Waiter or waitress pay in Portland-South Portland, ME at a glance
Median salary
$44,070$21.19 per hour · $3,673 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Waiter or waitress salary in Portland-South Portland, ME after taxes
Waiters or waitresses pay range in Portland-South Portland, ME, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Portland-South Portland, ME metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (ME) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $14.97/hr | $2,594 | $31,130 | $26,605 |
| 25th percentile | $16.33/hr | $2,830 | $33,960 | $28,715 |
| MedianMedian | $21.19/hr | $3,673 | $44,070 | $36,252 |
| 75th percentile | $30.48/hr | $5,283 | $63,400 | $50,520 |
| 90th percentile | $42.21/hr | $7,316 | $87,790 | $66,334 |
Is $44,070 a good salary in Portland-South Portland, ME?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for waiters or waitresses next to both.
Waiters or waitresses pay in Maine and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Do waiters or waitresses pay tax on tips?
Yes, but less than before. This job is on the Treasury's list of tipped occupations, so from 2025 through 2028 up to $25,000 a year of reported tips comes off federal taxable income, shrinking above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint). Social Security and Medicare are still owed on every tip, and most states still tax them. The BLS pay figures on this page already include tips as employers report them.
Waiter or waitress pay in Portland-South Portland, ME: common questions
What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Portland-South Portland, ME?
The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area was $44,070 in May 2025, about $3,673 a month or $21.19 an hour. Statewide, the Maine median for this job is $43,370, so the metro pays 2% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Portland-South Portland, ME?
The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Portland-South Portland, ME was $21.19 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.97 an hour and one in ten earned more than $42.21.
How many waiters or waitresses work in Portland-South Portland, ME?
BLS estimated 5,070 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 17.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.20 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Portland-South Portland, ME?
BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Portland-South Portland, ME run from $31,130 at the 10th percentile to $33,960 at the 25th, $63,400 at the 75th, and $87,790 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Portland-South Portland, ME?
On a median gross salary of $44,070, an estimated $36,252 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,394 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Maine in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,818 (an effective rate of 17.7%).
How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Portland-South Portland, ME?
On the median annual salary of $44,070, gross monthly income is $3,673. After federal, FICA, and Maine state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,021 per month (or $1,394 every two weeks).
Is $44,070 a good salary in Portland-South Portland, ME?
At $44,070, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 47.8% of the Portland-South Portland, ME median household income ($92,175). It is 23% below the $56,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 101.9, so prices here run 1.9% above the U.S. average.