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What does a Social Science Research Assistants 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 Social Science Research Assistants earning $50,650 in Maine has the equivalent purchasing power of $50,248 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) | $41,870 | $41,537 | $-332 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $44,530 | $44,176 | $-353 |
| Median (P50) | $50,650 | $50,248 | $-401 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $65,010 | $64,494 | $-515 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $66,990 | $66,458 | $-531 |
Maine's cost of living is close to the national average, so $50,650 keeps most of its value at $50,248 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 Social Science Research Assistants 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, $50,650 nominal nets out to $50,248 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 Social Science Research Assistants.
Maine ranks #37 of 45 — bottom quartile for Social Science Research Assistants real purchasing power. Relocation, employer negotiation, or remote roles at higher-paying markets tend to generate the biggest ROI.
Where does Social Science Research Assistants salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Maine ranks #37 out of 45 states for Social Science Research Assistants after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Social Science Research Assistants take-home pay in Maine after taxes →
A Social Science Research Assistants in Maine earns a median salary of $50,650 per year. After adjusting for Maine's cost of living (RPP=100.8), the real purchasing power is $50,248 — 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 Social Science Research Assistants in Maine: $50,650 x (100 / 100.8) = $50,248. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
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