Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Home Health and Personal Care Aide Salary in Portland, ME

Home Health and Personal Care Aides in the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area earn a median $38,580 a year — 8% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $31,733 take-home, or $2,644 a month.

Median salary
$38,580
$18.55 per hour
Typical range
$35,790 – $46,940
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Portland, ME
8,150
1.02× national concentration
▲1.6%
Pay trend: The median for home health and personal care aides in Portland, ME rose from $37,980 (May 2024) to $38,580 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 0.8%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median home health and personal care aide salary in Portland, ME. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Home Health and Personal Care Aide in Portland, ME
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$31,733
per year · effective tax rate 17.7%
$2,644Monthly
$1,322Twice a month
$1,221Every 2 weeks
$15.26Hourly
  • Federal income tax$2,450
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,392
  • Medicare (1.45%)$559
  • Maine income tax$1,446
  • Take-home pay$31,733

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 5.80% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Home Health and Personal Care Aide pay by experience in Portland, ME

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$35,790$17.21$29,653$2,471
25th percentile$36,100$17.36$29,884$2,490
Median (50th)$38,580$18.55$31,733$2,644
75th percentile$44,470$21.38$36,092$3,008
90th percentile (top earners)$46,940$22.57$37,910$3,159

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Maine resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $38,580 buys in Portland, ME

Prices in Portland, ME are 1.9% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.05× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median home health and personal care aide's $31,733 take-home pay has the buying power of $31,154 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,548
59% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,968
74% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,096
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Home Health and Personal Care Aide jobs are about as common in Portland, ME as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.02).

Best-paying cities for home health and personal care aides, adjusted for cost of living

Portland, ME ranks #58 of 180 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Grants Pass, OR $53,120$41,044$41,984
2Kennewick, WA $47,810$40,595$40,563
3Spokane, WA $47,410$40,274$40,135
4Yakima, WA $44,490$37,928$39,696
5Seattle, WA $48,210$40,917$36,818
6Bellingham, WA $44,080$37,598$36,385
7Olympia, WA $44,060$37,582$36,252
8Fargo, ND $37,910$32,641$35,920
58Portland, ME$38,580$31,733$31,154

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 180 metros →

About the job: home health and personal care aides

Typical education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
+18.1% (much faster than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a home health and personal care aide make in Portland, ME?

The median home health and personal care aide salary in the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area is $38,580 a year, or about $18.55 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $36,100 and $44,470.

What is a home health and personal care aide’s take-home pay in Portland, ME?

On the median $38,580 salary, a single filer living in Maine takes home about $31,733 a year ($2,644 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,446 in Maine taxes in 2026.

Is Portland, ME a good place to work as a home health and personal care aide?

Pay here is 8% above the national median of $35,800. Local prices are 1.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $31,154 would in a typical U.S. city. Portland, ME ranks #58 of 180 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a home health and personal care aide afford rent in Portland, ME?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Portland, ME is $1,548 a month ($1,968 for two bedrooms) — 59% of a median home health and personal care aide’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

Related jobs in Portland, ME

Cost of living & all salaries in Portland, ME →