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Portland State University Salaries

  • 5/10 Overall Rating
  • 4 Year
  • Portland, OR
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#4 Best Public Universities in Oregon
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Salaries by Major

Salaries by Major at Portland State University

This page shows median first-year earnings for Portland State University graduates by major, based on federal College Scorecard data. Six years after enrolling, former students who are working and no longer in school report average earnings of $36,400 per year; after ten years, average earnings are $48,600. See post-graduation earnings for full trends over time.

Below, majors are ranked by median first-year earnings.

The highest-paying undergraduate degree is Computer Science, with median first-year earnings of $78,100 , followed by Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at $67,600 , and Mechanical Engineering at $61,000 .

Among graduate and professional degree programs, the highest-paying program is Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degree), with median first-year earnings of $90,700 , followed by Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) at $77,900 , and Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degree) at $77,500 .

First-year earnings data come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and reflect IRS-reported income for Portland State University graduates who received federal grants or loans. Some programs are omitted for privacy.

Median first-year earnings for Portland State University graduates ranked by degree type and major
Major Earnings
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degree) $90,700
Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) $78,100
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) $77,900
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degree) $77,500
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $67,600
Civil Engineering (Master's Degree) $61,300
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $61,000
Public Administration (Master's Degree) $54,900
Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degree) $53,200
Civil Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $52,700
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) $51,300
City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning (Master's Degree) $50,300
Architecture (Master's Degree) $49,400
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $48,900
Accounting and Related Services (Post-baccalaureate Certificate) $47,900
Social Work (Master's Degree) $47,200
Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degree) $46,300
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $45,600
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degree) $44,900
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) $44,200
Education (Master's Degree) $43,800
Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degree) $42,500
Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $40,800
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) $40,700
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution (Master's Degree) $38,800
Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) $38,400
Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) $38,100
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,700
Architecture (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,500
Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,900
Social Work (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,300
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $34,900
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degree) $33,600
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,600
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $32,100
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,400
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,300
Social Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,100
Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,100
Geography and Cartography (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,000
Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,300
Community Organization and Advocacy (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,800
Biological and Physical Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,400
Public Health (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,300
Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,100
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,000
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor’s Degree) $26,800
Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Bachelor’s Degree) $26,600
History (Bachelor’s Degree) $26,600
Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) $26,500
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor’s Degree) $26,300
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,600
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,300
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor’s Degree) $24,500
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $24,400
English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) $24,300
Anthropology (Bachelor’s Degree) $23,400
Philosophy (Bachelor’s Degree) $23,200
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language (Master's Degree) $23,000
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $22,300
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $20,000

Other Colleges to Consider

Students considering Portland State University often consider these colleges

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=209807.

First-year earnings by major: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Last updated: August 2026