Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Elevator Mechanic Salary in Portland
2024 BLS OEWS Data · Specialty · COL Index: 130
Elevator Mechanics in Portland, OR earn a median annual wage of $134,010 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $74,520 and the 90th at $153,120. After cost of living, that translates to $103,085 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: B (71/100).
What Elevator Mechanics Take Home in Portland
The $78,600 spread between entry-level and top-decile elevator mechanics in Portland is relatively narrow — about 59% of the median. That tight band usually signals a trade where pay scales primarily with experience rather than employer or specialization. New entrants can expect to climb steadily toward median pay over their first 5-10 years.
Portland's cost-of-living index of 130 is well above the U.S. average — meaning a elevator mechanic earning $134,010 here brings home roughly $103,085 in U.S.-average purchasing power. That gap between nominal and real pay is one of the largest in the country and reflects expensive housing, transportation, and services. Workers should weigh whether the headline pay actually clears the cost-of-living premium.
With a Trade Pay Score of 71 (B), elevator mechanics in Portland land in the strong second tier. Pay, growth, and purchasing power are all solid but one factor — usually wage growth or cost-of-living-adjusted real pay — keeps the score below the A threshold. For most workers, B-graded combinations are perfectly reasonable career choices.
Salary Distribution
Percentile Breakdown
| Level | Salary | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Apprentice / Entry) | $74,520 | $57,323 |
| 25th Percentile (Early Career) | $96,200 | $74,000 |
| 50th Percentile (Journeyman / Median) | $134,010 | $103,085 |
| 75th Percentile (Experienced) | $135,620 | $104,323 |
| 90th Percentile (Master / Foreman) | $153,120 | $117,785 |
How These Numbers Are Calculated
Every wage figure here comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — a survey of about 1.2 million employers per release covering more than 800 occupations and every U.S. metropolitan statistical area. The Trade Pay Score combines raw median pay (30%), 5-year wage growth (25%), employment depth (25%), and cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power (20%) into a single 0-100 grade. Read the full methodology.
Career outlook detail — projected 2032 employment levels for elevator mechanics, typical entry-level requirements, on-the-job training expectations — comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at bls.gov/ooh. Apprenticeship programs in Portland are listed at apprenticeship.gov. All three are public-domain federal data sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Elevator Mechanic make in Portland?
Per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, the median elevator mechanic salary in Portland, OR is $134,010. The 10th percentile is $74,520 (typical for entry-level or apprentice-tier positions); the 90th percentile reaches $153,120 (master, foreman, or specialty roles).
How does Portland pay compare for Elevator Mechanics?
With a Trade Pay Score of 71/100 and a grade of B, the Portland-Elevator Mechanic pairing is a strong combination but with one factor (usually growth or cost-of-living-adjusted real pay) holding it back from an A grade.
What is the apprenticeship path for Elevator Mechanics in Portland?
Elevator Mechanics typically complete a 4-year registered apprenticeship before reaching journeyman pay, starting around the 10th percentile ($74,520) and progressing toward the median. Registered apprenticeship programs in the area are listed at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/.
How does cost of living affect Elevator Mechanic pay in Portland?
Portland has a cost-of-living index of 130. The median elevator mechanic salary of $134,010 translates to $103,085 in U.S.-average purchasing power — a downward adjustment because the metro is more expensive than average.
Where does this salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is a real BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics median or percentile from the 2024 release at https://www.bls.gov/oes/, which surveys roughly 1.2 million U.S. employers per release. Career outlook context (projected employment growth through 2032) comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/. Both are public-domain U.S. government data sources.
Other High-Paying Trades in Portland
$136,970 median · Grade B
$125,160 median · Grade B
$125,160 median · Grade B
$110,280 median · Grade C
$102,070 median · Grade B
$100,110 median · Grade B
Elevator Mechanics in Portland, OR earn a median annual wage of $134,010 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $74,520 and the 90th at $153,120. After cost of living, that translates to $103,085 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: B (71/100).
For Elevator Mechanics in Portland, OR, the underlying data on this page comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for Elevator Mechanics in Portland, OR is typically a peer within U.S. trades, cities, and states with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.