Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
The median pay for a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary in Portland-South Portland, ME is $75,680/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $53K at the entry level to $234K for experienced workers. Note: the mean (average) wage is $117K, significantly higher than the median. This typically reflects a mix of employment settings including academic and private practice positions. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.86), that's roughly $74,298 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,130/month, about 43.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $76K get you in Portland-South Portland?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-South Portland’s Regional Price Parity (101.86). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries
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What this looks like in Portland-South Portland
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary pay in Portland-South Portland tracks closely to the national median, $76K locally vs. $79K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,130/month, which is 44.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.86) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries in metros near Portland-South Portland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Bangor | $80K | $83K |
| Manchester-Nashua | $79K | $75K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-South Portland, ME
Entry-level art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $53K. Mid-career wages sit at $76K. Top earners bring in $234K or more, a $181K spread from bottom to top.
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $103K | +31% | 150 |
| California | $99K | +26% | 9,820 |
| New York | $99K | +26% | 14,920 |
| Vermont | $98K | +25% | 180 |
| Rhode Island | $98K | +24% | 440 |
| District of Columbia | $97K | +23% | 350 |
| Massachusetts | $86K | +9% | 4,960 |
| Maryland | $86K | +9% | 1,280 |
| Michigan | $83K | +6% | 2,410 |
| New Jersey | $80K | +2% | 3,300 |
| Georgia | $80K | +2% | 1,910 |
| Maine | $80K | +2% | 340 |
| New Hampshire | $79K | +1% | 440 |
| Louisiana | $79K | +0% | 720 |
| Connecticut | $79K | -0% | 1,430 |
| Montana | $78K | -0% | 190 |
| Ohio | $78K | -1% | 3,940 |
| Washington | $78K | -1% | 1,400 |
| Minnesota | $78K | -1% | 1,310 |
| Iowa | $78K | -1% | 910 |
| Texas | $78K | -1% | 6,730 |
| Wisconsin | $78K | -1% | 1,840 |
| Pennsylvania | $77K | -2% | 4,170 |
| Oregon | $77K | -2% | 1,440 |
| New Mexico | $76K | -3% | 380 |
| Indiana | $76K | -3% | 1,920 |
| Missouri | $76K | -3% | 1,450 |
| Nebraska | $75K | -4% | 490 |
| Virginia | $75K | -5% | 2,840 |
| North Carolina | $74K | -6% | 2,880 |
| West Virginia | $73K | -7% | 340 |
| Idaho | $72K | -8% | 250 |
| Arizona | $72K | -8% | 1,040 |
| Tennessee | $72K | -8% | 1,370 |
| Colorado | $70K | -11% | 1,950 |
| North Dakota | $67K | -15% | 130 |
| Utah | $66K | -16% | 790 |
| Kentucky | $64K | -18% | 900 |
| Florida | $64K | -19% | 2,490 |
| Alabama | $64K | -19% | 900 |
| South Dakota | $63K | -19% | 200 |
| Illinois | $63K | -20% | 4,170 |
| South Carolina | $62K | -21% | 1,290 |
| Oklahoma | $62K | -21% | 760 |
| Kansas | $61K | -22% | 640 |
| Arkansas | $61K | -23% | 360 |
| Mississippi | $61K | -23% | 540 |
| Wyoming | $59K | -25% | 180 |
| Nevada | $53K | -33% | 260 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Portland-South Portland numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-South Portland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $76K, rent takes 44.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,130/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries in Portland-South Portland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries typically earn — is $53K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,154/month. At HUD’s $2,130/month FMR, rent would take 68% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary a high-paying job in Portland-South Portland?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $76K locally vs. $79K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Portland-South Portland compare to the national average for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries?
Portland-South Portland pays $76K median vs. the U.S. average of $79K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $74K — below the national median.
How much do art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries make in Portland-South Portland, ME?
The median is $75,680 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $52,570, and experienced art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries can clear $233,670. The mean (average) is $116,760, reflecting that some workers earn substantially more. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $76K enough to live in Portland-South Portland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,810/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,130/month, which eats 44.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary salary go in Portland-South Portland?
Portland-South Portland has a Regional Price Parity of 101.86 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary salary is worth about $74,298 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.