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State profile · NCES F-33 FY2023

Teacher Salary in Maine

Maine is in the smallest third by reported enrollment (166,010 students) among states with NCES enrollment. According to the NCES Common Core of Data finance survey, estimated teacher pay and per-pupil spending are available for every public school district in Maine.

$62,872
Est. state avg salary

Below benchmark

-10.5%
vs national
#34
National rank
183
Districts

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$62,872/year (est.)

Maine is in the smallest third by reported enrollment (166,010 students) among states with NCES enrollment. Estimated average teacher salary is $62,872, materially below the national average of $70,245, ranking #34 of 49, across 119 public school districts with reliable data (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller K-12 enrollment scale: Maine is in the smallest third by reported enrollment (166,010 students) among states with NCES enrollment.
  • lower third nationally (#34 of 49)
  • Maine ranks #34 of 49 on the salary estimate and #40 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • $46,838 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying districts
  • -10.5% vs the national average
  • +20.0% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (balanced cohort, not the FTE average above)
  • #37 of 49 purchasing-power-adjusted (BEA RPP 98.0)

Same-district trend

How does a balanced panel separate change from district turnover?

For the same 153 Maine districts present with valid estimates in every release, the average state figure moved from $72,440 in FY2019 to $86,903 in FY2023 (+20.0%).

The fixed cohort prevents entering or missing districts from masquerading as salary movement. It is still a change in a derived district-level estimate, not evidence of any individual teacher's raise.

Maine purchasing-power check on lower-third pay

Maine's nominal average teacher salary ranks #34 of the 49 states and territories that report teacher salaries. Adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2023 Regional Price Parity (98.0, US = 100, a relative state-level price-level index, not a district or metro cost-of-living figure), the estimate becomes $66,978, ranking #37 of 49 , 3 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. BEA Regional Price Parities · NCES CCD F-33

Maine in the teacher-salary distribution

FY2023 estimated state averages from the same NCES-derived ranking

$62,872 31st percentile higher than 31% of 49 reporting states and territories

Show national distribution $0–$5,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 2 reporting states and territories (4%). Below this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 6 reporting states and territories (12%). Below this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Below this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 9 reporting states and territories (18%). This entry sits in this band. $65,000–$70,000: 7 reporting states and territories (14%). Above this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 2 reporting states and territories (4%). Above this entry. $75,000–$80,000: 4 reporting states and territories (8%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. $115,000–$120,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $120,000–$125,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. Maine $0 $125,000 reporting state salary estimates, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more reporting states and territories. 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; state estimates derived from reported instructional-salary expenditure and teacher FTE · FY2023

Maine's comparable salary trend

Same reporting-district cohort, FY2019-FY2023

FY2023 estimated average
$86,903 19.965081222327267% vs FY2019
153 districts held in the panel
$70,000$75,000$80,000$85,000$90,000 FY2019FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023 Maine est. avg teacher salary, FY2019: $72,440Maine est. avg teacher salary, FY2020: $74,091Maine est. avg teacher salary, FY2021: $81,093Maine est. avg teacher salary, FY2022: $84,188Maine est. avg teacher salary, FY2023: $86,903 $72,440 $86,903 ▲ +20.0%
Read the chart as text
Period Maine est. avg teacher salary
FY2019 $72,440
FY2020 $74,091
FY2021 $81,093
FY2022 $84,188
FY2023 $86,903

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, FY2023 As of FY2023

Top 3 districts

1 $90,864

Cape Elizabeth Public Schools

Est. avg teacher salary
2 $88,770

Scarborough Public Schools

Est. avg teacher salary
3 $86,287

Yarmouth Schools

Est. avg teacher salary

Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment Per-Pupil Exp
Winthrop Public Schools $54,392 831 $19,542
RSU 25 $54,115 1,073 $20,786
RSU 17/MSAD 17 $54,093 3,223 $15,571
RSU 09 $53,720 2,266 $18,947
RSU 55/MSAD 55 $53,458 997 $17,137
Deer Isle-Stonington CSD $53,297 318 $23,723
Calais Public Schools $53,160 579 $21,047
RSU 12 $53,018 908 $28,111
RSU 31/MSAD 31 $52,501 435 $21,340
RSU 41/MSAD 41 $51,130 612 $21,356
RSU 50 $50,426 330 $18,276
RSU 80/MSAD 04 $50,282 502 $19,938
RSU 87/MSAD 23 $49,902 591 $22,731
RSU 33/MSAD 33 $49,835 234 $25,645
Millinocket Public Schools $49,671 443 $19,257
RSU 49/MSAD 49 $49,579 1,895 $17,984
RSU 03/MSAD 03 $48,743 1,070 $16,902
East Millinocket Public Schools $47,099 242 $23,202
Machias Public Schools $44,026 502 $19,506

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
Machias Public Schools $44,026 502
East Millinocket Public Schools $47,099 242
RSU 03/MSAD 03 $48,743 1,070
RSU 49/MSAD 49 $49,579 1,895
Millinocket Public Schools $49,671 443
RSU 33/MSAD 33 $49,835 234
RSU 87/MSAD 23 $49,902 591
RSU 80/MSAD 04 $50,282 502
RSU 50 $50,426 330
RSU 41/MSAD 41 $51,130 612

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

Nationwide peers near Maine's smaller K-12 scale

Two nationwide peer sets for Maine: closest on estimated average teacher salary ($62,872 here) and closest on total student enrollment (166,010 here). Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not geographic containment.

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other states by unweighted district-mean teacher pay (F-33 derived, ≥5 districts with reliable estimates).

Similar enrollment

Nearest other states by NCES-reported K-12 enrollment. Salary peers above are excluded.

Compare Nearby-Ranked States

Nebraska
$63,159
Rank #31
Michigan
$63,155
Rank #32
Virginia
$63,048
Rank #33
Georgia
$61,790
Rank #35

Data: NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey + Staff Universe Survey, FY2023. 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 119 Maine public school districts with reliable data, the average teacher salary is $62,872 (NCES CCD F-33 reported teacher salaries divided by CCD Staff Universe Survey teacher headcounts, FY2023). It is a district-level mean derived from finance filings, so it will not match a contract-salary survey exactly, 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 $90,864, while Machias Public Schools sits at the lower end at $44,026.

How does Maine teacher pay compare to the national average?

Maine's average of $62,872 is materially below the national average of $70,245 (-10.5%), ranking #34 of the 49 jurisdictions with a reliable district estimate.

How many school districts are in Maine?

Maine has 183 public school districts in the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, together serving 165,891 students.

How much do teachers make in Maine?

District-average teacher pay in Maine sits in a comparatively narrow band, from $44,026 in Machias Public Schools to $90,864 in Cape Elizabeth Public Schools. With that little district-to-district spread the statewide figure is a reasonable guide to what most districts pay. These are district-wide averages from NCES CCD F-33 (FY2023), not individual salaries or pay-scale steps.

Can teachers earn $100,000 in Maine?

No Maine district with reliable data reports an estimated average teacher salary at or above $100,000; the state's highest is Cape Elizabeth Public Schools at $90,864. 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?

Within the separate enrollment-weighted state comparison, BEA's 2023 Regional Price Parity (98.0, US=100) adjusts Maine's nominal estimate of $65,614 from #35 to $66,978 and #37. The headline uses an unweighted district mean, so this does not replace it. Neither measure is take-home pay, taxes, or district/metro cost of living.

Explore Maine

Disclaimer & data sources

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