Cashiers Salary
Cashiers in Portland-South Portland, ME make a median of $36,210 a year, or about $17.41 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $41K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.86), that's roughly $35,549 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,130/month, about 85.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K 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 cashiers
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What this looks like in Portland-South Portland
Cashiers pay in Portland-South Portland tracks closely to the national median, $36K locally vs. $33K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,130/month, which is 85.5% 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 cashiers in metros near Portland-South Portland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Bangor | $32K | $33K |
| Lewiston-Auburn | $35K | $37K |
| Manchester-Nashua | $32K | $30K |
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 cashiers (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $41K or more, a $10K spread from bottom to top.
Cashiers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Cashiers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $39K | +18% | 6,060 |
| Washington | $39K | +18% | 61,050 |
| California | $37K | +13% | 336,110 |
| Colorado | $37K | +12% | 51,670 |
| Hawaii | $37K | +12% | 10,780 |
| Alaska | $36K | +10% | 5,810 |
| Vermont | $36K | +9% | 7,030 |
| Connecticut | $36K | +8% | 30,920 |
| Massachusetts | $36K | +8% | 58,880 |
| New York | $36K | +8% | 158,890 |
| Oregon | $35K | +7% | 37,660 |
| Maine | $35K | +6% | 14,240 |
| Rhode Island | $35K | +6% | 9,260 |
| Minnesota | $35K | +5% | 58,190 |
| Arizona | $35K | +5% | 72,570 |
| New Jersey | $35K | +5% | 107,680 |
| Illinois | $34K | +5% | 139,630 |
| Maryland | $34K | +5% | 49,910 |
| Montana | $34K | +4% | 12,170 |
| New Hampshire | $34K | +3% | 17,250 |
| Delaware | $33K | +2% | 11,450 |
| Utah | $32K | -4% | 22,940 |
| North Dakota | $31K | -4% | 9,510 |
| Wisconsin | $31K | -6% | 65,380 |
| Wyoming | $31K | -6% | 5,840 |
| Virginia | $31K | -7% | 83,890 |
| Florida | $31K | -7% | 201,370 |
| Missouri | $31K | -7% | 69,430 |
| Idaho | $30K | -8% | 17,200 |
| Nebraska | $30K | -8% | 20,650 |
| New Mexico | $30K | -8% | 19,020 |
| Nevada | $30K | -9% | 30,160 |
| South Dakota | $30K | -9% | 12,860 |
| Michigan | $30K | -10% | 92,930 |
| Indiana | $30K | -10% | 68,350 |
| Ohio | $29K | -11% | 103,020 |
| Texas | $29K | -11% | 245,730 |
| Pennsylvania | $29K | -11% | 110,950 |
| Georgia | $29K | -12% | 97,540 |
| Iowa | $29K | -12% | 41,450 |
| North Carolina | $29K | -12% | 106,440 |
| Kansas | $29K | -12% | 33,080 |
| Kentucky | $29K | -13% | 44,550 |
| Tennessee | $29K | -13% | 63,350 |
| South Carolina | $29K | -13% | 56,550 |
| Alabama | $28K | -14% | 46,420 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -14% | 41,140 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -16% | 28,270 |
| Louisiana | $27K | -19% | 46,350 |
| Mississippi | $26K | -20% | 30,490 |
| West Virginia | $26K | -20% | 17,360 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track cashiers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Portland-South Portland numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cashier afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-South Portland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 85.5% 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 $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cashiers in Portland-South Portland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cashiers typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,867/month. At HUD’s $2,130/month FMR, rent would take 114% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cashier a high-paying job in Portland-South Portland?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $36K locally vs. $33K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Portland-South Portland compare to the national average for cashiers?
Portland-South Portland pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $33K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cashiers make in Portland-South Portland, ME?
The median is $36,210 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,120, and experienced cashiers can clear $41,050. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Portland-South Portland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,490/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,130/month, which eats 85.5% 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 cashiers 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 cashiers salary is worth about $35,549 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cashiers 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.