What does a Soil and Plant 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 Soil and Plant Scientists earning $88,300 in Maine has the equivalent purchasing power of $87,599 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) | $51,870 | $51,458 | $-411 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $64,060 | $63,551 | $-508 |
| Median (P50) | $88,300 | $87,599 | $-700 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $114,280 | $113,373 | $-906 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $121,800 | $120,833 | $-966 |
Maine's cost of living is close to the national average, so $88,300 keeps most of its value at $87,599 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
Where does Soil and Plant Scientists salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Maine ranks #4 out of 45 states for Soil and Plant Scientists after cost-of-living adjustment.
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A Soil and Plant Scientists in Maine earns a median salary of $88,300 per year. After adjusting for Maine's cost of living (RPP=100.8), the real purchasing power is $87,599 — 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 Soil and Plant Scientists in Maine: $88,300 x (100 / 100.8) = $87,599. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.