MEA data shows that while educator pay has risen across all job categories, wages are still not keeping pace with inflation. For thousands of Maine educators, the lived experience is the same: they love their work, but the numbers don’t work for them.

→Key Takeaways

• The average statewide starting professional salary increased by 4%, reaching $45,830.
• York County has the highest average starting salary at $49,963, while Cumberland County saw the fastest growth, with starting salaries rising more than 5% last year.
• Maine’s average professional salary has grown more than 10% since 2023, rising to $68,820 in 2025–2026, yet it still trails the national average of $72,030.
• Professional salaries grew the most in Sagadahoc County, increasing 8% year over year.

Educators throughout Maine are struggling with higher housing and energy bills, more student loan debt, and the challenge of supporting their families. Even though salaries have gone up recently, many say these raises are not enough to match the rising cost of living. As a result, their financial situation is getting worse.

In February, MEA members returned to the State House to speak at the joint session of the Education and Financial Affairs Committees, where they urged lawmakers to raise the minimum salary to $50K.

One of those educators, was MEA Board member Stephanie Wigginton, a veteran teacher with over a decade of experience. She shared the financial realities she faces, despite a decade in the classroom and a graduate degree.

“Maine has among the lowest beginning teacher salaries [in the country]. I am currently in my 10th year of teaching, I have a graduate degree, and I still do not make $60k annually,” she told the committee. “I’m blessed to be the mother of three kids but as a single-parent household, my $58,000 salary simply isn’t enough. The last few years, I have worked multiple jobs to provide for my children and myself. One job should be enough.”

Wigginton’s story is far from unique. According to data from the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), more than 1,400 teachers leave the profession each year, while only about 400 new educators graduate from Maine’s teacher preparation programs. The imbalance is growing—and educators say compensation remains central factor driving them away.

This strain is worsened by growing pay gaps across Maine, as salary growth rates are very different from one county to another.

This year, Cumberland County reported the largest increase in starting salaries, raising the average by over $2,500, or more than 5%. In contrast, Aroostook and Piscataquis counties experienced minimal growth, with starting salaries rising by only 2%, or less than $1,000 for the year.

Counties with faster growth in starting salaries, Sagadahoc and Hancock, saw increases of over 4%. Both counties also reported overall professional salary increases between 5% and 9%, showing that raising entry-level salaries benefits educators across the pay scale.

→Wages Adjusted for Inflation

Maine established a $30,000 minimum teacher salary in 2007, marking significant progress. More than a decade later, lawmakers approved a phased increase beginning in the 2020–2021 school year, raising the minimum to $40,000 over three years, where it remains.

However, the current minimum no longer reflects rising costs. Adjusted for inflation, the original $30,000 would equal $46,526, well above today’s statewide minimum. Despite recent increases, starting salaries in ten Maine counties remain below this benchmark, leaving many early-career educators earning less in real dollars than those who entered the profession a decade ago.

In many parts of Maine, educator wages have not kept pace with the cost of living. When current starting salaries are compared to inflation-adjusted figures based on 2016 buying power, there are substantial and widening disparities between counties in both starting and average professional salaries. In these counties, educators earn thousands of dollars less in real buying power than those who started a decade ago.

The impact is most pronounced in Somerset and Piscataquis Counties, where starting salaries have lagged significantly behind inflation. Teachers now begin their careers earning about 5% less in real dollars, than those who entered the profession ten years ago.

This financial strain is a daily reality for many early-career educators in Maine, including MEA board member Kendrah Fisher, now in her third year teaching middle school in Piscataquis County.

In February, Fisher addressed legislators, sharing her experience and pointing out challenges many early career educators face as paychecks no longer cover as much as they once did.

“This year has been hard. Not because I don’t love my job, but because the reality of being a public school teacher in Maine is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain,” she told the committee. “The workload continues to grow, while pay has not kept up with the cost of living. There have been moments this year where I’ve honestly questioned whether I can afford to stay in this profession, both financially and in terms of achieving my personal goals of owning a home or starting a family with my husband.”

Fisher’s testimony reflects a broader reality facing many early‑career educators across Maine, who say their paychecks no longer stretch far enough to meet rising living costs.

Although starting salaries in some counties have kept pace with inflation or remained stable, overall salary averages are more concerning. In all but one county, the average teacher salary has failed to keep up with inflation, resulting in experienced educators also losing real wages each year.

In nearly every county in Maine, educators now earn less than they did ten years ago.

→Cost of Living

MEA’s salary analysis is especially significant when evaluated alongside the United Way’s ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Household Stability Budget. The ALICE budget represents the true cost of attaining economic stability in Maine, encompassing the ability to save for emergencies and long-term objectives such as homeownership or future expenditures.

When you compare the cost of living with starting salaries, it’s clear that new educators do not make enough to reach financial stability as they advance in their careers.

For example, Cumberland County saw the largest increase in starting salaries this year, about 5% or $2,500. Still, a first-year professional in the county earns over $1,600 per month less than the financial stability threshold set by the United Way’s ALICE framework for one adult. As a result, these professionals struggle to afford essential expenses like housing, transportation, healthcare, and saving for long-term goals such as buying a home or paying off student loan debt¹.

Simply put, wages are increasing, but the cost of living is rising faster.

→The Value of a Master’s Degree Depends on Where You Teach

Most teaching contracts in Maine give educators a pay increase for earning a master’s degree, but the value of a master’s degree varies dramatically by county.

In Somerset County, educators receive the largest boost for earning an advanced degree—about $5,356 more per year. Meanwhile, in Washington County, the increase is less than half that, only $2,515 annually.

MEA’s Support Staff Minimum Wage Bill Pays Off

→Key Takeaways ESP Pay:

• ESP wages have risen 20% since 2022–2023, supported in part by LD 974, which raised the minimum wage for hourly school employees in 2024.
• Sagadahoc County has the highest average ESP pay at $42,792 per year.
• Washington County saw the fastest year‑over‑year growth, with ESP wages rising 11%, nearly double the statewide increase of 6%.

Following the passage of LD 974: An Act to Establish Minimum Pay for Educational Technicians and Other School Support Staff, wages for education support professionals (ESPs) across Maine have increased significantly.

Starting July 1, 2025, the law establishes new minimum wages. Educational technicians will earn at least 125% of the state minimum wage, while all other hourly school support staff will earn at least 115%. This was significant progress toward closing long-standing pay gaps for the staff and it’s paying off across the state.

Because these wages are tied to the state’s minimum wage, ESPs will see their pay increase each year. These annual adjustments are an important step toward fairer pay, particularly for hourly educators in rural counties where wages have historically been low.

This year alone, wages for hourly employees in Washington County increased by 11%, while Aroostook County, which has the lowest average salary for support staff, still experienced a 7% increase.

Statewide, the average hourly wage for all support staff categories exceeds $25 this year, representing a 19% increase over 2022–2023. This growth helps employees who support Maine students keep up with rising living costs and remain in the jobs they value.

For the 2025–2026 school year, the minimum hourly wage will be:

• Ed Techs: $18.31 per hour
• All other hourly school staff: $16.85 per hour

On July 1, 2026, those rates will rise again to:

• Ed Techs: $18.88 per hour
• All other hourly staff: $17.37 per hour

MEA Salary Guide Snapshot 2025-26

The average statewide ESP salary grew over 6% last year.