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 5,180 jobs. The three largest employers of nursing assistants are Portland-South Portland (3,380 jobs), Bangor (1,110 jobs), Lewiston-Auburn (690 jobs), which hold 100.0% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $46,970 to $48,570 a year, against $47,070 for the whole state and $42,260 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $42,260 a year for nursing assistants (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $33,940 and the highest-paid tenth over $51,980). Employment is projected to change by +2.6% between 2025 and 2035, with about 196,200 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: Postsecondary nondegree award. 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.
Nursing assistants in Maine: the highest median pay is in the Lewiston-Auburn, ME area ($48,570 a year); the most jobs are in the Portland-South Portland, ME area (3,380). Statewide the median is $47,070 with 8,540 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) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | 690 | $48,570 | $41,480 | $60,230 | 1.55 | 25% | 94.7 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | 3,380 | $48,180 | $41,280 | $58,790 | 1.26 | 37% | 101.9 |
| Bangor, ME | 1,110 | $46,970 | $38,920 | $60,220 | 1.65 | 27% | 96.5 |
National page: Nursing assistants →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 Lewiston-Auburn, ME area, with a median of $48,570 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Portland-South Portland, ME area, with 3,380 jobs.