2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Maine

$12 an Hour in Maine — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $12/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $24,960. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Maine state income tax, your take-home pay is $10.41/hr. In Maine's medium cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Maine.

Gross Annual
$24,960
Net Annual
$21,651
Net Monthly
$1,804
Net Hourly
$10.41

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $12.00 $1.59 $10.41
Daily (8 hrs) $96.00 $12.73 $83.27
Weekly (40 hrs) $480.00 $63.64 $416.36
Biweekly $960.00 $127.28 $832.72
Monthly $2,080.00 $275.78 $1,804.22
Annual $24,960 $3,309 $21,651

Full Tax Breakdown — Maine, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $12/hr × 2,080 hrs $24,960
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $8,860
Federal Income Tax 3.5% −$886.00
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$1,547.52
Medicare (1.45%) −$361.92
Maine Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Maine State Income Tax 2.1% −$513.88
Total Tax 13.3% effective −$3,309.32
Net Take-Home $21,651

How Does Maine Compare?

See how $12/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $287.60 $1,823/mo $21,877 Florida None $1,847/mo $22,165 New York $678.40 $1,791/mo $21,486 Texas None $1,847/mo $22,165 Washington None $1,847/mo $22,165
Open Full Calculator for Maine — $12/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$12/hr = $24,960/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$24,960 salary in Maine — full breakdown $24,960 after tax in Maine $24,960 salary to hourly Maine paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Maine

$10/hr in Maine$11/hr in Maine$13/hr in Maine$14/hr in Maine$15/hr in Maine

Same Rate, Other States

$12/hr in Alabama$12/hr in Alaska$12/hr in Arizona$12/hr in Arkansas$12/hr in California$12/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Maine

✗ Difficult — $12/hr falls short in Maine
  • Avg 1BR rent in Portland: $1,300/mo — over the 30% rule (63% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Maine: $42,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $21,651 ($20,349 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$12/hr

Working at $12/hr in Maine

Maine's minimum wage of $14.65 means this wage is close to the floor. Portland's rental market has tightened significantly — 1BR rents average $1,300/month in a city that was much more affordable a decade ago. Rural Maine remains affordable but lacks job density.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 125 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Portland (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 0.8x Maine's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Maine is 13.3% -- federal income tax accounts for 3.5%, FICA 7.6%, and Maine state tax 2.1%.

Maine's economy is driven by tourism, fishing, forestry, healthcare, and a growing remote-work population. Portland has emerged as a foodie and creative economy hub. The state struggles with an aging population and workforce shortages in many sectors.

Maine has a progressive income tax with a top rate of 7.15%. The state mirrors the federal standard deduction. Maine also has significant property taxes, especially in coastal areas.

Maine's minimum wage is $14.65/hr (2026), indexed to inflation.

Monthly Budget on $12/hr in Maine

Based on $1,804/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Maine's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $1,300 $15,600 72.1%
Food (groceries + dining) $217 $2,604 12.0%
Transportation $180 $2,160 10.0%
Utilities $108 $1,296 6.0%
Healthcare $90 $1,080 5.0%
Entertainment $90 $1,080 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $180 $2,160 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-361 $-4,332 -20.0%

⚠ This budget is underwater — rent alone exceeds the 30% guideline in Maine at $12/hr. Consider roommates, lower-cost areas, or targeting a higher wage to reach balance.

Overtime Pay — $12/hr in Maine

At time-and-a-half ($18.00/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Maine. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~17.3%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $90 $74 $3,700
10 hrs/week $180 $149 $7,450
20 hrs/week $360 $298 $14,900

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $12/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $10.41 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 4.2 hrs 4.9 hrs
Week of groceries $120 10 hrs 11.6 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 66.6 hrs 76.8 hrs
1 month rent (Portland) $1,300 108.4 hrs 124.9 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 833.4 hrs 960.8 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 4000 hrs 4611.5 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

12 an hour -- is it a good wage in Maine?

12/hr in Maine gives you $21,651/year after taxes -- below what's needed for comfortable living in Maine. Avg 1BR rent in Portland: $1,300/month (exceeds the 30% rule).

What is 12 an hour after taxes in Maine?

12/hr in Maine = $21,651/year or $1,804/month net. Effective rate: 13.3%.

How does 12/hr go further -- Maine or Texas?

12/hr in Maine has similar purchasing power to ~12/hr in Texas.

What does 12/hr look like as a monthly budget in Maine?

On $1,804/month in Maine: rent $1,300, food $217, transport $180, savings $180, surplus ~$0.

How much does overtime add at 12/hr in Maine?

At 1.5x (18.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$3,700/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$7,450/year.