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State profile · NCES F-33 FY2022

Teacher Salary in Maine

According to the NCES Common Core of Data finance survey, estimated teacher pay and per-pupil spending are available across 182 public school districts in Maine.

$76,891
Est. state avg salary
-10.3%
vs national
#29
National rank
182
Districts
$76,891/year (est.)

Maine's estimated average teacher salary is $76,891, materially below the national average of $85,759, ranking #29 of 51 states and territories, across 182 public school districts (NCES CCD F-33, FY2022).

  • middle third nationally (#29 of 51)
  • $53,090 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying districts
  • -10.3% vs the national average
  • +14.2% since FY2019
  • #37 of 51 purchasing-power-adjusted (BEA RPP 100.7)

What does the NCES F-33 data show for Maine?

Maine reports 182 public school districts in the NCES Common Core of Data FY2022 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, with an average teacher salary of $76,891. That places the state in the middle third of US teacher-pay rankings - #29 of 51, materially below the national average of $85,759 (-10.3%). The state's public schools serve 165,228 students across these districts. Most district figures divide total instructional spending by the district's REPORTED teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey); a small number of large consolidated districts that report staffing only at a sub-district level fall back to an estimated ratio instead, since total instructional spending also includes aides and assistants, both figures run somewhat above survey-reported classroom-teacher-only salaries, treat this as a relative cross-district comparison, not an exact paycheck, and see our methodology for the formula, its data source per district, and its limits.

Among enrolling districts, pay varies widely: Cape Elizabeth Public Schools reports the highest estimated average salary at $109,216, while Blue Hill Public Schools sits at the lower end at $56,126 - a spread of $53,090 between top and bottom reporting districts. Licensing rules, state aid formulas, collective bargaining density, and local tax bases all drive this intra-state variation. Urban and suburban districts with larger tax bases typically lead, while rural districts often lag despite lower cost of living.

Teacher compensation here reflects both state policy choices, the statutory minimum salary schedule, pension funding levels, licensure reciprocity, and the funding formula that determines how much state aid each district receives per pupil. A #29 national rank signals where Maine sits in the competition for teachers against neighboring states; teacher shortage areas typically correlate with lower pay rank. Figures below are per-district averages derived from the F-33 instructional salary expenditure field (Z33) divided by each district's reported teacher FTE (or an estimated FTE for the small minority with no reported figure), a district-level aggregate, not individual salary records.

Purchasing-power-adjusted rank

Maine's nominal average teacher salary ranks #29 of 51 states and territories. Adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2022 Regional Price Parity (100.7, US = 100, a relative state-level price-level index, not a district or metro cost-of-living figure), the estimate becomes $76,322, ranking #37 of 51 , 8 places lower than the nominal rank once relative price levels are factored in. This purchasing-power view is not published by NEA's teacher-pay rankings or the aggregator sites; it comes from combining our own F-33-derived salary estimate with BEA's public RPP series. See the full 51-state release for methodology and download.

$85,000$90,000$95,000$100,000$105,000 FY2019FY2020FY2021FY2022 $87,451 $99,892 ▲ +14.2%

Maine's estimated average teacher salary, FY2019-FY2022

Source: NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey + Staff Universe Survey (consistent estimated basis, all years) As of FY2022

Highest-paying districts in Maine

Estimated average teacher salary, enrolling districts (200+ students)

Est. avg salary

What this shows Cape Elizabeth Public Schools leads Maine on the F-33 instructional-salary estimate. Service entities (CTCs, county offices) are excluded, their enrollment-based ratios are not reliable salary figures.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2022 As of FY2022

Top 3 districts

1 $109,216

Cape Elizabeth Public Schools

Est. avg teacher salary
2 $101,383

Scarborough Public Schools

Est. avg teacher salary
3 $99,803

Yarmouth Schools

Est. avg teacher salary

Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment Per-Pupil Exp
RSU 24 $63,908 775 $52,775
RSU 09 $63,604 2,255 $17,885
RSU 25 $63,578 1,067 $18,555
RSU 31/MSAD 31 $63,219 436 $20,573
RSU 67 $63,079 933 $16,169
RSU 38 $62,816 1,181 $18,836
Jefferson Public Schools $61,421 218 $23,862
RSU 87/MSAD 23 $60,982 590 $20,953
Milford Public Schools $60,878 284 $21,845
RSU 42/MSAD 42 $60,819 365 $16,819
Calais Public Schools $60,812 603 $17,522
RSU 12 $60,000 897 $26,480
RSU 50 $58,927 336 $17,768
RSU 68/MSAD 68 $58,032 625 $22,181
RSU 33/MSAD 33 $57,542 237 $27,692
RSU 03/MSAD 03 $57,470 1,056 $18,553
Machias Public Schools $57,126 493 $16,396
Millinocket Public Schools $56,657 440 $18,325
Blue Hill Public Schools $56,126 244 $25,291

Showing 101–119 of 119 enrolling districts. Specialized non-enrolling agencies (career/technical centers, county offices, service co-ops) are excluded from the salary ranking, their enrollment-based estimates are not reliable.

Lowest-Paying Districts in Maine

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment
Blue Hill Public Schools $56,126 244
Millinocket Public Schools $56,657 440
Machias Public Schools $57,126 493
RSU 03/MSAD 03 $57,470 1,056
RSU 33/MSAD 33 $57,542 237
RSU 68/MSAD 68 $58,032 625
RSU 50 $58,927 336
RSU 12 $60,000 897
Calais Public Schools $60,812 603
RSU 42/MSAD 42 $60,819 365

Among enrolling districts (200+ students) with a reliable estimate; service entities excluded, see methodology.

Compare Nearby-Ranked States

Iowa
$77,910
Rank #26
Nebraska
$77,862
Rank #27
North Dakota
$77,606
Rank #28
North Carolina
$76,187
Rank #30

Data: NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey + Staff Universe Survey, FY2022. Salary figures divide instructional expenditure (variable Z33) by each district's reported teacher FTE, or an estimated FTE for the small minority with no reported figure. Not individual salary data. Read our methodology.

Maine teacher salary FAQ

What is the average teacher salary in Maine?

Across Maine's 182 public school districts, the average teacher salary is $76,891 (NCES CCD F-33 finance data divided by CCD Staff Universe Survey teacher headcounts, FY2022). This figure is derived from total instructional spending and runs above survey-reported classroom-teacher-only salaries, read it as a relative comparison.

Which Maine school district pays teachers the most?

Cape Elizabeth Public Schools reports the highest average teacher salary in Maine at $109,216, while Blue Hill Public Schools sits at the lower end at $56,126.

How does Maine teacher pay compare to the national average?

Maine's average of $76,891 is materially below the national average of $85,759 (-10.3%), ranking #29 of 51 US states and territories.

How many school districts are in Maine?

Maine has 182 public school districts in the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, together serving 165,228 students.

Can teachers earn $100,000 in Maine?

2 of 119 Maine districts with reliable data report an estimated average teacher salary of $100,000 or more, led by Cape Elizabeth Public Schools at $109,216. This is a district-wide average, not an individual salary, step, or years-of-experience figure.

How does Maine rank after adjusting for cost of living?

Adjusted by the BEA's 2022 Regional Price Parity (100.7, US=100), Maine's purchasing-power-adjusted estimated teacher salary is $76,322, ranking #37 of 51 states and territories, lower than its #29 nominal-salary rank. This is a relative state-level price-level comparison, not take-home pay, taxes, or district/metro cost of living.

Related

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

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. Maine's district figures are aggregated directly from each district's FY2022 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 FY2022.