Cooks, Restaurant Salary
Cooks, Restaurants in Maine make a median of $45,290 a year, or about $21.78 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $50K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.7), that's roughly $46,356 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,281/month, about 41% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Maine. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $45K get you in Maine?
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What this looks like in Maine
Maine sits well above the national pay line for cooks, restaurant, local pay runs about 21% higher than the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,281/month, which is 42% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.7) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Maine
Entry-level cooks, restaurants (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $50K or more, a $11K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Restaurant salary by metro in Maine
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-South Portland | $47K | +3% | 2,730 |
| Lewiston-Auburn | $45K | -2% | 250 |
| Bangor | $41K | -10% | 510 |
Compare to other states
Track cooks, restaurant salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Maine numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, restaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Maine?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 42% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,281/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cooks, restaurants in Maine?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, restaurants typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,282/month. At HUD’s $1,281/month FMR, rent would take 56% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cooks, restaurant a high-paying job in Maine?
Local pay is 21% above the national median — $45K here vs. $37K nationally.
How does Maine compare to the national average for cooks, restaurants?
Maine pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s +21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooks, restaurants make in Maine?
The median is $45,290 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,040, and experienced cooks, restaurants can clear $49,530. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Maine?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,049/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,281/month, which eats 42% 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 cooks, restaurant salary go in Maine?
Maine has a Regional Price Parity of 97.7 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cooks, restaurant salary is worth about $46,356 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cooks, restaurants 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.