Oregon Minimum Wage 2026
The minimum wage in Oregon is $15.55 per hour in 2026, effective July 1, 2026. Oregon does not allow a tip credit, so tipped employees earn the full minimum wage plus tips.
What is the minimum wage in Oregon in 2026?
Oregon does not have one minimum wage; it has three. As of July 1, 2026, the standard rate is $15.55 per hour, the Portland metro rate is $16.80, and the nonurban counties rate is $14.55. All three rose 3.3 percent with this year's July adjustment, which the Bureau of Labor and Industries ties to the Consumer Price Index.
The three-tier system, unique among US states, ties the rate to geography: the area inside Portland's urban growth boundary pays the most, a list of rural counties pays the least, and everywhere else pays the standard rate. Oregon also adjusts on July 1 rather than January 1, which trips up payroll teams running on a calendar-year cycle.
Tipped minimum wage in Oregon
Oregon does not allow a tip credit. Tipped employees must receive the full applicable regional minimum, $15.55, $16.80, or $14.55, in wages before tips. Everything earned in tips is additional income.
For restaurant and hospitality employers coming from tip-credit states, this is the single biggest cost difference in Oregon. A server in downtown Portland is owed $16.80 per hour in cash wages regardless of how strong their tips are.
Oregon minimum wage history: 2020 to 2026
| Year | Minimum wage | Tipped wage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $12.00 | $12.00 |
| 2021 | $12.75 | $12.75 |
| 2022 | $13.50 | $13.50 |
| 2023 | $14.20 | $14.20 |
| 2024 | $14.70 | $14.70 |
| 2025 | $15.05 | $15.05 |
| 2026 | $15.55 | $15.55 |
Rates shown are the standard tier as of July 1 of each year. Oregon adjusts every July 1; the Portland metro tier is $1.25 above standard and the nonurban counties tier is $1.00 below.
Upcoming minimum wage increases in Oregon
Oregon adjusts all three tiers every July 1 based on the Consumer Price Index. The current rates took effect July 1, 2026, and the next adjustment lands July 1, 2027, with the new figures announced by the Bureau of Labor and Industries in the spring.
The tier gaps are fixed: Portland metro stays $1.25 above the standard rate and the nonurban counties stay $1.00 below it, so once you know the standard figure you know all three.
Minimum wage by city in Oregon
Oregon's rate differences come from the state's regional tiers, not city ordinances. The Portland metro tier covers the area within the urban growth boundary in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties, while a defined list of rural counties (such as Malheur, Lake, and Harney) uses the nonurban tier.
The boundaries do not follow city limits neatly. A business address just outside the urban growth boundary pays the standard rate while a competitor a mile away inside it pays $1.25 more, so verify each work site against BOLI's boundary maps rather than guessing by city name.
Portland metro tier; applies inside the urban growth boundary
Standard tier applies
Standard tier applies
Standard tier; some surrounding counties use the lower nonurban tier
What Oregon employers need to know
Three tiers, one boundary map
Pay the rate for where the employee works: $16.80 inside the Portland urban growth boundary, $14.55 in the listed nonurban counties, $15.55 everywhere else. Check BOLI's maps per work site.
July 1 rate change
All three rates adjust on July 1, not January 1. Set a mid-year payroll reminder; a calendar-year update cycle will miss Oregon's change entirely.
No tip credit
Tipped employees receive the full regional minimum in cash wages. Tips are on top and cannot offset any portion of the required rate.
Mobile employees
Employees who work in multiple tiers during a pay period are owed each tier's rate for the hours worked there, or the highest applicable rate if tracking is impractical. Document your approach.
How other states compare
See how Oregon's $15.55 rate stacks up against other state minimum wages in 2026, or browse the full minimum wage index for all 50 states.
Last verified:
Sources: the US Department of Labor's state minimum wage table and official announcements from the Oregon labor department. Minimum wage laws change frequently; confirm current rates with those sources or legal counsel before setting pay.
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