2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Maine

$15 an Hour in Maine — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $15/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $31,200. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Maine state income tax, your take-home pay is $12.68/hr. In Maine's medium cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Maine.

Gross Annual
$31,200
Net Annual
$26,373
Net Monthly
$2,198
Net Hourly
$12.68

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $15.00 $2.32 $12.68
Daily (8 hrs) $120.00 $18.56 $101.44
Weekly (40 hrs) $600.00 $92.82 $507.18
Biweekly $1,200.00 $185.64 $1,014.36
Monthly $2,600.00 $402.22 $2,197.78
Annual $31,200 $4,827 $26,373

Full Tax Breakdown — Maine, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $15/hr × 2,080 hrs $31,200
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $15,100
Federal Income Tax 5.0% −$1,564.00
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$1,934.40
Medicare (1.45%) −$452.40
Maine Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Maine State Income Tax 2.8% −$875.80
Total Tax 15.5% effective −$4,826.60
Net Take-Home $26,373

How Does Maine Compare?

See how $15/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $422.38 $2,236/mo $26,827 Florida None $2,271/mo $27,249 New York $958.25 $2,191/mo $26,291 Texas None $2,271/mo $27,249 Washington None $2,271/mo $27,249
Open Full Calculator for Maine — $15/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$15/hr = $31,200/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$31,200 salary in Maine — full breakdown $31,200 after tax in Maine $31,200 salary to hourly Maine paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Maine

$12/hr in Maine$13/hr in Maine$14/hr in Maine$16/hr in Maine$17/hr in Maine$18/hr in Maine

Same Rate, Other States

$15/hr in Alabama$15/hr in Alaska$15/hr in Arizona$15/hr in Arkansas$15/hr in California$15/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Maine

✗ Difficult — $15/hr falls short in Maine
  • Avg 1BR rent in Portland: $1,300/mo — over the 30% rule (50% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Maine: $42,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $26,373 ($15,627 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$15/hr

Working at $15/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 ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 103 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Portland (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.0x Maine's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Maine is 15.5% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.0%, FICA 7.7%, and Maine state tax 2.8%.

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 $15/hr in Maine

Based on $2,198/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 59.2%
Food (groceries + dining) $264 $3,168 12.0%
Transportation $220 $2,640 10.0%
Utilities $132 $1,584 6.0%
Healthcare $110 $1,320 5.0%
Entertainment $110 $1,320 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $220 $2,640 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-158 $-1,896 -7.2%

⚠ This budget is underwater — rent alone exceeds the 30% guideline in Maine at $15/hr. Consider roommates, lower-cost areas, or targeting a higher wage to reach balance.

Overtime Pay — $15/hr in Maine

At time-and-a-half ($22.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Maine. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~19.3%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $113 $91 $4,550
10 hrs/week $225 $182 $9,100
20 hrs/week $450 $363 $18,150

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $15/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $12.68 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 3.4 hrs 4 hrs
Week of groceries $120 8 hrs 9.5 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 53.3 hrs 63.1 hrs
1 month rent (Portland) $1,300 86.7 hrs 102.6 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 666.7 hrs 788.7 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 3200 hrs 3785.7 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

15/hr in Maine gives you $26,373/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 15 an hour after taxes in Maine?

15/hr in Maine = $26,373/year or $2,198/month net. Effective rate: 15.5%.

How does 15/hr go further -- Maine or Texas?

15/hr in Maine has similar purchasing power to ~15/hr in Texas.

What does 15/hr look like as a monthly budget in Maine?

On $2,198/month in Maine: rent $1,300, food $264, transport $220, savings $220, surplus ~$0.

How much does overtime add at 15/hr in Maine?

At 1.5x (22.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$4,550/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$9,100/year.