Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks Salary
Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks in Portland-South Portland, ME make a median of $54,510 a year, or about $26.21 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers.
So what does $55K get you in Portland-South Portland?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-South Portland’s Regional Price Parity (101.9). 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 credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks
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What this looks like in Portland-South Portland
Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks pay in Portland-South Portland tracks closely to the national median, $55K locally vs. $50K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,295/month, which is 35.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.9) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-South Portland, ME
Entry-level credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $39K spread from bottom to top.
Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $63K | +26% | 1,180 |
| Minnesota | $61K | +22% | 70 |
| Washington | $60K | +19% | 110 |
| New Jersey | $59K | +19% | 600 |
| Illinois | $59K | +18% | 140 |
| New Hampshire | $59K | +17% | 110 |
| Wisconsin | $58K | +16% | 310 |
| Ohio | $57K | +14% | 490 |
| New York | $57K | +13% | 730 |
| Massachusetts | $55K | +10% | 250 |
| Missouri | $53K | +5% | 180 |
| California | $52K | +4% | 590 |
| Oregon | $52K | +3% | 140 |
| Utah | $51K | +2% | 150 |
| Pennsylvania | $51K | +2% | 250 |
| Montana | $51K | +2% | N/A |
| Colorado | $51K | +1% | 210 |
| Maine | $50K | +1% | 80 |
| Nebraska | $50K | -0% | 130 |
| Kentucky | $50K | -1% | 60 |
| Iowa | $50K | -1% | 240 |
| Michigan | $49K | -2% | 190 |
| Indiana | $48K | -4% | 470 |
| North Carolina | $47K | -5% | 500 |
| Virginia | $47K | -6% | 280 |
| Nevada | $47K | -6% | 90 |
| West Virginia | $46K | -7% | 50 |
| Oklahoma | $46K | -7% | 220 |
| Florida | $42K | -17% | 930 |
| Mississippi | $39K | -22% | 80 |
| Louisiana | $37K | -25% | 330 |
| Alabama | $36K | -28% | 330 |
| Georgia | $30K | -39% | 720 |
Showing 1–10 of 33 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks 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 credit authorizers, checkers, and clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-South Portland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 35.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,295/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks in Portland-South Portland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,455/month. At HUD’s $1,295/month FMR, rent would take 53% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is credit authorizers, checkers, and clerk a high-paying job in Portland-South Portland?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $55K locally vs. $50K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Portland-South Portland compare to the national average for credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks?
Portland-South Portland pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks make in Portland-South Portland, ME?
The median is $54,510 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,910, and experienced credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks can clear $79,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Portland-South Portland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,615/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,295/month, which eats 35.8% 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 credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks salary go in Portland-South Portland?
Portland-South Portland has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks salary is worth about $53,494 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks 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.