Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Maine
Cooks, Restaurant in Maine earn a median $45,290 a year, +21% against the national median of $37,390; they and rank 6th of 51 states by median. That is 12% less than the median across all occupations in Maine ($51,430). Neighbouring New Hampshire pays less, with a median of $40,200. Maine employs 5,130 cooks, restaurant, 8.01 per 1,000 jobs, the 45th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.88 is close to the national share.
Maine vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Maine | Hourly | $18.29 | $19.13 | $21.78 | $22.94 | $23.81 | $21.75 | 5,130 | 8.01 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $38,040 | $39,800 | $45,290 | $47,720 | $49,530 | $45,240 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.80 | $16.35 | $17.98 | $21.45 | $23.03 | $18.62 | 1,409,890 | – | – |
| Annual | $28,700 | $34,010 | $37,390 | $44,620 | $47,900 | $38,730 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 6th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 45th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.88
- Jobs per 1,000
- 8.01
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Maine's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Maine
3 metropolitan areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas touching Maine publish a row for cooks, restaurant, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $22.39 | $46,560 | $38,570 | $54,830 | 2,730 | 9.46 | 1.04 |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | $21.40 | $44,510 | $38,420 | $48,490 | 250 | 5.25 | 0.58 |
| Bangor, ME | $19.59 | $40,760 | $37,430 | $46,350 | 510 | 7.11 | 0.78 |
| Northeast Maine nonmetropolitan area | $21.57 | $44,870 | $36,970 | $48,910 | 540 | 8.57 | 0.95 |
| Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area | $21.56 | $44,850 | $37,340 | $47,700 | 1,090 | 7.68 | 0.85 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | $21.78 | $45,290 | 5,130 | 0.88 |
| New Hampshire | $19.33 | $40,200 | 7,190 | 1.16 |
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Maine wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Maine estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.