Oregon’s minimum wage in early 2026 is a tiered system with three different hourly rates, depending on where you work in the state.

Quick Scoop: What Is Oregon’s Minimum Wage?

As of February 2026 (rates that took effect July 1, 2025 and run through June 30, 2026):

  • Portland metro: 16.30 dollars per hour.
  • Standard counties (most of the state’s urban areas outside Portland): 15.05 dollars per hour.
  • Non‑urban / rural counties: 14.05 dollars per hour.

These are higher than the federal minimum wage of 7.25 dollars per hour.

In simple terms: if you’re in or near Portland, you get the highest rate; if you’re in a small rural county, you get the lowest of the three, but still well above federal.

How Oregon’s System Works

Oregon doesn’t have one flat statewide rate; it splits the state into three wage regions based on cost of living.

  • Portland metro area : Cities inside the Portland urban growth boundary (for example, Portland, Gresham, Beaverton, Tigard, West Linn) get the top rate of 16.30 dollars.
  • Standard counties : Places like Salem, Eugene, Bend, Corvallis, Medford, Albany, Springfield, Grants Pass, Ashland generally follow the 15.05‑dollar rate.
  • Non‑urban counties : Lower‑cost rural areas such as Klamath Falls are at 14.05 dollars.

Oregon also does not have a separate lower minimum wage for tipped workers, so servers and bartenders are usually entitled to the same minimum hourly rate as everyone else.

Recent Changes and “Latest News”

  • On July 1, 2025 , Oregon raised its minimum wage as part of its automatic yearly adjustment process tied to inflation (Consumer Price Index). That’s how we got to 16.30 / 15.05 / 14.05 dollars.
  • These rates are set to stay in place through June 30, 2026 ; the next inflation‑based increase is expected on July 1, 2026.
  • News outlets in late 2025 reported that Oregon will again raise its minimum wage in 2026, but the exact new numbers are announced closer to July each year.

So if you’re asking “what is Oregon minimum wage” today in early 2026, those July 2025 figures are the ones that matter.

Extra Details Workers Ask About

  • Tipped workers : No tip credit; employers must pay at least the full applicable regional minimum wage before tips.
  • Exempt (salaried) employees : To be considered exempt under white‑collar rules, many salaried workers need to earn at least about 875 dollars per week (around 45,500 dollars per year) in 2025; this threshold is separate from, but influenced by, minimum wage trends.
  • Future increases : Oregon law indexes the minimum wage to inflation each year, so people generally expect new rates every July 1.

A practical example: someone working at a coffee shop in downtown Portland in February 2026 should see at least 16.30 dollars on their hourly pay rate; a similar job in Eugene should show at least 15.05 dollars; in a rural county like Klamath, at least 14.05 dollars.

SEO‑Style Meta Note

  • Focus keyword: what is oregon minimum wage – answer: it’s region‑based, currently 16.30 / 15.05 / 14.05 dollars per hour depending on location, with yearly July 1 inflation adjustments.
  • These numbers reflect the latest news as of early 2026 about Oregon’s wage tiers and upcoming 2026 increase expectations.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.