What does a Software QA Engineer 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 Software QA Engineer earning $79,040 in Maine has the equivalent purchasing power of $78,412 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) | $45,490 | $45,128 | $-361 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $59,950 | $59,474 | $-475 |
| Median (P50) | $79,040 | $78,412 | $-627 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $101,840 | $101,031 | $-808 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $124,130 | $123,144 | $-985 |
Maine's cost of living is close to the national average, so $79,040 keeps most of its value at $78,412 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
Where does Software QA Engineer salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Maine ranks #43 out of 48 states for Software QA Engineer after cost-of-living adjustment.
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A Software QA Engineer in Maine earns a median salary of $79,040 per year. After adjusting for Maine's cost of living (RPP=100.8), the real purchasing power is $78,412 — 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 Software QA Engineer in Maine: $79,040 x (100 / 100.8) = $78,412. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.