Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Median $18.55 an hour in Maine · 18,630 jobs
Maine · 2026 take-home pay
$18 an hour after taxes in Maine
At $18 an hour in Maine you keep about $14.96 of every hour — $599 a week, $2,594 a month or $31,122 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, Maine income tax and state payroll programs. Maine has a graduated income tax plus Maine PFML, and its minimum wage is $15.10 an hour.
Where $18 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $37,440 | $720 | $18.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$2,313 | −$44 | −$1.11 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,321 | −$45 | −$1.12 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$543 | −$10 | −$0.26 |
| Maine income tax | −$954 | −$18 | −$0.46 |
| Maine PFML (employee share) | −$187 | −$4 | −$0.09 |
| Take-home pay | $31,122 | $599 | $14.96 |
Effective tax rate 16.9% · federal bracket 12% · Maine bracket 5.8%.
Maine PFML (employee share): 0.5% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $720.00 | $598.51 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,440.00 | $1,197.01 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,560.00 | $1,296.76 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,120.00 | $2,593.53 |
$18 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Maine for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $18 an hour for hours over 40, as federal law requires for most hourly workers.
| Schedule | Gross a week | Take-home a week | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 hours a week* | $360 | $326 | $16,932 |
| 30 hours a week | $540 | $465 | $24,183 |
| 40 hours a week | $720 | $599 | $31,122 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $855 | $698 | $36,321 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $990 | $798 | $41,490 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $18 an hour good pay in Maine?
- Minimum wage: $18 an hour is 1.2 times Maine's minimum wage of $15.10 an hour. Portland sets a higher minimum.
- Among Maine workers: It's about the 17th percentile of hourly pay in Maine (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 17 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $24.73 an hour.
- Local prices: Maine's price level is 97.1% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $31,122 a year buys about what $32,068 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $936 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,297 a month for needs, $778 for wants and $519 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Maine that pay about $18 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Maine is within 4% of $18 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Retail Salespersons
Median $17.61 an hour in Maine · 18,450 jobs
Stockers and Order Fillers
Median $17.89 an hour in Maine · 11,950 jobs
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Median $18.72 an hour in Maine · 9,180 jobs
Childcare Workers
Median $17.47 an hour in Maine · 4,990 jobs
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Median $18.09 an hour in Maine · 4,960 jobs
How Maine compares on $18 an hour
Maine ranks 35th of 51 for take-home pay on $18 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Maine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | $14.96 | $31,122 | $15.10 | — |
| New Hampshire | $15.51 | $32,263 | $7.25 | +$1,141 a year |
How the federal tax on $37,440 ($18 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $37,440 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $21,340. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $8,940 | $1,073 |
| Total | $21,340 | $2,313 |
How the Maine income tax on $37,440 ($18 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $37,440 of Maine wages minus $15,700 standard deduction minus $5,300 in exemptions = $16,440.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 5.8% | $16,440 | $954 |
| Total | $16,440 | $954 |
Common questions
How much is $18 an hour after taxes in Maine?
About $14.96 for every hour you work, or $31,122 a year at 40 hours a week ($37,440 gross). Taxes take about 16.9% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $18 an hour a week after taxes in Maine?
About $599 a week at 40 hours, from $720 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,197.
How much is $18 an hour a month after taxes in Maine?
About $2,594 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,120 gross.
Is $18 an hour good pay in Maine?
$18 an hour is 1.2 times Maine's minimum wage of $15.10 an hour. It's about the 17th percentile of hourly pay in Maine (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 17 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Maine is $24.73. After taxes and local prices, $31,122 a year buys about what $32,068 would at national-average prices.
Is Maine a high-tax state for $18 an hour?
It ranks 35th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $18 an hour. The most you'd keep is $32,263 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $29,764 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Maine
- $14 an hour in Maine
- $15 an hour in Maine
- $16 an hour in Maine
- $17 an hour in Maine
- $19 an hour in Maine
- $20 an hour in Maine
- $21 an hour in Maine
- $22 an hour in Maine
$18 an hour in every state · $35,000 a year in Maine · $40,000 a year in Maine · Maine paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Maine's income tax rules and Maine's employee payroll programs (methodology). Local income taxes are not included. Minimum wages: U.S. Department of Labor. Wage distribution and jobs: BLS OEWS May 2025. Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities.
- Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- State Minimum Wage Laws — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 14, 2026.