2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Maine

$17 an Hour in Maine — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $17/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $35,360. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Maine state income tax, your take-home pay is $14.17/hr. In Maine's medium cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Maine.

Gross Annual
$35,360
Net Annual
$29,475
Net Monthly
$2,456
Net Hourly
$14.17

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $17.00 $2.83 $14.17
Daily (8 hrs) $136.00 $22.64 $113.36
Weekly (40 hrs) $680.00 $113.18 $566.82
Biweekly $1,360.00 $226.36 $1,133.64
Monthly $2,946.67 $490.44 $2,456.22
Annual $35,360 $5,885 $29,475

Full Tax Breakdown — Maine, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $17/hr × 2,080 hrs $35,360
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $19,260
Federal Income Tax 5.8% −$2,063.20
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$2,192.32
Medicare (1.45%) −$512.72
Maine Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Maine State Income Tax 3.2% −$1,117.08
Total Tax 16.6% effective −$5,885.32
Net Take-Home $29,475

How Does Maine Compare?

See how $17/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $588.78 $2,500/mo $30,003 Florida None $2,549/mo $30,592 New York $1,173.65 $2,452/mo $29,418 Texas None $2,549/mo $30,592 Washington None $2,549/mo $30,592
Open Full Calculator for Maine — $17/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$17/hr = $35,360/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$35,360 salary in Maine — full breakdown $35,360 after tax in Maine $35,360 salary to hourly Maine paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Maine

$14/hr in Maine$15/hr in Maine$16/hr in Maine$18/hr in Maine$19/hr in Maine$20/hr in Maine

Same Rate, Other States

$17/hr in Alabama$17/hr in Alaska$17/hr in Arizona$17/hr in Arkansas$17/hr in California$17/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Maine

✗ Difficult — $17/hr falls short in Maine
  • Avg 1BR rent in Portland: $1,300/mo — over the 30% rule (44% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Maine: $42,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $29,475 ($12,525 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$17/hr

Working at $17/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 ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 92 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Portland (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.2x Maine's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Maine is 16.6% -- federal income tax accounts for 5.8%, FICA 7.6%, and Maine state tax 3.2%.

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 $17/hr in Maine

Based on $2,456/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 52.9%
Food (groceries + dining) $295 $3,540 12.0%
Transportation $246 $2,952 10.0%
Utilities $147 $1,764 6.0%
Healthcare $123 $1,476 5.0%
Entertainment $123 $1,476 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $246 $2,952 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $-24 $-288 -1.0%

⚠ This budget is underwater — rent alone exceeds the 30% guideline in Maine at $17/hr. Consider roommates, lower-cost areas, or targeting a higher wage to reach balance.

Overtime Pay — $17/hr in Maine

At time-and-a-half ($25.50/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 $128 $103 $5,150
10 hrs/week $255 $206 $10,300
20 hrs/week $510 $412 $20,600

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $17/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $14.17 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 3 hrs 3.6 hrs
Week of groceries $120 7.1 hrs 8.5 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 47 hrs 56.4 hrs
1 month rent (Portland) $1,300 76.5 hrs 91.8 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 588.3 hrs 705.7 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 2823.6 hrs 3387.4 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

17/hr in Maine gives you $29,475/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 17 an hour after taxes in Maine?

17/hr in Maine = $29,475/year or $2,456/month net. Effective rate: 16.6%.

How does 17/hr go further -- Maine or Texas?

17/hr in Maine has similar purchasing power to ~17/hr in Texas.

What does 17/hr look like as a monthly budget in Maine?

On $2,456/month in Maine: rent $1,300, food $295, transport $246, savings $246, surplus ~$0.

How much does overtime add at 17/hr in Maine?

At 1.5x (25.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$5,150/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$10,300/year.