Maine Paycheck Calculator 2026
Enter your pay and your W-4ME to see what lands in your bank account. Maine income tax runs from 5.8% to 7.15%, and up to 0.5% of your pay can go to Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave — we show both.
| Per paycheck | Amount | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,115.38 | $55,000.00 |
| Federal income tax · withheld | −$170.00 | −$4,420.00 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$131.15 | −$3,410.00 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | −$30.67 | −$797.50 |
| Maine income tax · withheld | −$87.00 | −$2,262.00 |
| Maine Paid Family & Medical Leave · 0.5% (the most taken from pay) | −$10.58 | −$275.00 |
| Take-home pay | $1,685.98 | $43,835.50 |
How the federal income tax was worked out
| Pay subject to income tax, for the year · $2,115.38 × 26 paychecks | $55,000.00 |
| Minus the IRS withholding allowance · Pub 15-T Worksheet 1A, line 1g | −$8,600.00 |
| Adjusted yearly wage | $46,400.00 |
| Tax from the IRS yearly table · standard table | $4,420.00 |
| Federal income tax per paycheck · divided by 26 | $170.00 |
IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Worksheet 1A — the percentage method payroll software uses for a Form W-4 from 2020 or later. Your employer's figure can differ by a few cents because of rounding.
How the Maine income tax was worked out
| Pay subject to Maine tax this paycheck · same as federal: after pre-tax 401(k) and benefits | $2,115.38 |
| Yearly pay (Step 1) · 2115.38 × 26 | $54,999.88 |
| Minus W-4ME allowances (Step 2) · 1 × $5,300 | −$5,300.00 |
| Minus Maine standard deduction (Step 3) · single: full amount | −$12,450.00 |
| Yearly income for withholding (Step 4) · single rate schedule | $37,249.88 |
| Yearly Maine withholding (Step 5) · $1,589 + 6.75% of the amount over $27,400 | $2,253.87 |
| Maine withholding for one paycheck (Step 6) · ÷ 26, rounded to the nearest dollar | $87.00 |
What comes out of a Maine paycheck
- Federal income tax withholding — worked out from your pay and your Form W-4, using the IRS tables for 2026.
- Social Security — 6.2% of your pay, up to $184,500 of pay in 2026. Above that, it stops for the rest of the year.
- Medicare — 1.45% of all your pay, plus 0.9% on pay above $200,000 in the year.
A Maine paycheck usually has two state lines:
- Maine income tax, worked out with Maine Revenue Services' percentage method. The rates are 5.8%, 6.75% and 7.15%.
- Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave: up to 0.5% of your wages ($5 per $1,000). It stops once your pay for the year passes the Social Security wage base of $184,500, so the most taken from your pay in 2026 is $922.50.
Here is how the income tax is worked out. Your employer multiplies this paycheck by the number of paydays in the year. It takes off $5,300 for each allowance on your W-4ME. Then it takes off a standard deduction: $12,450 on the single rate or $27,750 on the married rate. The tax on what is left comes from the rate schedule, and the yearly amount is split across your paydays and rounded to the nearest dollar. Open "How the Maine income tax was worked out" under the result to see each step.
What's different about Maine
The standard deduction fades out at higher pay
On the single rate, the full $12,450 applies while your yearly pay is $102,250 or less. Above that it shrinks step by step and is gone at $177,250. On the married rate, the full $27,750 applies up to $204,550 and is gone at $354,550. So a raise in that range can lift your Maine tax by more than the rate on the extra dollars alone.
Your W-4ME sets your withholding
Maine has its own form, the W-4ME. Line 3 picks the rate: "Single or Head of Household", "Married", or "Married, but withholding at higher single rate". Heads of household and the last choice both use the single rate. Line 4 is your number of allowances — one for yourself, one for your spouse, one for head of household, plus children and dependents. Line 5 lets you ask for an extra amount each payday. If you never give your employer a valid W-4ME, it withholds as if you were single with no allowances.
Pre-tax benefits lower your Maine tax
Maine withholding starts from the same wages as federal withholding, so a traditional 401(k) and pre-tax health premiums lower your Maine tax too. Paid Family and Medical Leave is different: it counts all your pay up to the Social Security wage base, including what goes into your 401(k).
Paid Family and Medical Leave
The contribution is 1% of wages at employers with 15 or more employees, and 0.5% at smaller ones. Either way, your employer can take up to 0.5% of your wages from your pay. We show that full amount. Some employers pay part or all of it for you.
Paydays and your last paycheck
Maine employers must pay you at regular intervals of no more than 16 days, on a set day you are told about. Each payday must cover wages earned up to 8 days before it. When you leave a job, you must be paid in full by the next regular payday.
Wage complaints
If you weren't paid what you're owed, you can file a complaint with the Wage and Hour Division of the Maine Department of Labor. This calculator shows no city or county income tax line for Maine.
Why your paycheck might differ from this
- Your W-4. Credits for children (Step 3), a checked Step 2 box, or extra withholding (Step 4c) change the federal amount a lot. Open "Tips, 401(k), health insurance and W-4 details" above to enter them.
- Benefits taken before tax. Health insurance through work usually lowers income tax and Social Security and Medicare. A traditional 401(k) lowers income tax only.
- Rounding. Payroll software may round each step, so a few cents of difference is normal.
Tips and overtime in 2026
New federal deductions apply for 2025 through 2028: up to $25,000 for qualified tips, and up to $12,500 ($25,000 for joint filers) for the extra "half" of time-and-a-half overtime. Both phase out above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint).
These are deductions on your tax return. Your employer still takes Social Security and Medicare out of tips and overtime, and still withholds income tax unless you tell it otherwise. If you expect to claim them, you can put the expected amount in Step 4(b) of your W-4 (and in the Step 4(b) box above) so less income tax is withheld during the year.
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Sources
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Worksheet 1A and the annual percentage-method tables
- IRS Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide — Social Security and Medicare rates
- Social Security Administration — 2026 wage base of $184,500
- IRS — tips and overtime deductions
- Maine Revenue Services — Withholding Tables for Individual Income Tax, tax year 2026 (rev. December 2025) — percentage method Steps 1–6; $5,300 per allowance; standard deduction $12,450 / $27,750 with phase-out; rate schedules 5.8%, 6.75%, 7.15%; round to the nearest dollar; Examples 1–3; invalid W-4ME: single, no allowances
- Maine Revenue Services — Form W-4ME, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate (rev. December 2025) — line 3 status: Single or Head of Household / Married / Married, but withholding at higher single rate; line 4 allowances (worksheet: self, spouse, head of household, children and dependents); line 5 additional amount
- Maine Revenue Services — Rule 803, Income tax withholding — withholding applies to payments subject to the federal wage method of withholding; same payroll period as federal
- Maine Revenue Services — Withholding Tables for Individual Income Tax, tax year 2025 — 2025: $5,150 per allowance; standard deduction $12,150 single, $27,150 married; 6.75% from $26,800 single
- Maine Department of Labor — Paid Family and Medical Leave employer FAQ (2026) — 1% of wages (15+ employees) or 0.5% (fewer than 15); employer may deduct up to half (or all of the 0.5%) from wages; excludes wages above the Social Security base; withholding from pay dates on or after Jan. 1, 2025; benefits from May 1, 2026
- 26 M.R.S. §850-F — Premiums (Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave) — employer may deduct up to 50% of the premium; premiums required up to the Social Security contribution and benefit base
- Social Security Administration — Contribution and benefit base — $184,500 for 2026
- Maine Department of Labor — Maine's Minimum Wage $15.10 Per Hour Beginning Tomorrow (Dec. 31, 2025) — $15.10 from $14.65 on Jan. 1, 2026; tipped service employees $7.55 direct wage; CPI-W Northeast; exempt salary $871.16 a week; Portland and Rockland may set higher local rates
- Maine Department of Labor — Minimum wage poster (rev. 10/25) — $15.10 from Jan. 1, 2026; $7.55 direct service wage; overtime at time and one-half after 40 hours in a workweek
- 26 M.R.S. §621-A — Timely and full payment of wages — paid at regular intervals not over 16 days, including wages earned to within 8 days of payday
- 26 M.R.S. §626 — Cessation of employment — paid in full no later than the next established payday
- Maine Department of Labor — Wage and Hour Complaint Portal — Wage and Hour Division: unpaid final pay, minimum wage, hours worked, overtime
Questions
What is Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave on my pay stub?
Your share of the contribution to Maine's paid family and medical leave program: up to 0.5% of your wages, on pay up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500. Your employer sends it to the Maine Department of Labor.
How much is taken out of a $1,000 paycheck in Maine?
For a single filer paid every two weeks with nothing else on the W-4, a $1,000 paycheck has about $38.08 of federal income tax, $62.00 of Social Security and $14.50 of Medicare taken out, $18.00 of Maine income tax, leaving $862.42. Enter your own details in the calculator for your exact figure.
What is $20 an hour after taxes in Maine?
Working 40 hours a week and paid every two weeks, $20 an hour is $1,600.00 before tax and about $1,308.45 after tax per paycheck — $34,019.60 a year — for a single filer with a standard W-4.
How many allowances do I claim on the W-4ME?
The worksheet on the form counts one for yourself, one for your spouse, one if you file as head of household, and one for each child or dependent. Each allowance lowers your Maine withholding.
What happens if I don't fill in a W-4ME?
Your employer withholds as if you were single with no allowances. That uses the $12,450 single standard deduction and nothing for allowances.
What is the minimum wage in Maine in 2026?
$15.10 an hour. Tipped service employees can be paid $7.55 directly if tips make up the rest.
When do I get my last paycheck in Maine?
No later than your next regular payday, whether you quit or are let go.