Mechanical Drafters pay range in Portland
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $53,740 a year or less, while the top 10% make $126,700 or more. The middle half of mechanical drafters in Portland earn between $61,090 and $100,930.
- $54K10th
- $61K25th
- $81KMedian
- $101K75th
- $127K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $83,320 | $6,943 | $40.06 |
| Median | $80,510 | $6,709 | $38.71 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $61,090 | $5,091 | $29.37 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $100,930 | $8,411 | $48.52 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Mechanical Drafters salary after taxes in Portland
On the average salary of $83,320, a single filer in Portland takes home about $61,456 a year, or $5,121 a month and $2,364 every two weeks. Taxes take 26% of gross pay.
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in WA | $67,446 | $5,620 |
| Working in OR | $61,456 | $5,121 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
Is Portland a good place for mechanical drafters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Portland area are 5% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.4), so the average $83,320 buys what about $79,035 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Portland ($60,690). A typical home costs $552,022, or 6.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Mechanical Drafters salary in other Oregon cities
Portland ranks 1st of 3 Oregon metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
Highest-paying cities for mechanical drafters
Boulder, CO pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($109,830).
- Boulder, CO$109,830
- Albuquerque, NM$104,030
- San Jose, CA$101,310
- San Francisco, CA$98,950
- Seattle, WA$98,470
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Mechanical Drafters salary in Portland: questions
How much do mechanical drafters make an hour in Portland?
$40.06 an hour on average, and $38.71 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level mechanical drafters salary in Portland?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $53,740 a year and the 25th percentile is $61,090, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the mechanical drafters take-home pay in Portland?
About $61,456 a year ($5,121 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $83,320. Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
Do mechanical drafters earn more in Portland than elsewhere?
The average here is 8% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($77,347).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-3013; area Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA (38900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.1%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.31, this job is 1.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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