What does a Materials Scientists salary really buy you in Maine?
Maine is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-03-31
Maine's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 100.8, meaning prices are 0.8% higher the national average. A Materials Scientists earning $83,370 in Maine has the equivalent purchasing power of $82,708 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) | $65,040 | $64,523 | $-516 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $76,050 | $75,446 | $-603 |
| Median (P50) | $83,370 | $82,708 | $-661 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $109,830 | $108,958 | $-871 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $164,400 | $163,095 | $-1,304 |
Maine's cost of living is close to the national average, so $83,370 keeps most of its value at $82,708 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
Where does Materials Scientists salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Maine ranks #27 out of 30 states for Materials Scientists after cost-of-living adjustment.
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A Materials Scientists in Maine earns a median salary of $83,370 per year. After adjusting for Maine's cost of living (RPP=100.8), the real purchasing power is $82,708 — 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 Materials Scientists in Maine: $83,370 x (100 / 100.8) = $82,708. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.