Highest and lowest paying health care jobs in Portland, Maine

Written by:
February 17, 2021
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Highest and lowest paying health care jobs in Portland

Anybody who has taken a course in marketing, psychology or sociology is likely familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. First detailed by psychologist Andrew Maslow in his 1943 work “A Theory of Human Motivation,” the hierarchy breaks down the complex network of human thoughts into a categorical triage, placing self-development at the top and security and physical health at the bottom. In setting up this pyramid, Maslow framed self-recognition and creative development as ultimate goals, while also prioritizing personal safety and strong physical health.

As such, it has never been more important to recognize the health care professionals who work tirelessly to keep the population healthy. In 2019, the United States spent 17.7% of its GDP on health. While it’s encouraging to know that the country is investing in those responsible for maintaining the nation’s well-being, not all health care professionals receive equal compensation.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest and lowest paying health care jobs in Portland-South Portland, ME using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2019 annual mean wage. Keep reading to see which health care jobs make the most and least in your city.

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Pixabay

#40. Psychiatric aides

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $29,770
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240

National
- Annual mean salary: $32,590
- Employment: 55,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($48,280)
--- Rochester, NY ($45,890)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($45,010)
2 / 40
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#39. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $31,850
- #45 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $29,690
- Employment: 97,030
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New Haven, CT ($48,240)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($43,890)
--- Port St. Lucie, FL ($43,200)
3 / 40
Goldsithney // Shutterstock

#38. Psychiatric technicians

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $32,190
- #75 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190

National
- Annual mean salary: $37,550
- Employment: 78,470
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($72,990)
--- Fresno, CA ($66,710)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($66,290)
4 / 40
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock

#37. Nursing assistants

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $32,900
- #73 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,570

National
- Annual mean salary: $30,720
- Employment: 1,419,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($46,170)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($45,100)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($44,710)
5 / 40
Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock

#36. Pharmacy technicians

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $33,530
- #198 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 730

National
- Annual mean salary: $35,250
- Employment: 417,780
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($51,090)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($50,790)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($50,070)
6 / 40
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

#35. Phlebotomists

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $33,680
- #169 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170

National
- Annual mean salary: $36,480
- Employment: 128,290
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($58,610)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($54,040)
--- Redding, CA ($52,310)
7 / 40
Canva

#34. Medical equipment preparers

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $34,760
- #110 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210

National
- Annual mean salary: $39,530
- Employment: 56,900
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($63,400)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($61,080)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,670)
8 / 40
Maria Sbytova // Shutterstock

#33. Veterinary technologists and technicians

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $37,530
- #81 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260

National
- Annual mean salary: $36,670
- Employment: 110,650
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($76,660)
--- Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA ($57,740)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($50,100)
9 / 40
Milkovasa // Shutterstock

#32. Medical assistants

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $40,640
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,340

National
- Annual mean salary: $35,720
- Employment: 712,430
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($49,880)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($48,920)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($47,140)
10 / 40
Rido // Shutterstock

#31. Opticians, dispensing

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $41,910
- #85 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $40,730
- Employment: 72,330
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($70,730)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($68,970)
--- New Haven, CT ($66,020)
11 / 40
Syda Productions // Shutterstock

#30. Dental assistants

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $46,590
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430

National
- Annual mean salary: $41,170
- Employment: 351,470
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($56,010)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($54,510)
--- Rochester, MN ($53,010)
12 / 40
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#29. Ophthalmic medical technicians

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $46,860
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

National
- Annual mean salary: $38,760
- Employment: 58,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Duluth, MN-WI ($56,620)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($53,770)
--- New Bedford, MA ($53,250)
13 / 40
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

#28. Surgical technologists

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $48,510
- #114 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,110
- Employment: 109,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($74,280)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($72,790)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($69,750)
14 / 40
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#27. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $50,420
- #106 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330

National
- Annual mean salary: $48,500
- Employment: 697,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($69,490)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($68,160)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($67,990)
15 / 40
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

#26. Athletic trainers

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $51,770
- #55 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,540
- Employment: 28,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($73,250)
--- Lansing-East Lansing, MI ($66,390)
--- Trenton, NJ ($65,320)
16 / 40
Halfpoint // Shutterstock

#25. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $52,240
- #121 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,600
- Employment: 56,110
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salem, OR ($106,620)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($103,050)
--- Medford, OR ($82,780)
17 / 40
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#24. Physical therapist assistants

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $55,770
- #191 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $58,520
- Employment: 96,840
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($78,530)
--- Victoria, TX ($78,070)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($75,470)
18 / 40
NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock

#23. Massage therapists

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $56,740
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220

National
- Annual mean salary: $47,180
- Employment: 107,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($76,930)
--- Yakima, WA ($72,870)
--- College Station-Bryan, TX ($70,090)
19 / 40
lenetstan // Shutterstock

#22. Radiologic technologists and technicians

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $58,470
- #152 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 450

National
- Annual mean salary: $63,120
- Employment: 207,360
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($110,180)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($109,680)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,670)
20 / 40
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#21. Dietitians and nutritionists

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $61,290
- #105 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

National
- Annual mean salary: $62,330
- Employment: 67,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($88,350)
--- Salinas, CA ($87,930)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($87,890)
21 / 40
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

#20. Respiratory therapists

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $63,310
- #78 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140

National
- Annual mean salary: $63,950
- Employment: 132,090
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($101,520)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($98,810)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($97,950)
22 / 40
Canva

#19. Speech-language pathologists

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $63,860
- #327 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290

National
- Annual mean salary: $82,000
- Employment: 154,360
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($117,710)
--- Corvallis, OR ($105,380)
--- Chico, CA ($104,640)
23 / 40
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

#18. Registered nurses

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $71,430
- #127 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,500

National
- Annual mean salary: $77,460
- Employment: 2,982,280
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($140,740)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($138,000)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($134,000)
24 / 40
Canva

#17. Dental hygienists

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $71,790
- #175 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300

National
- Annual mean salary: $77,230
- Employment: 221,560
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($140,150)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($120,420)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($113,940)
25 / 40
Canva

#16. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $76,230
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $74,270
- Employment: 37,900
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($124,950)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($104,870)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($99,920)
26 / 40
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock

#15. Physical therapists

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $78,220
- #352 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480

National
- Annual mean salary: $90,170
- Employment: 233,350
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Yuba City, CA ($116,360)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($116,120)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($113,950)
27 / 40
SofikoS // Shutterstock

#14. Diagnostic medical sonographers

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $78,720
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140

National
- Annual mean salary: $75,780
- Employment: 72,790
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($126,850)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($118,880)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($115,280)
28 / 40
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock

#13. Occupational therapists

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $83,760
- #175 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340

National
- Annual mean salary: $86,210
- Employment: 133,570
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- The Villages, FL ($115,090)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($108,870)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($107,450)
29 / 40
KSai23 // Shutterstock

#12. Chiropractors

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $89,160
- #54 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

National
- Annual mean salary: $85,010
- Employment: 35,010
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Toledo, OH ($160,330)
--- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN ($149,580)
--- Reno, NV ($140,260)
30 / 40
Kzenon // Shutterstock

#11. Optometrists

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $104,750
- #134 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $122,980
- Employment: 39,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Champaign-Urbana, IL ($238,460)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($210,490)
--- Evansville, IN-KY ($183,380)
31 / 40
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#10. Nurse practitioners

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $108,930
- #163 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430

National
- Annual mean salary: $111,840
- Employment: 200,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($175,060)
--- Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($160,110)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($157,150)
32 / 40
Austin Community College // Flickr

#9. Veterinarians

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $109,970
- #83 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190

National
- Annual mean salary: $104,820
- Employment: 74,540
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sherman-Denison, TX ($210,960)
--- Lubbock, TX ($176,730)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($161,230)
33 / 40
Ohiodominican // Wikimedia Commons

#8. Physician assistants

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $111,380
- #134 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370

National
- Annual mean salary: $112,410
- Employment: 120,090
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($161,370)
--- Leominster-Gardner, MA ($156,250)
--- Waterbury, CT ($154,550)
34 / 40
Grace Nichols // U.S. Air Force

#7. Pharmacists

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $130,600
- #108 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430

National
- Annual mean salary: $125,510
- Employment: 311,200
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Tyler, TX ($161,790)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($158,250)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($157,850)
35 / 40
Canva

#6. Nurse anesthetists

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $200,910
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150

National
- Annual mean salary: $181,040
- Employment: 43,570
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Toledo, OH ($266,260)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($254,860)
--- Columbus, GA-AL ($247,540)
36 / 40
Canva

#5. Family medicine physicians

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $202,980
- #184 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320

National
- Annual mean salary: $213,270
- Employment: 109,370
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Racine, WI ($286,030)
--- Jacksonville, NC ($282,580)
--- Gadsden, AL ($281,430)
37 / 40
Canva

#4. Dentists, general

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $215,910
- #51 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340

National
- Annual mean salary: $178,260
- Employment: 110,730
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Burlington, NC ($278,360)
--- Burlington-South Burlington, VT ($275,430)
--- Longview, TX ($272,440)
38 / 40
Canva

#3. General internal medicine physicians

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $234,320
- #44 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

National
- Annual mean salary: $201,440
- Employment: 44,610
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sioux Falls, SD ($282,610)
--- Rapid City, SD ($280,990)
--- Barnstable Town, MA ($280,500)
39 / 40
LightField Studios // Shutterstock

#2. Psychiatrists

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $260,400
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $220,430
- Employment: 25,530
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($282,400)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($280,270)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($280,200)
40 / 40
Unsplash

#1. Surgeons, except ophthalmologists

Portland-South Portland, ME
- Annual mean salary: $267,490
- #36 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $252,040
- Employment: 36,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Wausau, WI ($285,230)
--- Oshkosh-Neenah, WI ($285,210)
--- Asheville, NC ($284,780)

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