Machine Learning Researcher.
Portland.
$149,000
median salary, 6% above the national average
$102,000 to $197,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Machine Learning Researcher in Portland earns a median of $149,000 in 2026. That is 6% above the national average. The range runs from $102,000 to $197,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Publication record in top-tier venues like NeurIPS, ICML, and ICLR is the strongest salary differentiator. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Machine Learning Researcher in Portland, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $206,220 for Computer and Information Research Scientists (SOC 15-1221) in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metropolitan area, based on 660 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$131,020
25th percentile
$169,410
Median
$206,220
75th percentile
$309,340
90th percentile
$351,690
Workers surveyed
660
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $149,000 is 28% lower than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Computer and Information Research Scientists covers a different population than the Machine Learning Researcher title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Computer and Information Research Scientists (SOC 15-1221) rather than Machine Learning Researcher specifically. The Portland range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 15-1221Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $134,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$97,000
to $119,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$127,000
to $156,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$164,000
to $194,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$186,000
to $231,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $62,000 to the total package.
Base
$149,000
Equity
$37,000
Bonus
$16,000
Signing
$9,000
Estimated total: $211,000
How Portland compares.
Portland, OR
$149,000
Cost of living: 10% above average
National Average
$141,000
Portland is $8,000 above
Machine Learning Researcher salary by city.
Salary by role in Portland.
What you should know.
Here is what the Machine Learning Researcher market actually looks like in Portland. Portland's tech scene is anchored by Intel's semiconductor campus and a strong cluster of sportswear and creative companies including Nike and Adidas. The city attracts professionals who value work life balance and sustainability. Salaries are moderate compared to Seattle, but the lower cost of living makes Portland a solid value proposition. Publication record in top-tier venues like NeurIPS, ICML, and ICLR is the strongest salary differentiator. Researchers with first-author papers at these conferences command 15 to 25% premiums. Industry labs at major tech firms pay significantly more than academic positions or smaller startups.
Research interns start at $45,000 to $65,000 for summer positions. Junior researchers earn $140,000 to $170,000, while senior researchers reach $200,000 to $280,000. Principal researchers and research directors at major labs can exceed $400,000 in base salary alone. In Portland, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation at top labs often doubles base salary through equity grants and annual bonuses of 20 to 40%. Many positions include conference travel budgets, compute credits, and sabbatical programs for independent research. And on the tax side: oregon has no sales tax, but state income tax rates climb to 9.9%. Portland adds a local arts tax and metro supportive housing tax. Factor these into your net pay calculations. When someone quotes you $149,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight your willingness to work hybrid in Portland's tech campuses. Intel, Nike, and other major employers reward in person collaboration with higher compensation bands. The range for Machine Learning Researchers in Portland runs from $102,000 to $197,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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Common questions.
Machine Learning Researcher salary in other cities.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Machine Learning Researcher Salary in Portland, OR." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/machine-learning-researcher/portland
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