Salaries · United States · Maine
Salaries in Maine 2026
The median pay for all jobs in Maine is $51,430 a year ($24.73 an hour), 1% above the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 21st highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in Maine earn a median of $59,490 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in Maine: the key figures
| Figure | Maine | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $51,430 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $65,780 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $35,140 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $105,510 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 640,610 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $59,490 ± $478 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $74,733 ± $795 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 97.0 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $15.10 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $51,430, a single person keeps about $41,453 a year ($3,454 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, Maine income tax and state payroll contributions. With prices 3% below the US average, $51,430 here buys what $53,000 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $51,430 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$3,992 |
| Social Security | -$3,189 |
| Medicare | -$746 |
| Maine income tax | -$1,794 |
| Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave, employee share (maximum) | -$257 |
| Take-home a year | $41,453 |
What drives pay in Maine
Maine's pay is unusually even. The bottom is higher than nationally: with a $15.10 state minimum wage, only one worker in ten earns less than $35,140 (US $31,200). The top is lower: the 90th percentile is $105,510, against $128,560 for the US. That puts the median at $51,430, 1% above the US and 21st of the 50 states and DC, even though Maine's average annual wage, $63,220 in 2024, was well below the US average of $75,585, according to the state's Economic Growth Council.
The economy leans on health care, retail and tourism. Health care and social assistance produced 11.2% of GDP in 2025 (US 7.5%) and paid 17.0% of all employee compensation (US 12.0%), with nursing and residential care at twice the US share, according to BEA. Home health and personal care aides are the most common job, 18,630 of them on a median of $38,580. Retail is 8.5% of GDP (US 5.9%) and accommodation 1.8% (US 0.8%). Manufacturing is smaller than nationally, but other transportation equipment, the category that includes shipbuilding, is 1.8% of GDP against 0.65%. Pay also differs by region: average wages were $71,351 in Cumberland County, the most populous and urban, against $47,151 in rural Piscataquis.
The workforce is the big change. In 2019 Maine's labor force was projected to shrink by 65,000 by 2030 as the population aged; instead it grew by almost 13,000 in 2024, to 705,000, and the council highlights working-age people and families moving to Maine. Arrivals surveyed for the council named scarce affordable housing, high living costs and low wages among the drawbacks. Real GDP rose 15.7% from 2019 to 2025, in line with the US, but only 1.4% in 2025.
The highest-paid jobs in Maine
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 1,340 | $419,410 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 1,450 | $160,260 |
| Pharmacists | 1,380 | $140,930 |
| Chief Executives | 1,580 | $138,770 |
| Marketing Managers | 1,320 | $135,380 |
| Financial Managers | 3,120 | $133,610 |
| Physician Assistants | 1,030 | $131,170 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,650 | $130,260 |
| Software Developers | 2,790 | $123,120 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 2,450 | $120,320 |
| Managers, All Other | 1,860 | $115,920 |
| Electrical Engineers | 1,150 | $114,620 |
| Lawyers | 2,280 | $113,120 |
| Construction Managers | 1,460 | $110,070 |
| Financial Specialists, All Other | 1,250 | $109,060 |
The most common jobs in Maine
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 18,630 | $38,580 | $18.55 |
| Retail Salespersons | 18,450 | $36,640 | $17.61 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 17,250 | $34,710 | $16.69 |
| Registered Nurses | 16,540 | $86,990 | $41.82 |
| General and Operations Managers | 14,770 | $98,860 | $47.53 |
| Cashiers | 14,240 | $34,930 | $16.79 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 11,950 | $37,220 | $17.89 |
| Office Clerks, General | 11,260 | $45,300 | $21.78 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 9,980 | $57,050 | $27.43 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 9,180 | $38,940 | $18.72 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 9,090 | $43,370 | $20.85 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 8,700 | $46,750 | yearly pay only |
| Nursing Assistants | 8,540 | $47,070 | $22.63 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 7,560 | $47,160 | $22.67 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 7,490 | $62,390 | yearly pay only |
Pay for careers we cover, in Maine
Official BLS medians for Maine; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | 380 | $247,470 |
| Dentist | 310 | $209,200 |
| Elevator Technician | 110 | $143,690 |
| Pharmacist | 1,380 | $140,930 |
| Physician Assistant | 1,030 | $131,170 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 1,650 | $130,260 |
| Software Engineer | 2,790 | $123,120 |
| Actuary | 80 | $119,620 |
| Commercial Pilot | 100 | $117,560 |
| Lawyer | 2,280 | $113,120 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 70 | $107,270 |
| Project Manager | 2,620 | $101,830 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 400 | $101,730 |
| Dental Hygienist | 1,060 | $97,680 |
| Data Scientist | 1,210 | $90,880 |
| Financial Analyst | 710 | $88,320 |
| Registered Nurse | 16,540 | $86,990 |
| Compliance Officer | 1,790 | $83,740 |
| Accountant | 3,860 | $77,480 |
| Electrician | 3,780 | $75,380 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 190 | $67,890 |
| Plumber | 2,710 | $64,000 |
| HVAC Technician | 2,250 | $63,170 |
| Paralegal | 1,210 | $62,420 |
| Welder | 1,690 | $62,220 |
Maine and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | $51,430 | 97.0 | $53,000 |
| New Hampshire | $55,880 | 104.2 | $53,600 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in Maine, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- Maine Economic Growth Council (administered by the Maine Development Foundation): Measures of Growth 2025, November 2025
Related
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