Hillsboro compensation
Data center salaries in Hillsboro and Portland, 2026.
Hillsboro and the wider Portland corridor pay at or slightly above the U.S. infrastructure planning band because semiconductor fabs compete directly for the same electrical, mechanical and controls talent. That competition raises the floor for technicians and controls engineers more than it raises the ceiling for leadership seats.
What infrastructure roles pay in Hillsboro
Hillsboro and the wider Portland corridor pay at or slightly above the U.S. infrastructure planning band because semiconductor fabs compete directly for the same electrical, mechanical and controls talent. That competition raises the floor for technicians and controls engineers more than it raises the ceiling for leadership seats.
At to 6 percent above band on technical seats; at band on leadership.
Who sets the local ceiling
Semiconductor and advanced manufacturing employers set the technical floor and often the ceiling; hyperscale and wholesale operators compete against them rather than against each other.
Last reviewed · First published
Hillsboro bands are reviewed quarterly, and sooner whenever a live search in the metro closes outside the range shown here.
Role crosswalk
Every seat we place in Hillsboro, with its band.
Directional 2026 planning ranges, the exact job titles each discipline covers, and how the local market moves the number. Not licensed survey data.
Critical Facilities Engineer in Hillsboro
Full hiring guide| Level | Base | Total cash |
|---|---|---|
| Technician / entry operations | $60,000 - $85,000 | $70,000 - $100,000 |
| Critical facilities engineer | $90,000 - $130,000 | $105,000 - $150,000 |
| Senior / lead engineer | $130,000 - $165,000 | $150,000 - $200,000 |
| Chief engineer / facilities manager | $150,000 - $195,000 | $175,000 - $235,000 |
Titles placed
- Critical Facilities Engineer
- Critical Environment Technician
- Data Center Facilities Engineer
- Shift Lead / Lead Critical Facilities Engineer
- Chief Engineer
- Facilities Manager (critical environment)
- Electrical / Mechanical Operations Engineer
- Building Engineer, mission critical
Search pace: Search pace depends on approved range, shift roster clarity, local plant experience and how quickly the interview loop moves. Chief engineer searches need tighter targeting because the pool is smaller and rarely active.
Commissioning Agent (CxA) in Hillsboro
Full hiring guide| Level | Base | Total cash |
|---|---|---|
| Commissioning technician / field engineer | $80,000 - $110,000 | $95,000 - $130,000 |
| Commissioning agent | $115,000 - $155,000 | $135,000 - $180,000 |
| Senior CxA / commissioning manager | $150,000 - $195,000 | $175,000 - $230,000 |
| Director of commissioning | $180,000 - $240,000 | $210,000 - $300,000 |
Titles placed
- Commissioning Agent (CxA)
- Senior Commissioning Agent
- Commissioning Manager
- Commissioning Engineer (electrical or mechanical)
- Field Commissioning Technician
- Owner's Commissioning Representative
- IST Lead
Search pace: This is the seat most likely to disrupt a hiring plan, and the one most worth scoping before the requisition is formally approved. Candidate availability is tied to project completion windows and travel terms.
Data Center Technician in Hillsboro
Full hiring guide| Level | Base | Total cash |
|---|---|---|
| Entry technician | $50,000 - $68,000 | $58,000 - $80,000 |
| Technician II | $65,000 - $85,000 | $75,000 - $100,000 |
| Senior technician / shift lead | $82,000 - $110,000 | $95,000 - $130,000 |
Titles placed
- Data Center Technician
- Data Center Operations Technician
- Critical Environment Technician
- Site Reliability / Hardware Technician
- Deployment Technician
- Cabling and Structured Cabling Technician
- Data Center Operations Lead
Search pace: Cohort hiring moves best when interviews are batched, the range is approved and the shift pattern is named before outreach. Sequential scheduling slows technician searches more than candidate supply does.
MEP Coordinator in Hillsboro
Full hiring guide| Level | Base | Total cash |
|---|---|---|
| MEP coordinator | $95,000 - $130,000 | $105,000 - $150,000 |
| Senior MEP coordinator / manager | $125,000 - $165,000 | $140,000 - $195,000 |
| MEP director | $160,000 - $210,000 | $185,000 - $260,000 |
Titles placed
- MEP Coordinator
- MEP Manager
- BIM / VDC Coordinator (MEP)
- Electrical Coordinator
- Mechanical Coordinator
- MEP Project Engineer
- Preconstruction MEP Lead
Search pace: Search pace depends on whether the program accepts high-density commercial experience or insists on prior hyperscale delivery. Rotation terms and site authority should be clear before outreach.
Data Center Construction Project Manager in Hillsboro
Full hiring guide| Level | Base | Total cash |
|---|---|---|
| Project manager | $120,000 - $160,000 | $140,000 - $190,000 |
| Senior project manager | $150,000 - $195,000 | $175,000 - $240,000 |
| Program / construction director | $190,000 - $260,000 | $230,000 - $350,000 |
Titles placed
- Data Center Construction Project Manager
- Senior Construction Project Manager
- Owner's Project Manager
- Construction Manager
- Program Manager, data center delivery
- Superintendent (mission critical)
- Director of Construction
Search pace: The pool is small, employed and heavily approached, so the search is won on the specificity of the program story rather than reach. Rotation, authority and delivery history decide who engages.
GPU Cluster Engineer in Hillsboro
Full hiring guide| Level | Base | Total cash |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure engineer, accelerated compute | $150,000 - $200,000 | $180,000 - $270,000 |
| Senior GPU cluster engineer | $190,000 - $250,000 | $240,000 - $380,000 |
| Staff / principal, AI infrastructure | $240,000 - $320,000 | $320,000 - $600,000+ |
Titles placed
- GPU Cluster Engineer
- HPC / AI Infrastructure Engineer
- ML Platform Engineer
- MLOps Engineer
- Cluster Reliability / SRE, accelerated compute
- AI Network Engineer (InfiniBand / RoCE)
- Head of AI Infrastructure
Search pace: Reach is irrelevant here; the entire search is a named-target exercise against a list you can count. Scope, equity context and hardware access decide who engages.
Local factors
What actually moves the number in Hillsboro.
- Fab competition means technician and controls ranges must be benchmarked against manufacturing, not against other data centers.
- Fab-trained candidates bring strong procedural discipline and screen well for critical space.
- Oregon income tax makes total-cash framing important against Washington, Texas and Nevada offers.
- The Dalles and eastern Oregon sites draw from a different, much thinner pool than the Portland metro.
Hardest seats to pay for locally: , Critical Facilities Engineer.
FAQ
Hillsboro compensation questions.
- What do data center jobs pay in Hillsboro?
- Directionally $62,000 to $88,000 base for technicians and $92,000 to $132,000 for critical facilities engineers, with controls and automation seats running above that because fabs compete for the same people.
- Why is the technician band higher here?
- Semiconductor manufacturing sets the local floor for electrical, mechanical and controls skills. A range benchmarked only against other data centers will read as below market to the candidates you want.
- How should we position against Washington-state offers?
- On total cash and net effect. Oregon income tax means an identical base reads lower than a Washington offer, so quote total compensation and be explicit about the comparison.
Other markets
Compare the band across markets.
Same disciplines, same levels, different local competition.
Need the band for your Hillsboro site?
A market map benchmarks the range against the people actually within reach of your location, not against a U.S. planning average.