Salary comparison
Healthcare Social Workers: Fresno vs Portland
Portland, OR pays about 1.1% more for healthcare social workers on paper — $85,790 vs $84,860. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Portland comes out ahead by $930 a year in real buying power.
Fresno, CA
$84,860
$66,780
$125,520
$40.80
100
$84,860/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Portland, OR
$85,790
$70,790
$103,360
$41.24
100
$85,790/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $930 a year (1.1%) in favor of Portland. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Fresno runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Portland sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Portland is the better deal by $930 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Fresno to Portland for this role, the raise needs to beat 1.1% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do healthcare social workers earn more, Fresno or Portland?
Portland pays $85,790 on median — about 1.1% more than Fresno ($84,860). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Portland. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Portland gives you roughly$85,790 of real buying power versus $84,860 in the other city.