Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders Salary
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA make a median of $49,310 a year, or about $23.71 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $46,775 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,922/month, about 56.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $49K actually covers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About chemical equipment operators and tenders
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What this looks like in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Pay for chemical equipment operators and tenders in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $58K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,922/month, which is 60.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), so groceries and services cost more too. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for chemical equipment operators and tenders.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chemical equipment operators and tenders in metros near Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albany | $81K | $80K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $62K | $61K |
| Bend | $55K | $53K |
| Salem | $46K | $45K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Entry-level chemical equipment operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $102K | +75% | 290 |
| Alabama | $80K | +38% | 3,280 |
| Montana | $80K | +37% | 40 |
| Louisiana | $79K | +35% | 6,430 |
| Idaho | $77K | +33% | 550 |
| Rhode Island | $70K | +20% | 430 |
| Washington | $67K | +16% | 1,720 |
| West Virginia | $66K | +14% | 1,190 |
| Arkansas | $64K | +11% | 1,160 |
| Mississippi | $64K | +11% | 990 |
| Delaware | $63K | +9% | 1,160 |
| Illinois | $62K | +7% | 5,580 |
| Tennessee | $61K | +5% | 3,860 |
| New Mexico | $61K | +5% | 170 |
| Ohio | $61K | +4% | 7,830 |
| Texas | $60K | +4% | 20,880 |
| Virginia | $60K | +3% | 2,040 |
| Maryland | $60K | +3% | 1,220 |
| Nebraska | $60K | +3% | 1,020 |
| Nevada | $59K | +1% | 210 |
| Connecticut | $58K | +1% | 860 |
| California | $58K | +0% | 5,670 |
| Iowa | $58K | -1% | 2,010 |
| Kentucky | $58K | -1% | 3,590 |
| Maine | $57K | -1% | 250 |
| Massachusetts | $57K | -2% | 2,860 |
| Indiana | $57K | -2% | 6,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $57K | -2% | 6,230 |
| Oregon | $57K | -3% | 950 |
| New Jersey | $57K | -3% | 8,560 |
| South Carolina | $56K | -3% | 4,040 |
| Kansas | $55K | -5% | 1,920 |
| Minnesota | $53K | -8% | 1,170 |
| Wisconsin | $51K | -12% | 2,730 |
| Missouri | $51K | -13% | 2,790 |
| Colorado | $50K | -13% | 910 |
| Oklahoma | $50K | -14% | 790 |
| Michigan | $50K | -14% | 5,210 |
| Georgia | $50K | -14% | 4,330 |
| North Carolina | $50K | -14% | 5,260 |
| New York | $50K | -14% | 4,270 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | -15% | 350 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -16% | 230 |
| Hawaii | $48K | -18% | 30 |
| Arizona | $46K | -21% | 1,330 |
| Florida | $44K | -24% | 4,270 |
| Utah | $39K | -33% | 2,610 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track chemical equipment operators and tenders salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a chemical equipment operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 60.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,922/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical equipment operators and tenders in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical equipment operators and tenders typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,843/month. At HUD’s $1,922/month FMR, rent would take 68% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chemical equipment operators and tender a high-paying job in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $49K here vs. $58K nationally.
How does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compare to the national average for chemical equipment operators and tenders?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — below the national median.
How much do chemical equipment operators and tenders make in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The median is $49,310 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,060, and experienced chemical equipment operators and tenders can clear $74,360. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,156/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,922/month, which eats 60.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a chemical equipment operators and tenders salary go in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chemical equipment operators and tenders salary is worth about $46,775 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chemical equipment operators and tenders get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.