Highest and lowest paying education jobs in Portland, Maine
Whether you picture hard-working teachers buying school supplies for their students or genius professors shaping future leaders, it's fair to say education encompasses a wide variety of jobs. So much so that there's room to specialize and pursue your passion.
Historically, teachers' pay is a rather contentious topic. The average teacher salary is about $2,000 less than a decade ago after adjusting for inflation. Despite this, many of these jobs are rewarding in more ways than one. In other words, education can be very lucrative—particularly within specialty fields.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest and lowest paying education jobs in Portland-South Portland, ME using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage. Keep reading to discover the highest and lowest paying education jobs in your city.
#24. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Annual mean salary: $33,390
- #196 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,410
- Employment: 374,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Prescott, AZ ($64,310)
--- Appleton, WI ($63,310)
--- Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL ($58,770)
#23. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Annual mean salary: $36,660
- #152 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 520
National
- Annual mean salary: $36,460
- Employment: 391,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($49,990)
--- Ocean City, NJ ($49,720)
--- Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ ($49,560)
#22. Library technicians
- Annual mean salary: $39,660
- #104 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $39,070
- Employment: 73,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Olympia-Tumwater, WA ($61,740)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($59,950)
--- Napa, CA ($57,890)
#21. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $39,790
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,870
National
- Annual mean salary: $31,760
- Employment: 1,187,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($46,390)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($45,080)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($42,820)
#20. Tutors
- Annual mean salary: $40,060
- #121 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,780
- Employment: 147,100
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Pittsfield, MA ($82,910)
--- Santa Fe, NM ($68,440)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($60,110)
#19. Self-enrichment teachers
- Annual mean salary: $48,600
- #77 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 350
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,230
- Employment: 216,910
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($70,350)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($66,650)
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($63,470)
#18. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $53,620
- #242 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,130
- Employment: 105,440
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($116,850)
--- Champaign-Urbana, IL ($97,110)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($95,200)
#17. Kindergarten teachers, except special education
- Annual mean salary: $56,420
- #197 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,490
- Employment: 120,730
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($95,420)
--- Kingston, NY ($92,160)
--- Salinas, CA ($90,490)
#16. Librarians and media collections specialists
- Annual mean salary: $56,490
- #241 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,180
- Employment: 127,790
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($94,230)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,990)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($89,220)
#15. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Annual mean salary: $61,490
- #220 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,700
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,530
- Employment: 1,020,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($104,010)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($101,980)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($97,490)
#14. Special education teachers, middle school
- Annual mean salary: $61,750
- #127 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,860
- Employment: 79,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($117,940)
--- Worcester, MA-CT ($94,630)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($94,140)
#13. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Annual mean salary: $61,910
- #158 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,100
- Employment: 145,690
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($110,320)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($106,590)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($103,540)
#12. Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school
- Annual mean salary: $62,310
- #145 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,090
- Employment: 187,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($102,210)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($92,730)
--- Chico, CA ($88,430)
#11. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Annual mean salary: $62,980
- #168 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,050
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,080
- Employment: 1,329,280
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($92,860)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($91,430)
--- Salinas, CA ($91,280)
#10. Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $63,090
- #55 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,080
- Employment: 13,860
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($136,830)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($123,660)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($121,590)
#9. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Annual mean salary: $64,490
- #140 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,290
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,880
- Employment: 592,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bakersfield, CA ($109,060)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($107,280)
--- Yuba City, CA ($94,480)
#8. Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $65,640
- #127 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,240
- Employment: 94,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($180,910)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($160,360)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($151,060)
#7. Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $69,770
- #118 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $87,980
- Employment: 44,140
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($157,340)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($149,220)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($138,090)
#6. Psychology teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $72,220
- #111 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $88,390
- Employment: 36,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($141,130)
--- Iowa City, IA ($131,770)
--- Ann Arbor, MI ($117,020)
#5. Biological science teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $74,440
- #117 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $98,710
- Employment: 47,690
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR ($181,560)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($166,470)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($152,140)
#4. Instructional coordinators
- Annual mean salary: $76,140
- #63 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,560
- Employment: 184,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salem, OR ($93,890)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($93,760)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($91,430)
#3. Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $76,700
- #92 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $82,040
- Employment: 68,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($146,700)
--- Charlottesville, VA ($109,450)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($109,310)
#2. English language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $77,150
- #58 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $82,680
- Employment: 58,480
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($162,660)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($145,980)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($132,320)
#1. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $90,420
- #130 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $105,720
- Employment: 79,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Auburn-Opelika, AL ($175,640)
--- Ann Arbor, MI ($175,080)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($154,600)