Lighting Technicians Salary
Lighting Technicians in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA make a median of $58,280 a year, or about $28.02 an hour. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $111K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $55,284 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,922/month, about 50.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $58K get you in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
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 lighting technicians
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What this looks like in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Pay for lighting technicians in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $68K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,922/month, which is 52.1% 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 lighting technicianss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for lighting technicians in metros near Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $105K | $92K |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas | $61K | $61K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $74K | $64K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $61K | $55K |
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 lighting technicians (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $111K or more, a $59K spread from bottom to top.
Lighting Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Lighting Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $126K | +85% | 80 |
| California | $94K | +38% | 2,950 |
| New Jersey | $88K | +29% | 340 |
| New York | $78K | +15% | 780 |
| Connecticut | $72K | +6% | 80 |
| Georgia | $70K | +3% | 260 |
| Oklahoma | $67K | -1% | 60 |
| Louisiana | $67K | -2% | 40 |
| Florida | $62K | -9% | 600 |
| Nevada | $61K | -10% | 390 |
| Tennessee | $61K | -11% | 280 |
| Virginia | $60K | -11% | 190 |
| Michigan | $60K | -12% | 230 |
| Massachusetts | $60K | -12% | N/A |
| Oregon | $58K | -15% | 180 |
| Pennsylvania | $58K | -15% | 100 |
| Ohio | $55K | -19% | 260 |
| Montana | $55K | -19% | 50 |
| Texas | $53K | -22% | 210 |
| Indiana | $50K | -26% | 190 |
| Nebraska | $50K | -27% | N/A |
| North Carolina | $49K | -27% | N/A |
| Utah | $49K | -28% | 120 |
| Maryland | $49K | -28% | 130 |
| Kansas | $49K | -28% | N/A |
| South Carolina | $47K | -31% | 60 |
| Missouri | $42K | -38% | 90 |
Showing 1–10 of 27 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track lighting technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a lighting technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 52.1% 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 $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for lighting technicians in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new lighting technicians typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,109/month. At HUD’s $1,922/month FMR, rent would take 62% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is lighting technician a high-paying job in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $58K here vs. $68K nationally.
How does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compare to the national average for lighting technicians?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — below the national median.
How much do lighting technicians make in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The median is $58,280 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,820, and experienced lighting technicians can clear $110,570. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,691/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,922/month, which eats 52.1% 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 lighting technicians 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 lighting technicians salary is worth about $55,284 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do lighting technicians 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.