Ranked by median pay, with jobs and rent share; from BLS and Census data.
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 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
3 metro areas in Maine publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 12,080 jobs. The three largest employers of fast food and counter workers are Portland-South Portland (8,040 jobs), Bangor (2,550 jobs), Lewiston-Auburn (1,490 jobs), which hold 100.0% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $34,140 to $35,300 a year, against $34,710 for the whole state and $31,200 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $31,200 a year for fast food and counter workers (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $22,840 and the highest-paid tenth over $42,650). Employment is projected to change by +5.8% between 2025 and 2035, with about 827,400 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: No formal educational credential; on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. Education requirements are BLS's typical ones, not legal rules; many states also license this work, so check the state board before applying.
Higher pay is not the whole story: look at the rent share column (yearly rent divided by median pay) and the price level (100 is the national average). A metro with a lower salary but cheaper housing can leave more money at the end of the month. The location quotient shows where the occupation is concentrated; employers cluster where it is above 1, which usually means more openings and more competition among employers for the same skills.
Fast food and counter workers in Maine: the highest median pay is in the Portland-South Portland, ME area ($35,300 a year); the most jobs are in the Portland-South Portland, ME area (8,040). Statewide the median is $34,710 with 17,250 jobs. Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation are listed; click a column to sort.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ | Price level (US = 100) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-South Portland, ME | 8,040 | $35,300 | $31,190 | $42,990 | 1.12 | 50% | 101.9 |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | 1,490 | $34,720 | $30,780 | $41,090 | 1.26 | 35% | 94.7 |
| Bangor, ME | 2,550 | $34,140 | $30,470 | $37,700 | 1.42 | 37% | 96.5 |
National page: Fast food and counter workers →Cities of Maine
Rent uses the metro median gross rent (ACS) and appears only for metros that contain a city of this guide. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure or we have no rent for that metro.
In the Portland-South Portland, ME area, with a median of $35,300 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Portland-South Portland, ME area, with 8,040 jobs.