SOC 35-2014 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Cooks, Restaurant — Portland
Portland-South Portland, ME · 2 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Portland, ME comes to $46,560 a year, ahead of the national median of $37,390 by 24.5%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow much faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +14.9%
- Openings per year
- 250,700
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Portland-South Portland, ME.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in Portland, ME comes to $46,560 a year, ahead of the national median of $37,390 by 24.5%. Pay ranges from under $38,570 at the tenth percentile to more than $54,830 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $42,450 to $48,660.
Employment stands at 2,730, or 9.5 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Lewiston records the highest median at $44,510. Of the 501 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 420th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $38,570 | +3.2% |
| 25th | $42,450 | +13.5% |
| Median (50th) | $46,560 | +24.5% |
| 75th | $48,660 | +30.1% |
| 90th | $54,830 | +46.6% |
| Mean | $46,670 | +24.8% |
Other metro areas in Maine
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Portland sit close to the national average, so $46,560 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$46,560as reported by BLSLocal price level
101.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$45,692US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $46,560 a year, 24.5% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $38,570 to $54,830 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 2,730 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Lewiston, at $44,510.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Portland, ME?
The median annual wage is $46,560, or $22.39 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $37,390, so pay in Portland, ME is 24.5% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Portland, ME earns more than $54,830 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $38,570 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Lewiston, at $44,510 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 2,730 jobs in this occupation in Portland, ME. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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