Portland is great, and while the PNW is expensive, it’s a lot cheaper if you can live without a car, which is easier in Portland than a lot of west coast cities.
I worked for 11 years as a structural engineer, and am now in software. I will say, while the work is fun, it is not well compensated for the level of anxiety that comes with designing structures for human habitation and the abysmal level of technical review given at most companies.
There’s also a bit of a slump on right now, since people don’t know if steel is going to double in price or not. But that shouldn’t be a concern since hopefully all that will be sorted by the time you graduate.
Counterpoint: tall ships are cool