Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
What does a Food Servers, Nonrestaurant 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 Food Servers, Nonrestaurant earning $37,680 in Maine has the equivalent purchasing power of $37,380 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) | $31,570 | $31,319 | $-250 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $34,710 | $34,434 | $-275 |
| Median (P50) | $37,680 | $37,380 | $-299 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $41,310 | $40,982 | $-327 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $45,000 | $44,642 | $-357 |
Maine's cost of living is close to the national average, so $37,680 keeps most of its value at $37,380 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 Food Servers, Nonrestaurant 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, $37,680 nominal nets out to $37,381 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 Food Servers, Nonrestaurant.
Ranked on COL-adjusted median pay for Food Servers, Nonrestaurant, Maine places #5 of 51 states — top quartile. Either nominal wages run high, cost of living runs low, or both.
Where does Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Maine ranks #5 out of 51 states for Food Servers, Nonrestaurant after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Food Servers, Nonrestaurant take-home pay in Maine after taxes →
A Food Servers, Nonrestaurant in Maine earns a median salary of $37,680 per year. After adjusting for Maine's cost of living (RPP=100.8), the real purchasing power is $37,380 — 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 Food Servers, Nonrestaurant in Maine: $37,680 x (100 / 100.8) = $37,380. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure.