Average Salary in Maine by Industry (2026)
What's a good salary in Maine? The answer depends heavily on your industry, your occupation, and where in the state you work. Maine's average annual wage reached $63,220 in 2024 — below the U.S. average but rising faster than inflation — and the gap between the highest- and lowest-paying industries is significant. This guide breaks down average salaries across Maine's major industries in 2026, using the most authoritative state and federal wage data available, so you can see where your earnings stand and which sectors pay the most.
Maine Average Salary — Quick Reference (2026)
Average annual wage (Maine): $63,220 (2024, Maine Development Foundation)
Average hourly wage: $27.97/hour
Median hourly wage: $22.51/hour
Median household income: $68,251
Median individual income: $49,440
Highest-paying sector: Construction ($1,336/week average)
Lowest-paying sector: Leisure & hospitality ($613/week average)
U.S. average wage (for comparison): $75,585
Average Weekly Earnings by Industry in Maine
According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data (April 2026), Maine's private-sector average weekly wage was $1,106 across 545,500 private-sector workers. But that average masks dramatic differences between industries:
Construction — $1,336/week (~$69,500/year) Construction workers earn the highest average weekly wages of any major Maine sector, driven by the state's acute shortage of skilled tradespeople, infrastructure investment, and strong demand for builders amid Maine's housing crunch.
Professional & Business Services — high range This category — including legal, engineering, accounting, consulting, and technical services — is among Maine's better-paying sectors, concentrated in the Portland metro area.
Financial Activities — high range Banking, insurance, and finance roles (anchored by major employers like Unum, Bangor Savings Bank, and Camden National) are among Maine's higher-paying industries, particularly in southern Maine.
Manufacturing — mid-to-high range Maine's manufacturing sector, anchored by Bath Iron Works, Pratt & Whitney, and the state's paper and wood-products industry, offers strong wages — especially for skilled and specialized roles.
Education & Health Services — mid range Maine's largest employment sector by headcount. Wages vary widely — physicians and specialized nurses earn well above average, while direct care workers and aides earn closer to the lower end.
Trade, Transportation & Utilities — mid range A broad category spanning retail, warehousing, trucking, and utilities. CDL drivers and utility workers earn above the category average; retail roles tend toward the lower end.
Leisure & Hospitality — $613/week (~$31,900/year) Maine's tourism-driven hospitality sector has the lowest average weekly earnings of any major industry, reflecting seasonal, part-time, and tipped work concentrated in restaurants, lodging, and recreation.
Why Maine's Industry Wages Vary So Much
The roughly $700/week gap between construction ($1,336) and leisure/hospitality ($613) reflects the structure of Maine's economy. Several factors drive the spread:
Skill and licensing requirements — Industries requiring specialized training, licensing, or apprenticeships (construction trades, healthcare, finance) pay more than those with lower barriers to entry (hospitality, retail).
Seasonality — Maine's tourism economy concentrates hospitality work in summer months, with part-time and seasonal roles pulling down average annual earnings in that sector.
Labor shortages — Maine's worker shortage is most acute in skilled trades and healthcare, pushing wages up as employers compete for qualified workers.
Geographic concentration — Higher-paying professional, financial, and technical jobs cluster in the Portland metro area, while rural Maine's economy leans more heavily on lower-paying sectors.
Average Salary by Maine Region
Where you work in Maine significantly affects your earnings. Adjusted for cost of living, the Portland metro area has the highest average weekly wage among Maine's metro areas at $1,142 (BLS, April 2026).
Portland metro — Maine's highest-wage region, with a median income of $63,893 — well above the statewide median. Home to the state's concentration of finance, healthcare, technology, and professional services employers.
Bangor metro — Eastern Maine's economic hub, anchored by Northern Light Health and the regional service economy. Wages are moderate, with a notably lower cost of living.
Lewiston-Auburn metro — Central Maine's manufacturing and healthcare center, with affordable cost of living and steady mid-range wages.
Rural Maine — Aroostook, Washington, and other rural counties generally have lower average wages, reflecting economies built more on agriculture, natural resources, and seasonal work — though dramatically lower living costs offset much of the difference.
Is Maine's Average Salary Enough to Live On?
Maine's average wage of $63,220 sits below the national average of $75,585, but the comparison is incomplete without factoring in cost of living. For context, the estimated 2024 living wage for a single Mainer was $48,292 before taxes — meaning the average wage comfortably exceeds the single-person living wage.
The picture changes for families. The living wage for a single person with two children was estimated at $108,658, and for two working adults with two children, $119,832 combined. Housing costs — particularly in Portland, Bar Harbor, and coastal communities — are the biggest variable, running roughly 10% above the national average in those areas while remaining far more affordable inland.
A salary in the $55,000–$75,000 range is generally considered comfortable for a single person in Maine, with the lower end stretching further in rural areas and the higher end needed in the Portland market.
Highest-Paying Occupations in Maine
Beyond industry averages, specific occupations command Maine's highest salaries — typically in medicine, management, and specialized technical fields. Physicians, surgeons, dentists, nurse anesthetists, pharmacists, and executives top the list, many earning well into six figures. For a detailed breakdown, see our guide to the highest paying jobs in Maine.
And if you're looking for strong earnings without a four-year degree, many of Maine's best-paying trade and technical roles — electricians, plumbers, CDL drivers, and more — are accessible through apprenticeships and certification. See our guide to the highest paying jobs in Maine without a degree.
Where Maine Salary Data Comes From
The most authoritative Maine wage data comes from the Maine Department of Labor's Center for Workforce Research and Information (CWRI), which publishes Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covering more than 600 occupations, and the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Maine Development Foundation's annual Measures of Growth report provides additional analysis of statewide wage trends. For the most precise, occupation-specific wage data, the Maine CWRI dashboards at maine.gov/labor/cwri are the definitive source.
Find Jobs in Maine
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For more on Maine's job market, see our guides to the highest paying jobs in Maine, the largest employers in Maine, and Maine's 2026 minimum wage.