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 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
3 metro areas in Maine publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 6,420 jobs. The three largest employers of waiters and waitresses are Portland-South Portland (5,070 jobs), Bangor (900 jobs), Lewiston-Auburn (450 jobs), which hold 100.0% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $43,130 to $45,610 a year, against $43,370 for the whole state and $35,230 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $35,230 a year for waiters and waitresses (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $18,100 and the highest-paid tenth over $64,720). Employment is projected to change by +2.0% between 2025 and 2035, with about 423,100 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.
Waiters and waitresses in Maine: the highest median pay is in the Bangor, ME area ($45,610 a year); the most jobs are in the Portland-South Portland, ME area (5,070). Statewide the median is $43,370 with 9,090 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) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor, ME | 900 | $45,610 | $30,470 | $91,180 | 0.85 | 27% | 96.5 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | 5,070 | $44,070 | $31,130 | $87,790 | 1.20 | 40% | 101.9 |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | 450 | $43,130 | $30,470 | $80,540 | 0.65 | 28% | 94.7 |
National page: Waiters and waitresses →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 Bangor, ME area, with a median of $45,610 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Portland-South Portland, ME area, with 5,070 jobs.