Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
What does a Cooks, Fast Food salary really buy you in Maine?
Maine is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Maine's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 100.8, meaning prices are 0.8% higher the national average. A Cooks, Fast Food earning $36,350 in Maine has the equivalent purchasing power of $36,061 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Maine's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $31,350 | $31,101 | $-248 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $33,770 | $33,501 | $-268 |
| Median (P50) | $36,350 | $36,061 | $-288 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $37,910 | $37,609 | $-300 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $44,280 | $43,928 | $-351 |
Maine's cost of living is close to the national average, so $36,350 keeps most of its value at $36,061 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 100.8, Maine is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Cooks, Fast Food is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Maine's cost of living, $36,350 nominal nets out to $36,062 in real purchasing power — a small 0.8% loss. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Cooks, Fast Food.
Ranked on COL-adjusted median pay for Cooks, Fast Food, Maine places #6 of 51 states — top quartile. Either nominal wages run high, cost of living runs low, or both.
Where does Cooks, Fast Food salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Maine ranks #6 out of 51 states for Cooks, Fast Food after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Cooks, Fast Food take-home pay in Maine after taxes →
A Cooks, Fast Food in Maine earns a median salary of $36,350 per year. After adjusting for Maine's cost of living (RPP=100.8), the real purchasing power is $36,061 — a -0.8% difference.
Maine's cost of living is 0.8% higher than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Maine is 100.8 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Cooks, Fast Food in Maine: $36,350 x (100 / 100.8) = $36,061. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
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