Riggers Salary
Riggers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA make a median of $79,810 a year, or about $38.37 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $138K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $75,707 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,922/month, about 36.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $80K 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 riggers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro sits well above the national pay line for riggers, local pay runs about 27% higher than the U.S. median of $63K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,922/month, which is 39.7% 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. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for riggers in metros near Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $78K | $73K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $97K | $85K |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas | $82K | $82K |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard | $85K | $81K |
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 riggers (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $80K. Top earners bring in $138K or more, a $89K spread from bottom to top.
Riggers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Riggers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $106K | +69% | 650 |
| Oregon | $94K | +51% | 290 |
| Utah | $94K | +49% | 490 |
| Maryland | $91K | +46% | 230 |
| Minnesota | $87K | +39% | 190 |
| California | $86K | +37% | 2,260 |
| Hawaii | $84K | +35% | 170 |
| New Jersey | $82K | +31% | 200 |
| Illinois | $82K | +31% | 120 |
| Nevada | $82K | +30% | 860 |
| North Dakota | $78K | +24% | 140 |
| Washington | $77K | +23% | 910 |
| Colorado | $74K | +18% | 310 |
| Idaho | $73K | +16% | 60 |
| Connecticut | $68K | +8% | 350 |
| Georgia | $67K | +7% | 700 |
| Maine | $65K | +4% | 330 |
| Rhode Island | $64K | +3% | 160 |
| Virginia | $64K | +2% | 1,920 |
| Mississippi | $63K | +1% | 320 |
| Iowa | $62K | -0% | 200 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -2% | 100 |
| Pennsylvania | $60K | -4% | 360 |
| Arkansas | $60K | -5% | 120 |
| Michigan | $58K | -7% | 380 |
| Ohio | $58K | -7% | 290 |
| Alaska | $58K | -7% | 40 |
| Alabama | $58K | -7% | 460 |
| North Carolina | $57K | -10% | 440 |
| Missouri | $54K | -13% | 190 |
| Massachusetts | $54K | -15% | 240 |
| Florida | $52K | -16% | 910 |
| Arizona | $52K | -16% | 250 |
| Texas | $52K | -17% | 3,770 |
| South Carolina | $51K | -19% | 470 |
| Kentucky | $50K | -20% | N/A |
| Wisconsin | $50K | -21% | 170 |
| Oklahoma | $48K | -23% | 300 |
| Tennessee | $47K | -25% | 310 |
| Indiana | $46K | -26% | 330 |
| Louisiana | $44K | -30% | 1,840 |
| Kansas | $41K | -34% | 40 |
| New Mexico | $37K | -40% | 230 |
Showing 1–10 of 43 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track riggers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro numbers change.
Related careers in Repair & Maintenance
Frequently asked questions
Can a rigger afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $80K, rent takes 39.7% 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 $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for riggers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new riggers typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,894/month. At HUD’s $1,922/month FMR, rent would take 66% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is rigger a high-paying job in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Local pay is 27% above the national median — $80K here vs. $63K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 5% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compare to the national average for riggers?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays $80K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s +27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $76K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do riggers make in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The median is $79,810 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,240, and experienced riggers can clear $137,690. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $80K enough to live in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,840/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,922/month, which eats 39.7% 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 riggers 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 riggers salary is worth about $75,707 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do riggers 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.