2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Maine

$21 an Hour in Maine — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $21/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $43,680. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Maine state income tax, your take-home pay is $17.15/hr. In Maine's medium cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Maine.

Gross Annual
$43,680
Net Annual
$35,663
Net Monthly
$2,972
Net Hourly
$17.15

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $21.00 $3.85 $17.15
Daily (8 hrs) $168.00 $30.84 $137.16
Weekly (40 hrs) $840.00 $154.18 $685.82
Biweekly $1,680.00 $308.36 $1,371.64
Monthly $3,640.00 $668.11 $2,971.89
Annual $43,680 $8,017 $35,663

Full Tax Breakdown — Maine, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $21/hr × 2,080 hrs $43,680
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $27,580
Federal Income Tax 7.0% −$3,061.60
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$2,708.16
Medicare (1.45%) −$633.36
Maine Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Maine State Income Tax 3.7% −$1,614.18
Total Tax 18.4% effective −$8,017.30
Net Take-Home $35,663

How Does Maine Compare?

See how $21/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $921.58 $3,030/mo $36,355 Florida None $3,106/mo $37,277 New York $1,657.13 $2,968/mo $35,620 Texas None $3,106/mo $37,277 Washington None $3,106/mo $37,277
Open Full Calculator for Maine — $21/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$21/hr = $43,680/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$43,680 salary in Maine — full breakdown $43,680 after tax in Maine $43,680 salary to hourly Maine paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Maine

$18/hr in Maine$19/hr in Maine$20/hr in Maine$22/hr in Maine$23/hr in Maine$24/hr in Maine

Same Rate, Other States

$21/hr in Alabama$21/hr in Alaska$21/hr in Arizona$21/hr in Arkansas$21/hr in California$21/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Maine

✗ Difficult — $21/hr falls short in Maine
  • Avg 1BR rent in Portland: $1,300/mo — over the 30% rule (36% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Maine: $42,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $35,663 ($6,337 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$21/hr

Working at $21/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 ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 76 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Portland (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.4x Maine's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Maine is 18.4% -- federal income tax accounts for 7.0%, FICA 7.6%, and Maine state tax 3.7%.

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 $21/hr in Maine

Based on $2,972/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 43.7%
Food (groceries + dining) $357 $4,284 12.0%
Transportation $297 $3,564 10.0%
Utilities $178 $2,136 6.0%
Healthcare $149 $1,788 5.0%
Entertainment $149 $1,788 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $297 $3,564 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $245 $2,940 8.2%

Overtime Pay — $21/hr in Maine

At time-and-a-half ($31.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Maine. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~20.2%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $158 $126 $6,300
10 hrs/week $315 $251 $12,550
20 hrs/week $630 $503 $25,150

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $21/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $17.15 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 2.4 hrs 3 hrs
Week of groceries $120 5.8 hrs 7 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 38.1 hrs 46.7 hrs
1 month rent (Portland) $1,300 62 hrs 75.9 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 476.2 hrs 583.3 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 2285.8 hrs 2799.6 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

21/hr in Maine gives you $35,663/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 21 an hour after taxes in Maine?

21/hr in Maine = $35,663/year or $2,972/month net. Effective rate: 18.4%.

How does 21/hr go further -- Maine or Texas?

21/hr in Maine has similar purchasing power to ~21/hr in Texas.

What does 21/hr look like as a monthly budget in Maine?

On $2,972/month in Maine: rent $1,300, food $357, transport $297, savings $297, surplus ~$245.

How much does overtime add at 21/hr in Maine?

At 1.5x (31.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$6,300/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$12,550/year.