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School district · Maine · LEAID 2309930

Portland Public Schools

Portland Public Schools is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Maine districts (6,475 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Portland Public Schools come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$73,551
Est. avg teacher salary

Well above benchmark

$23,132
Per-pupil spending
6,475
Students enrolled
87th
Pct. in ME
$73,551

Portland Public Schools is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Maine districts (6,475 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $73,551, near the national average of $70,245, serving 6,475 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Large enrollment scale: Portland Public Schools is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Maine districts (6,475 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 87th percentile for Maine
  • 65th percentile nationally
  • 37% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Maine ranks #34 of 49 on the salary estimate and #40 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Portland Public Schools ranks #16 of 119 Maine districts by estimated teacher salary and #34 of 119 by per-pupil spending. Cape Elizabeth Public Schools pay #1 at $90,864 is not RSU 24 spending #1 at $38,957 per pupil
  • +22.9% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Maine median

Among 182 Maine districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Portland Public Schools's instructional payroll puts 70.5% into regular program , 12.5 points below the state median of 83.0%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.

Program Portland Public ME median Gap
Regular program 70.5% 83.0% -12.5 pp
Special education 14.6% 13.6% +1.0 pp
Vocational programs 3.3% 0.0% +3.3 pp
Other programs 11.7% 2.2% +9.4 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 182 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 2309930 · FY2023.

LEAID 2309930 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Portland Public F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +17% vs state RANK-ST-MID P87 in state RANK-NAT-MID P65 national PPE-HIGH $23K/pupil ENR-MID 6,475 students INSTR-MID 37% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near RSU FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $73,551 estimated average teacher salary · P87 in Maine · P65 nationally · 37% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: RSU ($147est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Portland Public

Salary neighbourhood · Portland Public

Portland Public already leads most of its in-state peer set; the chart plots it against the top and bottom pay poles for context (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Portland Public

Portland Public Schools's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$73,551 Top 35% higher than 65% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 13 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 10 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. Portland Public Schools $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 · FY2023

Portland Public in Maine's upper-third pay band

Same 119 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Portland Public Schools ranks #16 of 119 Maine districts by estimated teacher salary and #34 of 119 by per-pupil spending. Cape Elizabeth Public Schools pay #1 at $90,864 is not RSU 24 spending #1 at $38,957 per pupil

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Portland Public Schools is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows RSU 24 leads spending at $38,957 per pupil; Cape Elizabeth Public Schools leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

Maine sits close to national prices

Nominal district estimate
$73,551.387

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Maine price level
98.0 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$75,080

+2% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Maine sit close to the national average, so the nominal and national-price figures tell nearly the same story here. That is not true in the most and least expensive states.

Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how Maine compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.

How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for Portland Public Schools

What the Numbers Say About Portland Public Schools

Portland Public Schools is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Maine, serving 6,475 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $23,132. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $73,551, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 2309930 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Maine statewide average of $62,872, teacher pay in Portland Public Schools runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 17.0% gap, and near the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (4.7% differential). Among enrolling districts in Maine, it pays more than 87% of them. Maine itself ranks #34 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Portland Public Schools reports $149.8M in total expenditure against $152.2M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 37% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $31.8M, special-education teacher pay is $6.6M.

How does Portland Public Schools compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Maine average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

Portland Public Schools $73,551
Lewiston Public Schools $69,872
Maine avg $62,872
National avg $70,245

Portland Public Schools pays +5.3% more than Lewiston Public Schools · per-pupil $23,132 vs $21,419

Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable Maine districts

On pay, Portland Public Schools sits closest to RSU 21; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Westbrook Public Schools. These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. RSU 21
  2. South Portland Public Schools
  3. Bangor Public Schools
  4. RSU 01 - Lkrsu
  5. Gorham Public Schools
  6. RSU 05
  7. RSU 35/MSAD 35
  8. RSU 51/MSAD 51
  9. Biddeford Public Schools
  10. Lewiston Public Schools
  11. RSU 75/MSAD 75
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Westbrook Public Schools
  2. Falmouth Public Schools
  3. RSU 10
  4. Waterville Public Schools
  5. Scarborough Public Schools
  6. Yarmouth Schools
  7. RSU 61/MSAD 61
  8. Brunswick Public Schools
  9. RSU 51/MSAD 51
  10. Lewiston Public Schools
  11. Biddeford Public Schools

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Portland Public Schools's enrollment scale

Two out-of-state peer sets for Portland Public Schools: closest on enrollment (6,475 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($73,551 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.

Similar enrollment

Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.

Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.

Revenue & Expenditure

$152.2M
Total Revenue
$149.8M
Total Expenditure
$55.1M
Instruction Salaries
37% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$31.8M
Regular Program
$6.6M
Special Education
$1.5M
Vocational
$5.3M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Portland Public Schools: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 82% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 18% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Maine Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Maine districts belongs to Cape Elizabeth Public Schools at $90,864. Portland Public Schools sits in the upper quarter of that field at 16 of 88, nearer the ceiling than the floor. On BEA's price parity Maine sits near the national average, so its salaries need less adjustment than most; Nevada and Minnesota are its nearest price peers.

View all Maine districts →

Other Maine Districts

Large-district sample from 118 Maine peers with reliable NCES data; bar length shows pay magnitude within this slice.

Sanford Public Schools
$62,636
3,214 students
RSU 14
$66,886
3,143 students
South Portland Public Schools
$73,148
3,081 students
RSU 57/MSAD 57
$63,901
2,924 students
RSU 60/MSAD 60
$60,222
2,909 students
Scarborough Public Schools
$88,770
2,891 students

This is a sample of 6 from 118 Maine districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Portland Public Schools
What is the average teacher salary in Portland Public Schools?

The average teacher salary in Portland Public Schools is $73,551 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does Portland Public Schools teacher pay compare to the Maine average?

Portland Public Schools pays 17.0% more than the Maine state average of $62,872. The district's average is $73,551.

How does Portland Public Schools teacher pay compare to the national average?

Portland Public Schools pays 4.7% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $73,551.

What is the per-pupil spending in Portland Public Schools?

Portland Public Schools spends approximately $23,132 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Portland Public Schools's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 37% of Portland Public Schools's total expenditure of $149.8M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Portland Public Schools
Disclaimer & data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher

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Editorial standards & source notes

According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Portland Public Schools's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2023 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2023.