2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Maine

$16 an Hour in Maine — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $16/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $33,280. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Maine state income tax, your take-home pay is $13.43/hr. In Maine's medium cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Maine.

Gross Annual
$33,280
Net Annual
$27,924
Net Monthly
$2,327
Net Hourly
$13.43

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $16.00 $2.57 $13.43
Daily (8 hrs) $128.00 $20.60 $107.40
Weekly (40 hrs) $640.00 $103.00 $537.00
Biweekly $1,280.00 $206.00 $1,074.00
Monthly $2,773.33 $446.33 $2,327.00
Annual $33,280 $5,356 $27,924

Full Tax Breakdown — Maine, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $16/hr × 2,080 hrs $33,280
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $17,180
Federal Income Tax 5.4% −$1,813.60
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$2,063.36
Medicare (1.45%) −$482.56
Maine Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Maine State Income Tax 3.0% −$996.44
Total Tax 16.1% effective −$5,355.96
Net Take-Home $27,924

How Does Maine Compare?

See how $16/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $505.58 $2,368/mo $28,415 Florida None $2,410/mo $28,920 New York $1,064.45 $2,321/mo $27,856 Texas None $2,410/mo $28,920 Washington None $2,410/mo $28,920
Open Full Calculator for Maine — $16/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$16/hr = $33,280/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$33,280 salary in Maine — full breakdown $33,280 after tax in Maine $33,280 salary to hourly Maine paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Maine

$13/hr in Maine$14/hr in Maine$15/hr in Maine$17/hr in Maine$18/hr in Maine$19/hr in Maine

Same Rate, Other States

$16/hr in Alabama$16/hr in Alaska$16/hr in Arizona$16/hr in Arkansas$16/hr in California$16/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Maine

✗ Difficult — $16/hr falls short in Maine
  • Avg 1BR rent in Portland: $1,300/mo — over the 30% rule (47% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Maine: $42,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $27,924 ($14,076 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$16/hr

Working at $16/hr in Maine

This is a livable income in Maine outside Portland's premium neighborhoods. Healthcare and tourism both create employment at this level. Maine's progressive tax structure means the effective state rate at mid-income is around 5–6%.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 97 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Portland (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.1x Maine's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Maine is 16.1% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.4%, FICA 7.6%, and Maine state tax 3.0%.

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 $16/hr in Maine

Based on $2,327/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 55.9%
Food (groceries + dining) $279 $3,348 12.0%
Transportation $233 $2,796 10.0%
Utilities $140 $1,680 6.0%
Healthcare $116 $1,392 5.0%
Entertainment $116 $1,392 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $233 $2,796 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-90 $-1,080 -3.9%

⚠ This budget is underwater — rent alone exceeds the 30% guideline in Maine at $16/hr. Consider roommates, lower-cost areas, or targeting a higher wage to reach balance.

Overtime Pay — $16/hr in Maine

At time-and-a-half ($24.00/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 $120 $97 $4,850
10 hrs/week $240 $194 $9,700
20 hrs/week $480 $388 $19,400

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $16/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $13.43 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 3.2 hrs 3.8 hrs
Week of groceries $120 7.5 hrs 9 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 50 hrs 59.6 hrs
1 month rent (Portland) $1,300 81.3 hrs 96.9 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 625 hrs 744.9 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 3000 hrs 3575.5 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

16/hr in Maine gives you $27,924/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 16 an hour after taxes in Maine?

16/hr in Maine = $27,924/year or $2,327/month net. Effective rate: 16.1%.

How does 16/hr go further -- Maine or Texas?

16/hr in Maine has similar purchasing power to ~16/hr in Texas.

What does 16/hr look like as a monthly budget in Maine?

On $2,327/month in Maine: rent $1,300, food $279, transport $233, savings $233, surplus ~$0.

How much does overtime add at 16/hr in Maine?

At 1.5x (24.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$4,850/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$9,700/year.