Oregon vs Washington: take-home pay and taxes
On a $75,000 salary you take home $56,024 a year in Oregon and $60,552 in Washington — $4,529 more in Washington. But prices are about 4% higher in Washington, so moving from Oregon to Washington on the same take-home after prices takes $71,304.
| Per year | Offer A · Oregon | Offer B · Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Pay (salary and bonus) | $75,000 | $75,000 |
| Federal income tax | −$7,670 | −$7,670 |
| Social Security and Medicare | −$5,737 | −$5,737 |
| State and local taxes | −$5,569 | −$1,040 |
| Take-home | $56,024 | $60,552 |
| Offer value (take-home + match + benefits − commute) | $56,024 | $60,552 |
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | 103.4 | 107.0 |
| Value in U.S.-average prices | $54,202 | $56,584 |
Price level is BEA's Regional Price Parity for the state — what the same things cost there compared with the U.S. average, housing included. It's an average for the whole state, not a budget. The matching salary keeps Offer A's take-home after prices, with the same W-4 and no 401(k) or benefits.
Take-home pay in Oregon and Washington
| Salary | Oregon take-home | Washington take-home | Oregon state taxes | Washington state taxes | Washington vs Oregon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $38,807 | $41,661 | $3,548 | $694 | +$2,854 |
| $75,000 | $56,024 | $60,552 | $5,569 | $1,040 | +$4,529 |
| $100,000 | $71,330 | $77,793 | $7,850 | $1,387 | +$6,463 |
| $150,000 | $99,923 | $111,710 | $13,868 | $2,081 | +$11,787 |
| $200,000 | $129,862 | $146,278 | $19,065 | $2,649 | +$16,416 |
A year. Single filer, paid every two weeks, standard W-4, each state's default form choices, no 401(k) or benefits. Federal tax, Social Security and Medicare are the same in both; the whole difference is state and local tax and state payroll premiums.
What makes up the difference
- Oregon: a graduated income tax, plus Oregon statewide transit tax, Paid Leave Oregon — $5,569 a year on $75,000.
- Washington: no state income tax on wages, plus WA Paid Family & Medical Leave, WA Cares Fund (long-term care) — $1,040 a year on $75,000.
The salary you'd need to move
| Salary now | Oregon → Washington: same take-home | … after prices | Washington → Oregon: same take-home | … after prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $55,484 | $57,542 | $64,966 | $62,615 |
| $75,000 | $68,433 | $71,304 | $82,286 | $78,946 |
| $100,000 | $90,629 | $94,283 | $111,034 | $106,699 |
"After prices" uses the Bureau of Economic Analysis's Regional Price Parities for 2024: Oregon 103.4, Washington 107.0 (U.S. = 100). Housing is most of the gap — rents are 108.6 in Oregon and 126.0 in Washington on the same scale. These are state averages: a big city can cost well above its state's figure. See what rent fits in Oregon and Washington. On $75,000, the reverse move — Washington to Oregon — needs $78,946 for the same take-home after prices; Oregon is the cheaper state.
Who moves between them
About 32,341 people moved from Oregon to Washington and 20,388 from Washington to Oregon in 2024, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey — one of the 40 busiest pairs of states we cover. Survey estimates have margins of error.
If you move: your W-4 and state forms
Your federal W-4 doesn't change with the state. Washington has no income tax on wages, so there's no state withholding form to fill in there, and make sure Oregon withholding stops once you no longer live or work there. If you move mid-year, Oregon taxes the part of the year you lived there. Working remotely for an employer in the other state has its own rules — see the moving between states tax guide.
How it's worked out
- Take-home in each state from the same engine as our paycheck calculators: IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Social Security and Medicare, and each state's own withholding formula, payroll premiums and default form choices.
- Prices from the Bureau of Economic Analysis's Regional Price Parities for 2024 (released 2026-02-19): each state's price level for everyday spending, with the U.S. at 100. Dividing take-home by it puts both offers in the same dollars.
- The matching salary is found by searching salaries in the second state until its take-home, after prices, equals the first — to the cent.
More comparisons
Oregon paycheck calculator · Washington paycheck calculator · Job offer comparison · Salary needed to move · California vs Oregon · California vs Washington
Sources
- BEA — Real Personal Consumption Expenditures by State and Real Personal Income by State, 2024 (Feb 19, 2026) — Regional Price Parities: California 110.7, Hawaii 110.0, D.C. 109.9, New Jersey 108.8 highest; Arkansas 86.9 lowest; full table SARPP in BEA's interactive data (checked 2026-09-27)
- FRED (St. Louis Fed) — 2024 Regional Price Parities by State (BEA data) — all items, goods, rents and other services for every state and D.C. (checked 2026-09-27)
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Worksheet 1A and the annual percentage-method tables
- IRS Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide — Social Security and Medicare rates
- Social Security Administration — 2026 wage base of $184,500
- U.S. Census Bureau — State-to-State Migration Flows, 2024 (ACS 1-year, Table 1) — movers age 1 and over by current state and state of residence one year earlier; estimates with margins of error (checked 2026-09-27)
- Paid Leave Oregon — Employees overview — 2026: 1% total, employees pay 60% on wages up to $184,500; employers with 25+ employees pay 40%; eligible after earning $1,000 in the base year; up to 12 weeks, 14 with pregnancy or childbirth needs (checked 2026-09-27)
- Washington Department of Revenue — Income tax — Washington does not currently have an individual income tax
Questions
Do you take home more in Oregon or Washington?
In Washington: $4,529 more a year on $75,000 (single filer). Oregon state taxes are $5,569 and Washington's $1,040 on that salary.
What salary in Washington equals $75,000 in Oregon?
$68,433 for the same take-home pay, or $71,304 for the same take-home after prices (BEA Regional Price Parities: Oregon 103.4, Washington 107.0).
Is Oregon or Washington cheaper to live in?
Oregon: BEA puts prices about 4% lower there than in Washington on average, mostly because of housing. Costs vary a lot between cities within each state.