Graphic Designers in Maine
May 2025 wages · tax year 2026
You keep
$47,682
after federal, FICA and Maine tax
Tax takes
$12,348
20.6% of the whole
Worth, in national money
$49,108
Maine costs less than average
On that salary you would be around the 25th percentile for this work in Maine — roughly, since only five points along the band are published.
One filer, standard deduction, no dependants and nothing paid in before tax — the same household the rest of this page uses, so the comparison holds. City and school-district income taxes are not included.
Median here
$60,030
Kept after tax
$47,682
Worth in national money
$49,108
State rank
26
of 51 states
What this pays, and what it is worth
- Neither high nor low. Maine is 26 of 51 states for graphic designers, with a middle wage of $60,030. What that is worth is the question the rest of this page answers.
- Middle of the local pack. Of 484 occupations Maine reports figures for, this is number 242.
- No great distortion either way. Maine costs about what the country costs, so from $60,030, take-home of $47,682 is worth roughly $49,108 in national money. The average comes to $61,780, above the middle, thanks to the top of the range.
- Maine ranks 26 of 51 for graphic designers at $60,030. The nominal figure is unremarkable; the adjusted figures are where the state's actual position for this occupation is determined.
- In Maine's occupational distribution, graphic designers sits at 242 of 484 — neither quartile. This local position is what a resident compares against, and it is determined by the state's own labor market rather than by national patterns for this occupation.
- Price parity in Maine is near the national base, so for graphic designers, whose median is $60,030, the adjusted figure of $49,108 differs little from $47,682 retained after tax. The state's position for this occupation is therefore set by wage and tax rather than by living costs. At $61,780 the mean overshoots the median — the usual right-skewed shape.
Compare this career across states
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Pay band: Graphic Designers
The state median for this job
| Lowest tenth earn under | $39,160 |
|---|---|
| Half earn under | $60,030 |
| Top tenth earn over | $79,000 |
| This salary | $60,030 |
Positions between the published tenth, quarter, half, three-quarter and ninetieth points are estimated by straight line.
The same pay, somewhere else
The state median for this job
| Take-home in Maine | $47,682 |
|---|---|
| Take-home in Texas | $50,414 |
| Once local prices are leveledBEA price parity | +$2,772 |
State income tax and state price levels only. No city income tax, and no housing market.
What you would need there
The state median for this job
| To match take-home only | $56,630 |
|---|---|
| You could take a cut of | −$3,352 |
| Prices in Texas | 97 vs 97 |
State taxes and state price levels only. No city tax, and no housing market.
Sources and assumptions
- Treat $60,030 as a midpoint for Maine, not a promise. The tenth percentile is $39,160 and the ninetieth is $79,000 — a wide band, and where you land in it depends on far more than the state.
- In Maine the take-home figure of $47,682, from $60,030, assumes one filer, no dependants, and nothing paid into a pension before tax. Each of those lowers the bill, so treat it as the plain case. City and school-district income taxes are not included either, and in a few states those are real money. It ranks 242 of 484 occupations here.
- The wage data and the price data come from different years. That is how each is published. The price adjustment behind $49,108 uses one figure for the whole of Maine. A city and a rural county there can differ by more than two states do. Out of 484 occupations the state publishes, this one sits at 242.
- The Maine median of $60,030 describes the midpoint of a distribution spanning $39,160 to $79,000. Because that spread is typically larger than the interstate spread, a state median is a weak predictor for any individual worker in this occupation.
- Take-home for Maine is computed for a single filer taking the standard deduction with no dependants and no pre-tax contributions, giving $47,682 from $60,030. Each omitted item reduces taxable income, so the figure is a lower bound on retained pay for this household shape. Municipal and school-district income taxes are excluded, which understates the burden materially in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The occupation ranks 242 of 484 locally.
- Wage and price series carry different reference periods, each published on its own schedule. The real-terms figure of $49,108, worked from $60,030, deflates by a statewide parity that conceals substantial intra-state variation, concentrated in housing — so it supports comparison between states rather than the pricing of a move to a particular Maine address, on work sitting at 242 of 484 locally.
Questions people ask
How much does pay for this job actually vary?
The range here is narrow. From $39,160 at the bottom tenth to $79,000 at the top, pay for this work clusters rather than spreads.
What does this pay actually buy where I live?
More than the figure suggests. Prices in Maine sit below the national level, so take-home here stretches like $49,108 would elsewhere. The wage is the same; the ground it covers is larger.
Where does the difference between the wage and my paycheck go?
Three of them are federal and one is not. After income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Maine's own levy, $47,682 remains.
Can I compare this job across every state?
Yes for this one. Pay is published in all 51 jurisdictions, so a state-to-state comparison here rests on the same survey everywhere rather than on a patchwork.
What is the dispersion of this occupation's wage distribution?
The tenth-to-ninetieth percentile span ($39,160 to $79,000) sits at or below the family's median dispersion, indicating relatively standardized compensation. Percentiles are published per state, so this dispersion is specific to Maine rather than a national figure.
What is this occupation's price-adjusted compensation in this state?
Maine's regional price parity is at or below the national average, so nominal wages understate purchasing power. Take-home deflated by the state price level is $49,108 in national-average terms. The adjustment uses an all-items index and does not isolate housing.
What accounts for the gap between gross wage and take-home here?
Take-home of $47,682 reflects federal income tax, OASDI, Medicare and Maine income tax for a single filer with no adjustments. The state layer is levied in addition to the federal one; only its rate and base differ between states.
Is this occupation's state coverage complete?
State-level estimates are published for all 51 jurisdictions for this occupation, so cross-state comparison is not confounded by suppression. ⚠️ Estimates remain survey-based and carry sampling error; small differences between adjacent states should not be over-read.