at Legacy Good Samaritan in NW Portland, Legacy Emanuel, Randall Children's, Mount Hood in Gresham and the Unity Center for Behavioral Health.
- Kaiser Permanente - staffs inpatient and procedural RNs at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center in Clackamas plus case managers across its Portland clinics.
- VA Portland Health Care System - the Portland VA Medical Center on Marquam Hill hires inpatient and med-surg nurses on the federal nurse pay scale.
- Shriners Children's Portland - the pediatric orthopedic hospital on Marquam Hill hires outpatient clinic RNs, including weekday per diem shifts.
Registered Nurse Salaries in Portland
- Entry level: about $47 to $55 an hour for new graduates, the bottom steps of the Kaiser, Legacy and OHSU scales.
- Experienced: roughly $60 to $75 an hour for nurses with several years on a hospital unit.
- Senior / top of scale: $80 to $92 an hour at the top OHSU steps; VA Portland posts nurse salaries up to about $161,000 a year.
These are estimates drawn from Portland employers' own postings, not guarantees. Pay moves with the step you are placed on, the union contract, specialty (ICU, ED and OR pay more), night and weekend differentials, and whether you work in Oregon or across the river in Washington.
How to Become a Registered Nurse in Portland
You need an associate or bachelor's degree from a board-approved nursing program and a passing score on the NCLEX-RN, then an Oregon license from the Oregon State Board of Nursing. Associate degree programs run at PCC's Sylvania campus, Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham and Clackamas Community College's Harmony campus in Milwaukie. Bachelor's programs include the OHSU School of Nursing on Marquam Hill, the University of Portland on N Willamette Boulevard and Linfield University's campus on NE 132nd Avenue. Oregon has not joined the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a multistate license from another state does not let you work here; you need an Oregon license. Vancouver hospitals are licensed through the Washington State Board of Nursing.
What the Job Involves
Registered nurses assess patients, give medications and treatments, monitor vital signs and lab results, and coordinate care with physicians, therapists and case managers. A typical 12-hour hospital shift includes report at handoff, charting in the electronic record, educating patients and families, and supervising CNAs and LPNs on the unit.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Oregon RN license and current BLS, plus ACLS or PALS for acute units
- Clinical assessment and critical thinking under time pressure
- Electronic health record charting, usually Epic
- Clear communication with patients, families and the care team
- Specialty experience in ICU, emergency, OR or labor and delivery
- Willingness to work nights, weekends and holidays
Career Path and Advancement
Many Portland nurses start in a new-grad residency at Providence, Legacy or OHSU, move up the step scale on a med-surg or telemetry unit, then specialize in critical care, emergency, perioperative or pediatric nursing at Doernbecher or Randall Children's. From there the ladder runs to charge nurse, nurse educator, case manager and unit manager, and many go back to school at OHSU or the University of Portland to become nurse practitioners.
Related Careers in Portland
If nursing interests you, these related Portland guides are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an Oregon license to work as an RN in Portland?
Yes. Oregon is not part of the Nurse Licensure Compact, so you need a license from the Oregon State Board of Nursing even if you hold a multistate license elsewhere. Nurses who work in Vancouver hospitals are licensed under Washington rules instead.
How much do registered nurses make in Portland?
Postings from Portland employers show new-graduate RNs starting around $47 to $55 an hour and top steps reaching about $92 an hour at OHSU. Differentials for nights, weekends and specialty units add to base pay.
Are Portland hospital nurses unionized?
Many are. The Oregon Nurses Association represents RNs at OHSU, Providence and the Unity Center, Kaiser RNs are represented by OFNHP, and nurses at Legacy Emanuel, Randall and Good Samaritan voted to unionize in 2025. Where a contract is in place, it sets the step scale you are paid on.
What are the nurse staffing ratios in Oregon hospitals?
Oregon's staffing law, HB 2697, sets limits such as one nurse to two ICU patients and, since July 2026, one nurse to four medical-surgical patients. The Oregon Health Authority enforces the ratios through each hospital's staffing plan.
How long does it take to become an RN in Portland?
An associate degree at PCC, Mt. Hood or Clackamas Community College takes about two years after prerequisites, and a bachelor's degree takes about four. OHSU also offers a 15-month accelerated program for people who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field.
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