Entry-level Mechanical Engineer salary in Portland, OR

Based on 30 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Hillsboro, Vancouver, Tualatin, Beaverton, Fairview.

Also listed as: Mechanical Design Engineer

Median salary$81,474
Middle 50%$79.3k–$81.5k
vs. all levels here−21%comparison median $103,100
Filings30FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $79,019 and $159,537.
PercentileSalary
10th$79,019
25th$79,264
50th (median)$81,474
75th$81,474
90th$90,066

Salary by year

Median salary

$70k $80k $90k FY2021: median $81,845 (10 filings) FY2024: median $83,000 (13 filings) FY2025: median $79,510 (16 filings) FY2026: median $81,474 (14 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 9 filings FY20 FY2021: 10 filings FY21 FY2022: 7 filings FY22 FY2023: 4 filings FY23 FY2024: 13 filings FY24 FY2025: 16 filings FY25 FY2026: 14 filings FY26 16
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$81,845$70,107$91,10910
FY2022–––7
FY2023–––4
FY2024$83,000$75,733$90,12813
FY2025$79,510$79,019$87,87916
FY2026$81,474$81,474$81,47414

Cost of living

Portland's median entry-level Mechanical Engineer salary of $81,474 is worth about $77,300 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Mechanical Engineers in the Portland, OR area earned a median of $105,020 in May 2025 (2,520 employed). The H-1B median here is $81,474, 22% lower.

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
Asml$81,47413
Asm Americatoo few4
Global Economic Advantagetoo few3
MAC Trailer Enterprisestoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $81,474 30
Mid-level · Level II $96,130 38
Senior · Level III $110,115 19
Expert · Level IV $130,027 22

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$81,474$81,47430
Mid-level · Level II$95,784$96,13038
Senior · Level III$110,115$110,11519
Expert · Level IV$124,426$130,02722

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.