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$38,000 USD is the average annual salary for a Marketing Intern in Portland, OR, equivalent to roughly $18 to $19 per hour based on a standard 40-hour week. This page covers the full pay range from entry stipend roles to well-compensated agency and in-house positions, helping students and early-career marketers benchmark their offers across the Pacific Northwest. Ranges vary significantly by employer type (agency vs. in-house), specialization (digital, content, paid media), company size, and whether the role is credited academic work or a paid staff position.
Pay scales sharply from minimum-wage floor roles to advanced pre-hire positions at agencies and corporate in-house teams across the Portland metro.
$0 (stipend only)
Nonprofit organizations, small local businesses, and some media outlets offer credit-only placements that provide portfolio work but no cash compensation.
$16 - $19/hr USD
General marketing support roles at small agencies or mid-size in-house teams; pay is typically set at or just above the Portland Metro wage floor of $16.30/hr.
$19 - $22/hr USD
Roles requiring a declared specialization - paid media, content strategy, or marketing analytics - at regional agencies or in-house teams at mid-to-large employers.
$22 - $25/hr USD
Rising seniors or grad students with a strong portfolio land these roles at larger regional employers, national brands with Portland offices, or boutique creative agencies.
Many Portland marketing interns accept the first offer at or near Oregon's minimum wage and never learn what the upper band looks like. A defined skill, a clean portfolio page, and knowing which employer types pay above floor rate is what changes the number.
Hiring managers at Portland agencies and in-house teams pay $22 to $25/hr for interns whose resumes clearly show channel ownership, tools used, and measurable results. A resume that frames your experience in those terms is the single fastest lever to move from floor rate to the top of this range.
Higher-paying candidates typically show:
The Portland Metro minimum wage floor of $16.30/hr sets a firm legal baseline; top-paying in-house and agency roles at larger employers push to $22 to $25/hr for skilled interns.
Seattle's higher cost of living and concentration of large tech and e-commerce employers push intern rates notably above Portland, with Amazon and Microsoft intern programs setting a high ceiling.
Just across the Columbia River, Vancouver follows Washington State minimum wage rules and attracts smaller employers; rates tend to run slightly below Portland Metro levels.
Home to the University of Oregon, Eugene has a strong intern supply which keeps rates competitive but generally below Portland; standard Oregon county wage of $14.20/hr applies as the floor.
Spokane's smaller marketing agency ecosystem and lower cost of living produce more modest intern ranges, though remote-first roles posted by larger WA employers can exceed these figures.
Some Portland-area internships are advertised with a flat monthly or semester stipend rather than an hourly rate. Oregon law requires that if an intern is legally classified as an employee, total compensation must equal at least the applicable minimum wage for every hour worked. Confirm your classification and do the per-hour math before accepting any stipend offer.
Creative agencies in Portland frequently post intern roles at $16 to $19/hr, reflecting tighter margin structures. In-house marketing teams at regional corporate employers - particularly in tech, CPG, and the outdoor industry - more commonly post $20 to $25/hr. The trade-off is that agency roles often expose you to more campaign types and client variety in a shorter time.
All figures on this page are in USD and reflect Portland, OR local market rates. Remote intern roles posted by Canadian-headquartered employers may quote CAD figures that appear larger but convert to lower USD values; always confirm the currency and whether the role is subject to US or Canadian employment law before accepting.
Use this checklist to make sure you are prepared to negotiate the best possible rate for your skill level and role type.
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Answers to the most common questions about Marketing Intern compensation in Portland, OR.
The average hourly rate for a Marketing Intern in Portland is approximately $18 to $19 per hour as of mid-2025, according to ZipRecruiter. The majority of paid intern roles fall between $16.30 (the Portland Metro minimum wage floor) and $22 per hour, with top-tier roles at larger employers reaching $25/hr. Figures are in USD and reflect base pay only.
For the period July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, the Portland Metro area minimum wage is $16.30 per hour, which applies to employers within the urban growth boundary covering portions of Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington Counties. Most paid marketing interns classified as employees must be paid at least this rate. Oregon's next minimum wage adjustment takes effect July 1, 2026.
Both paid and unpaid internships exist in the Portland market. Oregon and federal law require that interns classified as employees receive at least minimum wage; unpaid arrangements are only legal under strict conditions where the experience primarily benefits the intern and does not displace regular employees. Most competitive Portland-area employers in marketing post paid roles.
In-house corporate marketing interns in Portland typically earn $20 to $25/hr, while boutique agency roles more commonly post $16 to $19/hr. The gap reflects different margin structures and budget cycles. Agency roles may compensate with broader campaign exposure and faster portfolio development even if the hourly rate is lower.
Seattle marketing intern rates generally run $3 to $6/hr higher than Portland, driven by the concentration of large technology and e-commerce employers and Washington's higher statewide minimum wage. Candidates based in Portland who can work remotely for Seattle-headquartered companies may be able to access Seattle-range rates without relocating.
Platform certifications (Google Ads, HubSpot, Meta Blueprint), demonstrable experience with a specific channel such as SEO or paid social, and a portfolio showing measurable campaign outcomes are the most frequently cited pay differentiators in Portland-area intern postings. Salary.com data indicates skills like marketing plan development and analytics can increase total compensation by up to 10 to 12 percent.
At the average rate of $18 to $19/hr working a standard 40-hour week, a Portland marketing intern would earn roughly $37,000 to $40,000 USD annualized. Most internships are part-time or seasonal and do not run for a full year, so actual total compensation for the internship term will be lower.
Yes, modestly. Oregon's Portland Metro minimum wage is scheduled to adjust upward on July 1, 2026 under the state's CPI-linked annual adjustment process. Broader marketing intern market rates across the West Coast have been relatively flat year-over-year, with demand for interns with digital and data skills driving any meaningful above-floor rate increases.
Explore salary benchmarks for similar entry-level and internship roles to compare compensation across different functions and markets.
| Job title | Non-Cleared / Campus Intern | Cleared Intern (Secret) | Cleared Intern (TS/SCI-eligible) | Graduate / Research Intern |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cybersecurity Intern | $29K - $38K USD | $38K - $48K USD | $48K - $58K USD | $44K - $58K USD |
| Product Management Intern | $18,500 - $28,000 USD | $28,000 - $40,000 USD | $40,000 - $55,000 USD | — |
| UX/UI Design Intern | $28K - $36K CAD | $35K - $45K CAD | $44K - $58K CAD | — |
| Supply Chain Intern | $31,000 - $38,000 USD | $36,000 - $44,000 USD | $42,000 - $55,000 USD | — |
| Investment Banking Summer Analyst | $65K - $80K USD | $80K - $95K USD | $95K - $110K USD | $105K - $120K USD |
| Inside Sales Representative | $37,000 - $48,000 USD | $48,000 - $68,000 USD | $68,000 - $90,000 USD | $90,000 - $120,000 USD |
Strengthen your marketing internship search with guidance on resume building, salary negotiation, and understanding your market value in Portland and beyond.
Learn proven tactics to negotiate your marketing intern offer and ensure you're compensated fairly based on your skills and the Portland market.
Read article →Get step-by-step advice on creating a compelling resume as a student or early-career marketer to stand out to Portland agencies and in-house teams.
Read article →Discover strategies tailored for entry-level candidates in competitive markets like Portland to secure interviews and move beyond stipend roles.
Read article →Navigate the decision between unpaid and paid marketing internship offers with confidence and understand when to negotiate or walk away.
Read article →Salary ranges on this page were compiled by cross-referencing active job posting data from ZipRecruiter and Indeed, aggregate compensation models from Salary.com, Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries official minimum wage schedules, and regional employer postings collected during Q1-Q2 2025 and Q1 2026. Where sources disagreed, the range was widened to reflect the reported variance rather than averaged to a single point.
The following reflects sentiment gathered from public forums and employer review platforms as of late 2024 through early 2026; individual experiences vary widely by employer type and role.
“Got $18/hr at a small Portland agency - felt fair until I saw a friend get $23 at a tech company in-house”
Illustrates the persistent pay gap between boutique agencies and corporate in-house teams, a recurring theme in the Portland market.
“The internship was great experience but the pay barely covered rent - wish they had been upfront about the hourly rate”
Reflects a common concern that stipend-structured or below-market intern roles in Portland do not keep pace with the city's cost of living.
“Applied to 12 marketing internships - half were unpaid or academic credit only, the rest ranged from $16 to $20”
Confirms that unpaid and minimum-wage-floor offers remain common in the Portland market, with paid roles clustering in the $16 to $20/hr band.
“Agencies here want full-stack marketing skills for intern pay - spec your niche early and you can negotiate up”
Highlights that specialization in a defined channel is the most reliable lever for negotiating above the floor rate at Portland-area employers.
“Most postings from Portland companies this cycle are $17 to $20 - saw a few at $22 from bigger brands”
Corroborates the data range and suggests that larger or better-funded employers are willing to pay at the top of the local intern band when they can identify a candidate with a clear skill.
Nike · adidas · Columbia Sportswear · Intel · Daimler Trucks North America · Pacific Seafood · Tilray Brands · David Evans and Associates · Kennedy Jenks · Energy Trust of Oregon · Oregon Primary Care Association · Aquent
ZipRecruiter: Marketing Intern Salary in Portland, OR - hourly rate data as of June 2025 ZipRecruiter - Marketing Intern Portland
Salary.com: Marketing Intern Salary listing for the United States including Oregon state data, updated February 2026 Salary.com - Marketing Intern Salary
Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI): Official minimum wage rates for July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, including Portland Metro rate of $16.30/hr Oregon BOLI - Minimum Wage
EmploymentLawAid.org: Oregon three-tier minimum wage system explained with 2026 rates including Portland Metro $15.95/hr effective July 1, 2026 Oregon Minimum Wage 2026 Tiers
ZipRecruiter: 2026 Summer Marketing Intern job postings in Portland, OR including Kennedy Jenks ($20 to $25/hr) and Tilray/Shock Top ($20/hr) active listings ZipRecruiter - Portland Marketing Intern Jobs