Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Millwright Salary in Portland
2024 BLS OEWS Data · Industrial · COL Index: 130
Millwrights in Portland, OR earn a median annual wage of $68,340 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $49,300 and the 90th at $107,140. After cost of living, that translates to $52,569 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: C (57/100).
What Millwrights Take Home in Portland
The $57,840 spread between entry-level and top-decile millwrights in Portland is around 85% of the median — a typical range for skilled trades. Workers can roughly double their entry pay through a combination of experience, certifications, union membership, and moving from helper to journeyman to foreman roles.
Portland's cost-of-living index of 130 is well above the U.S. average — meaning a millwright earning $68,340 here brings home roughly $52,569 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 57 (C), millwrights in Portland are mid-tier — neither standout strong nor materially weak. The combination earns a reasonable nominal wage but is dragged down by either flatter wage growth, a higher cost of living that erodes purchasing power, or thinner employment depth. Workers should compare the per-trade pages to see if a different metro improves the grade.
Salary Distribution
Percentile Breakdown
| Level | Salary | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Apprentice / Entry) | $49,300 | $37,923 |
| 25th Percentile (Early Career) | $63,720 | $49,015 |
| 50th Percentile (Journeyman / Median) | $68,340 | $52,569 |
| 75th Percentile (Experienced) | $83,620 | $64,323 |
| 90th Percentile (Master / Foreman) | $107,140 | $82,415 |
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 millwrights, 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 Millwright make in Portland?
Per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, the median millwright salary in Portland, OR is $68,340. The 10th percentile is $49,300 (typical for entry-level or apprentice-tier positions); the 90th percentile reaches $107,140 (master, foreman, or specialty roles).
How does Portland pay compare for Millwrights?
With a Trade Pay Score of 57/100 and a grade of C, the Portland-Millwright pairing is a mid-tier combination that is neither standout strong nor materially weak.
What is the apprenticeship path for Millwrights in Portland?
Millwrights typically complete a 4-year registered apprenticeship before reaching journeyman pay, starting around the 10th percentile ($49,300) and progressing toward the median. Registered apprenticeship programs in the area are listed at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/.
How does cost of living affect Millwright pay in Portland?
Portland has a cost-of-living index of 130. The median millwright salary of $68,340 translates to $52,569 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.
Millwrights in Portland, OR earn a median annual wage of $68,340 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $49,300 and the 90th at $107,140. After cost of living, that translates to $52,569 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: C (57/100).
The this entity record above pulls directly from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. What follows is the per-entity context — how this entity sits in the broader U.S. skilled-trade wage data distribution and which underlying factors drive the headline numbers.
Every number on this page links back to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
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 this entity 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.