Jobs, pay and daily life in Orono, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Orono is a city in Maine with 11,151 residents. The median household earns $59,784 a year and the median rent is $1,280 a month, which is 25.7% of the median household income. It is part of the Bangor, ME metropolitan area, where BLS counts 72,270 jobs.
How Orono compares. Among the 40 largest places in Maine, Orono is #13 by population, #1 for college degrees (#1 = most), #39 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #5 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Penobscot County, is #7 of 16 counties for average pay ($55,593).
Orono has 11,151 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.8% of the population of Maine. It covers 7 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,581 people per square mile. The median age is 21.6, 52% younger than the state median (21.6 against 44.8). It is a census-designated place: a community the Census Bureau counts as a unit, without a city government of its own, so services such as police, roads and zoning usually come from the county.
The median gross rent is $1,280 a month (rent plus utilities), 12% above the state median ($1,280 against $1,139). Over a year that is 25.7% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $262,900, which is 4.4 times the median household income ($59,784). 41.7% of households own their home, 44% below the state average (41.7% against 74.3%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Bangor, ME metropolitan area has 72,270 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $47,960 a year, 6% below the national median ($47,960 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (8,560 jobs, median $46,890); sales and related (6,680 jobs, median $36,360); food preparation and serving related (6,670 jobs, median $35,590). The area is most specialised in healthcare practitioners and technical (1.3 times) and sales and related (1.1 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are healthcare practitioners and technical ($82,410) and office and administrative support ($46,890). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Penobscot County was 3.4%. 58.7% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Penobscot County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 58.5% drive alone, 0.6% use public transit, 18.9% walk, 11.0% work from home. 4.4% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 70% below the state average (4.4% against 14.5%).
69.8% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 93% above the state share (69.8% against 36.2%). 5.7% of residents were born outside the United States, 40% above the state share (5.7% against 4.1%). The poverty rate is 27.0%, 151% above the state rate (27.0% against 10.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 68°F (19.9°C), and the coolest is Jan at 17°F (-8.6°C). About 1,212 mm (48 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Oct is the wettest month (142 mm) and Feb the driest (73 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Old Town (6 miles, rent 23% lower); Bangor (6 miles, rent 18% lower); Brewer (7 miles, rent 15% lower); Hampden (12 miles, rent 11% lower). Rent differences are against Orono; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Maine (185) →State guide: MaineCountry guidePenobscot CountyMaine rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 185 federal postings open in Maine (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,550 | 1.42 | $34,140 | $30,470 | $37,700 | +9% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 2,290 | 1.14 | $37,900 | $34,160 | $44,900 | +6% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,210 | 1.22 | $35,560 | $30,630 | $47,850 | +0% |
| Registered Nurses | 2,190 | 1.39 | $93,940 | $75,580 | $102,660 | -4% |
| Cashiers | 1,990 | 1.38 | $32,200 | $30,470 | $37,090 | -2% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,440 | 1.09 | $37,040 | $31,050 | $47,570 | -1% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,440 | 1.50 | $56,250 | $39,100 | $64,290 | -4% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,430 | 0.88 | $91,110 | $47,990 | $175,110 | -14% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,390 | 1.22 | $45,310 | $33,860 | $57,770 | +1% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,370 | 1.34 | $37,080 | $32,780 | $47,190 | +1% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,110 | 1.65 | $46,970 | $38,920 | $60,220 | +11% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,030 | 1.56 | $45,120 | $35,600 | $49,570 | +23% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 940 | 1.45 | $60,080 | $46,380 | $83,490 | -6% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 900 | 0.85 | $45,610 | $30,470 | $91,180 | +29% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 870 | 1.10 | $48,170 | $39,210 | $59,320 | +1% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 780 | 1.23 | $49,000 | $39,510 | $66,500 | -3% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 760 | 1.46 | $52,200 | $38,620 | $74,520 | +8% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 720 | 0.53 | $41,600 | $31,170 | $48,160 | +3% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 710 | 0.59 | $42,530 | $34,080 | $59,430 | -5% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 680 | 1.02 | $64,620 | $46,680 | $102,230 | -7% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 2,190 | 1.39 | $93,940 | $75,580 | $102,660 | -4% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,430 | 0.88 | $91,110 | $47,990 | $175,110 | -14% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 680 | 1.02 | $64,620 | $46,680 | $102,230 | -7% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 940 | 1.45 | $60,080 | $46,380 | $83,490 | -6% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,440 | 1.50 | $56,250 | $39,100 | $64,290 | -4% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 760 | 1.46 | $52,200 | $38,620 | $74,520 | +8% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 780 | 1.23 | $49,000 | $39,510 | $66,500 | -3% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 870 | 1.10 | $48,170 | $39,210 | $59,320 | +1% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 650 | 1.46 | $47,640 | $38,630 | $58,580 | +4% |
| Medical Assistants | 670 | 1.77 | $47,120 | $39,620 | $55,860 | +3% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,110 | 1.65 | $46,970 | $38,920 | $60,220 | +11% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 600 | 0.84 | $46,960 | $36,240 | $68,900 | -5% |
| Social and Human Service Assistants | 660 | 3.22 | $46,590 | $38,550 | $59,040 | +1% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 900 | 0.85 | $45,610 | $30,470 | $91,180 | +29% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,390 | 1.22 | $45,310 | $33,860 | $57,770 | +1% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,030 | 1.56 | $45,120 | $35,600 | $49,570 | +23% |
| Construction Laborers | 530 | 1.05 | $44,420 | $33,700 | $55,730 | -6% |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 510 | 1.16 | $43,620 | $32,830 | $50,680 | +11% |
| Light Truck Drivers | 580 | 1.27 | $43,420 | $31,290 | $93,670 | -3% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 710 | 0.59 | $42,530 | $34,080 | $59,430 | -5% |
These figures are for the whole Bangor, ME metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $47,960 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.4% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 48.8% |
| Retail trade | 12.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 11.4% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.3% |
| Manufacturing | 5.1% |
| Other services | 3.4% |
| Public administration | 3.0% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 1.8% |
| Construction | 1.5% |
| Information | 1.0% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 1.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Orono lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penobscot County | 154,710 | $9,643 million | $62,333 | 71,983 | 5,259 | $55,593 | +2.2% | 3.4% | 74,881 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 15,681 | 26.7% | $65,036 | 1.52 |
| Retail trade | 10,657 | 18.1% | $38,540 | 1.48 |
| Accommodation and food services | 6,263 | 10.7% | $27,776 | 0.96 |
| Construction | 3,921 | 6.7% | $70,658 | 1.04 |
| Manufacturing | 2,830 | 4.8% | $60,968 | 0.48 |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,745 | 4.7% | $39,076 | 0.65 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,682 | 4.6% | $54,324 | 0.88 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,284 | 3.9% | $71,187 | 0.81 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,253 | 3.8% | $80,099 | 0.45 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,906 | 3.2% | $40,960 | 0.88 |
| Management of companies | 1,893 | 3.2% | $93,616 | 1.56 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,448 | 2.5% | $83,217 | 0.50 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,146 | 2.0% | $22,028 | 0.95 |
| Educational services | 1,100 | 1.9% | $45,837 | 0.74 |
| Real estate and rental | 782 | 1.3% | $51,989 | 0.70 |
| Information | 754 | 1.3% | $67,439 | 0.56 |
| Utilities | 386 | 0.7% | $118,429 | 1.41 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 58.5% |
| Public transit | 0.6% |
| Walk | 18.9% |
| Work from home | 11.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 4.4% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,784 |
| Income per person | $25,481 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,280 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 25.7% |
| Median home value | $262,900 |
| Homeowners | 41.7% |
| Poverty rate | 27.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 96.5 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $47,960 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 7.15%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 21.6 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 98.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 69.8% |
| Born abroad | 5.7% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 58.7% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -8.6 | 17 | 74 |
| Feb | -7.4 | 19 | 73 |
| Mar | -2.1 | 28 | 83 |
| Apr | 5.0 | 41 | 103 |
| May | 11.4 | 53 | 99 |
| Jun | 16.4 | 62 | 120 |
| Jul | 19.9 | 68 | 90 |
| Aug | 19.4 | 67 | 100 |
| Sep | 15.6 | 60 | 93 |
| Oct | 8.8 | 48 | 142 |
| Nov | 2.2 | 36 | 117 |
| Dec | -4.4 | 24 | 118 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town | ME | 6 mi | 7,470 | $51,585 | $989 |
| Bangor | ME | 6 mi | 31,938 | $59,942 | $1,055 |
| Brewer | ME | 7 mi | 9,652 | $66,613 | $1,086 |
| Hampden | ME | 12 mi | 5,161 | $112,228 | $1,133 |
| Ellsworth | ME | 23 mi | 8,657 | $77,375 | $1,017 |
| Belfast | ME | 35 mi | 6,986 | $67,679 | $962 |
| Winslow | ME | 50 mi | 5,873 | $59,547 | $1,036 |
| Skowhegan | ME | 51 mi | 6,662 | $45,388 | $880 |
| Waterville | ME | 53 mi | 17,077 | $53,580 | $978 |
| Millinocket | ME | 54 mi | 3,779 | $50,445 | $451 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
11,151 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,280 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 25.7% of the median household income.
$59,784 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.4% (BLS county, Penobscot County (latest month 2026M09)).
Maine. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.