Mechanical Engineer pay in Portland, by the numbers
Monthly take-home on that median is roughly US$7,600; local prices sit at COL 100, so its buying power is about US$105,000.
Mechanical Engineer pay in Portland: national and in-state ranking
Directly above Portland is Dallas (US$105,420); directly below is San Antonio (US$104,620). The full range runs from US$99,500 in Jacksonville to US$168,030 in San Jose.
Portland is the only observed OR metro for this role, so there is no in-state average to compare; the national and metro ranking above is the better reference.
Is US$105,020 a good salary in Portland?
Living costs are close to the baseline (COL index 100), so the median's buying power, about US$105,000, is near its face value.
Cash rank and buying-power rank match for Portland: 13th of 21.
Take-home on the median comes to roughly US$7,600 monthly (14% effective tax in our simplified model). Rent for a modeled 1-bedroom is 22% of it, and the single-adult budget ends about US$4,060 in the black.
Portland vs similar-cost metros
In New York — similar cost level, COL 100 — the median is US$109,990 (+5% vs Portland), and the modeled budget leaves US$320 more each month.
Los Angeles (similar cost level, COL 100) pays US$123,900, 18% more than Portland; modeled monthly leftover is US$1,220 higher.
In Chicago — similar cost level, COL 100 — the median is US$102,070 (-3% vs Portland), and the modeled budget leaves US$190 less each month.
Where Mechanical Engineer ranks among Portland jobs
Software Engineer is the best-paid tracked role in Portland at US$156,000; mechanical engineer comes 7th of 9.
Closest neighbours in the Portland list: Project Manager at US$108,340 (+3%) and Accountant at US$92,200 (-12%).
Entry-level vs senior mechanical engineer pay in Portland
Portland is relatively stronger at the entry end: its 10th-percentile pay (US$78,210) ranks 9th of 21, while its 90th percentile (US$165,040) ranks 13th.
For the top 10% of earners, San Jose leads with US$217,530 at the 90th percentile, +32% against Portland.
How wide mechanical engineer pay runs in Portland
Expect wide variation between offers: the 10th percentile is US$78,210 and the 90th US$165,040, a 2.1× ratio.