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

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary Salary in Portland, ME

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary in the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area earn a median $48,770 a year — 33% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $39,256 take-home, or $3,271 a month.

Median salary
$48,770
$23.45 per hour
Typical range
$38,490 – $60,210
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Portland, ME
3,170
1.20× national concentration
▲4.7%
Pay trend: The median for teaching assistants, except postsecondary in Portland, ME rose from $46,590 (May 2024) to $48,770 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 2.3%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median teaching assistants, except postsecondary salary in Portland, ME. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary in Portland, ME
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$39,256
per year · effective tax rate 19.5%
$3,271Monthly
$1,636Twice a month
$1,510Every 2 weeks
$18.87Hourly
  • Federal income tax$3,672
  • Social Security (6.2%)$3,024
  • Medicare (1.45%)$707
  • Maine income tax$2,110
  • Take-home pay$39,256

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 6.75% state

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

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary pay by experience in Portland, ME

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$38,490$18.50$31,666$2,639
25th percentile$46,450$22.33$37,549$3,129
Median (50th)$48,770$23.45$39,256$3,271
75th percentile$52,130$25.06$41,729$3,477
90th percentile (top earners)$60,210$28.95$47,676$3,973

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

What $48,770 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 teaching assistants, except postsecondary's $39,256 take-home pay has the buying power of $38,540 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,548
47% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,968
60% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,723
per month for everything else

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

Portland, ME has 1.2× the national concentration of teaching assistants, except postsecondary jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.

Best-paying cities for teaching assistants, except postsecondary, adjusted for cost of living

Portland, ME ranks #3 of 94 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Seattle, WA $53,950$45,529$40,968
2Kennewick, WA $45,510$38,747$38,717
3Portland, ME $48,770$39,256$38,540
4Modesto, CA $47,990$39,187$37,641
5Visalia, CA $45,230$37,136$37,201
6Fresno, CA $45,340$37,218$36,432
7San Jose, CA $49,010$39,932$36,163
8Riverside, CA $46,330$37,961$35,664

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 94 metros →

About the job: teaching assistants, except postsecondary

Typical education
Some college, no degree
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
-0.3% (slower than average)

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

Frequently asked questions

How much does a teaching assistants, except postsecondary make in Portland, ME?

The median teaching assistants, except postsecondary salary in the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area is $48,770 a year, or about $23.45 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $46,450 and $52,130.

What is a teaching assistants, except postsecondary’s take-home pay in Portland, ME?

On the median $48,770 salary, a single filer living in Maine takes home about $39,256 a year ($3,271 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,110 in Maine taxes in 2026.

Is Portland, ME a good place to work as a teaching assistants, except postsecondary?

Pay here is 33% above the national median of $36,780. Local prices are 1.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $38,540 would in a typical U.S. city. Portland, ME ranks #3 of 94 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a teaching assistants, except postsecondary 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) — 47% of a median teaching assistants, except postsecondary’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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