Expert Materials Engineer salary in Portland, OR

Based on 18 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Hillsboro, Tualatin, Aloha, Beaverton, Camas.

Median salary$171,330
Middle 50%$154.1k–$171.3k
vs. all levels here+31%comparison median $130,291
Filings18FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $147,846 and $211,733.
PercentileSalary
10th$147,846
25th$154,128
50th (median)$171,330
75th$171,330
90th$177,540

Salary by year

Median salary

$90k $135k $180k FY2021: median $106,246 (27 filings) FY2022: median $113,880 (19 filings) FY2024: median $137,946 (12 filings) FY2026: median $171,330 (10 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 9 filings FY20 FY2021: 27 filings FY21 FY2022: 19 filings FY22 FY2023: 5 filings FY23 FY2024: 12 filings FY24 FY2025: 8 filings FY25 FY2026: 10 filings FY26 27
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020–––9
FY2021$106,246$106,246$123,42127
FY2022$113,880$113,235$137,47519
FY2023–––5
FY2024$137,946$137,946$147,84612
FY2025–––8
FY2026$171,330$154,128$171,33010

Cost of living

Portland's median expert Materials Engineer salary of $171,330 is worth about $162,500 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Portland = 105.4).

Compared with all workers here

All Materials Engineers in the Portland, OR area earned a median of $128,250 in May 2025 (70 employed). The H-1B median here is $171,330, 34% higher.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Intel$171,33012
Lam Researchtoo few4

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I too few 6
Mid-level · Level II $112,715 88
Senior · Level III $130,291 522
Expert · Level IV $171,330 18

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Mid-level · Level II$112,715$112,71588
Senior · Level III$130,291$130,291522
Expert · Level IV$154,128$171,33018

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.