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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary in Portland, ME

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area earn a median $45,350 a year — 13% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $36,739 take-home, or $3,062 a month.

Median salary
$45,350
$21.80 per hour
Typical range
$35,360 – $57,290
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Portland, ME
2,520
0.46× national concentration
▲1.5%
Pay trend: The median for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in Portland, ME rose from $44,660 (May 2024) to $45,350 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 0.9%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary in Portland, ME. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Portland, ME
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$36,739
per year · effective tax rate 19.0%
$3,062Monthly
$1,531Twice a month
$1,413Every 2 weeks
$17.66Hourly
  • Federal income tax$3,262
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,812
  • Medicare (1.45%)$658
  • Maine income tax$1,879
  • Take-home pay$36,739

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 6.75% state

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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand pay by experience in Portland, ME

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$35,360$17.00$29,333$2,444
25th percentile$37,500$18.03$30,928$2,577
Median (50th)$45,350$21.80$36,739$3,062
75th percentile$49,700$23.89$39,941$3,328
90th percentile (top earners)$57,290$27.54$45,527$3,794

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

What $45,350 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 laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand's $36,739 take-home pay has the buying power of $36,069 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,548
51% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,968
64% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,514
per month for everything else

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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand jobs are less concentrated in Portland, ME than nationally (location quotient 0.46), so openings may be scarcer.

Best-paying cities for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, adjusted for cost of living

Portland, ME ranks #54 of 164 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Waterloo, IA $47,440$39,147$44,967
2Fargo, ND $45,690$38,892$42,799
3Des Moines, IA $46,370$38,328$41,797
4Louisville, KY $46,830$38,286$41,135
5Chambersburg, PA $47,540$38,919$41,122
6Cedar Rapids, IA $43,300$35,978$40,441
7Youngstown, OH $41,540$35,197$40,274
8Tyler, TX $43,390$37,044$40,197
54Portland, ME$45,350$36,739$36,069

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 164 metros →

About the job: laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

Manually move freight, stock, luggage, or other materials, or perform other general labor.

Typical education
No formal educational credential
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
+1.8% (slower than average)

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

Frequently asked questions

How much does a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand make in Portland, ME?

The median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary in the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area is $45,350 a year, or about $21.80 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $37,500 and $49,700.

What is a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand’s take-home pay in Portland, ME?

On the median $45,350 salary, a single filer living in Maine takes home about $36,739 a year ($3,062 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,879 in Maine taxes in 2026.

Is Portland, ME a good place to work as a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand?

Pay here is 13% above the national median of $40,240. Local prices are 1.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $36,069 would in a typical U.S. city. Portland, ME ranks #54 of 164 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand 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) — 51% of a median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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