Maine revised its withholding tables partway through this year. The August edition raised the standard deduction used in the formula and added a surcharge on very high incomes, replacing the tables employers had used since January. The calculator follows the revised edition, so a paycheck from early in the year may show slightly different state withholding from what you see here.
The standard deduction in Maine’s formula does not stay fixed. It shrinks gradually once annual pay passes a set level and disappears entirely at a higher one, with separate ranges for single and married employees. On top of that come three graduated rates, plus the surcharge band at the very top. The combined effect is that the share of pay going to Maine climbs faster across upper-middle salaries than the rates alone suggest; the table below shows it in dollars. Withholding is rounded to the nearest whole dollar each paycheck.
Form W-4ME is separate from the federal W-4 and still uses allowances, one for yourself, one for a spouse on a joint return, one for head of household and one per qualifying child or dependent. With no W-4ME on file, the employer withholds as single with no allowances. Married people filing separately and heads of household are withheld on at the single rate. One federal habit does not carry over: deductions entered on the federal W-4’s Step 4(b) do not reduce Maine withholding.
Paychecks also carry the employee share of Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave, which began paying benefits this spring. Larger employers may pass up to half the contribution on to employees, while the smallest may pass on all of their lower contribution, and either way the employee portion has the same ceiling. Wages above the Social Security wage base are not counted.
Maine has no local income taxes and no reciprocal agreements. A New Hampshire resident working in Maine has Maine tax withheld with no home-state tax to credit it against.
How Maine taxes your paycheck
State income tax withholding
On the tax return, Maine taxes income in brackets, and the rate on the highest bracket is 9.15%. Employers' withholding tables use the same rates, so the highest slice of pay is withheld at 9.15% too. The withholding figures here follow Maine's own instructions for employers.
For a single filer paid every two weeks, Maine withholds 3.3% of a $30,000 salary and 6.6% of $150,000:
| Salary | Maine tax withheld | Share of pay |
|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $988 | 3.3% |
| $50,000 | $2,236 | 4.5% |
| $75,000 | $3,926 | 5.2% |
| $100,000 | $5,720 | 5.7% |
| $150,000 | $9,880 | 6.6% |
Payroll levies
Besides income tax, one payroll levy comes out of each Maine paycheck: $257 a year at the median wage.
- ME Paid Family and Medical Leave (employee): 0.5% of wages up to $184,500 a year. On the median wage that is $257.14 a year.
City and county taxes
No Maine city or county withholds income tax from wages, so state income tax and ME Paid Family and Medical Leave (employee) are the only Maine lines on your pay stub.
Living in one state and working in another
Maine has no reciprocal agreements, so it withholds from everyone who works there, wherever they live. If you live elsewhere, your home state may withhold too, usually less a credit for the Maine tax.
If you live in Maine and the job is across a state line, both states withhold, but Maine takes the other state's tax off its own amount. The calculator does this when you enter both states, and the guide to reciprocity agreements explains where neighboring states skip withholding altogether.
Maine take-home pay by salary
Net pay per paycheck at each salary, single with no 401(k), benefits or extra withholding, living and working in Maine. It runs from $967.19 every two weeks on $30,000 to $3,967.73 on $150,000. For a 401(k), health premiums or a different filing status, use the calculator above.
| Salary | Weekly | Every two weeks | Twice a month | Monthly | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $483.59 | $967.19 | $1,047.95 | $2,094.92 | $25,147 |
| $40,000 | $626.16 | $1,251.31 | $1,355.67 | $2,712.33 | $32,534 |
| $50,000 | $766.71 | $1,533.43 | $1,660.36 | $3,321.76 | $39,869 |
| $60,000 | $907.27 | $1,814.53 | $1,965.08 | $3,930.17 | $47,178 |
| $75,000 | $1,101.27 | $2,203.52 | $2,386.73 | $4,773.45 | $57,291 |
| $90,000 | $1,282.75 | $2,565.50 | $2,779.29 | $5,558.58 | $66,703 |
| $100,000 | $1,403.08 | $2,806.15 | $3,040.34 | $6,080.66 | $72,960 |
| $125,000 | $1,697.66 | $3,396.32 | $3,679.27 | $7,358.55 | $88,304 |
| $150,000 | $1,983.87 | $3,967.73 | $4,299.04 | $8,597.08 | $103,161 |
Hourly pay after tax in Maine
At 40 hours a week, $25.00 an hour comes to $794.42 in a weekly paycheck and $41,310 over the year, which is $19.86 for each hour worked. Overtime, tips and a different schedule change these figures: switch the calculator to its Hourly tab to enter them.
| Hourly wage | Weekly paycheck | Year | Per hour after tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $501.02 | $26,027 | $12.51 |
| $20.00 | $648.72 | $33,708 | $16.21 |
| $25.00 | $794.42 | $41,310 | $19.86 |
| $30.00 | $941.12 | $48,913 | $23.52 |
| $40.00 | $1,200.41 | $62,447 | $30.02 |
| $50.00 | $1,450.81 | $75,442 | $36.27 |
Worked example: the median wage in Maine
The median annual wage in Maine is $51,430: half of all jobs pay more and half pay less, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey for May 2025 (all occupations; survey date May 31, 2025). Paid every two weeks as a single filer, with no 401(k) or benefits, that salary works out like this.
| Line | Each paycheck | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $1,978.08 | $51,430.00 |
| Federal income tax | $153.52 | $3,991.51 |
| Social Security | $122.64 | $3,188.64 |
| Medicare | $28.68 | $745.68 |
| Maine income tax | $90.00 | $2,340.00 |
| ME Paid Family and Medical Leave (employee) | $9.89 | $257.14 |
| Take-home pay | $1,573.35 | $40,907.03 |
You keep 79.5% of gross pay. Of the $10,523 withheld, federal income tax is the largest part at $3,992, followed by Social Security at $3,189.
Maine paycheck questions
How much is $51,430 a year after taxes in Maine?
Paid every two weeks as a single filer with no pre-tax deductions, $51,430 a year in Maine leaves $40,907 after tax, or $1,573.35 a paycheck. Federal income tax takes $3,992 and Social Security and Medicare $3,934; Maine income tax takes $2,340; state payroll levies take $257. $51,430 is the median annual wage for all jobs in Maine in the Bureau of Labor Statistics survey for May 2025.
What is the top income tax rate in Maine on a paycheck?
On the tax return, Maine taxes income in brackets, and the rate on the highest bracket is 9.15%. Employers' withholding tables use the same rates, so the highest slice of pay is withheld at 9.15% too. At the median wage, Maine withholds 4.5% of gross pay.
What does Maine deduct from a paycheck besides income tax?
ME Paid Family and Medical Leave (employee): 0.5% of wages up to $184,500 a year. At the median wage these come to $257 for the year.
I live in another state and work in Maine. Which state withholds?
Maine has no reciprocal agreements, so it withholds from everyone who works there. Your home state may withhold too, usually less a credit for the Maine tax.
What is $75,000 a year biweekly in Maine?
$2,203.52 a paycheck, single, with no 401(k) or other deductions. Paid twice a month it is $2,386.73, and monthly $4,773.45. Over the year that is $57,291.
Sources
- IRS Publication 15-T, Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods
- Social Security Administration, contribution and benefit base
- Maine employer withholding instructions
- Maine income tax rates on the return
- ME Paid Family and Medical Leave (employee)
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Rules checked . How we calculate.