High paying entry level jobs in Portland-South Portland, ME

These occupations in Portland-South Portland, ME ask for no prior experience in a related job and no on-the-job training period: you are expected to be productive on arrival. That is precisely why most of them want a specific qualification instead — the credential does the work the experience would have. Read the line under each title for what that qualification is; several here are doctorates. If you need something you can start without one, use the no-experience list.

Cost of living: prices in Portland-South Portland, ME run 1.9% above the national average (2024), so a Portland-South Portland, ME salary is worth about 0.98× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find high paying jobs in Portland-South Portland, ME

OccupationMedian, Portland-South Portland, ME · Employed

1Nurse Anesthetists$256,620
Master's degree
$177,110 – $343,560190
2Dentists, General$221,190
Doctoral or professional degree
$160,420 – $388,110150
3Optometrists$161,220
Doctoral or professional degree
$109,170 – $214,200100
4Pharmacists$140,620
Doctoral or professional degree
$89,940 – $166,550620
5Computer Programmers$131,960
Bachelor's degree
$80,080 – $191,670190
6Physician Assistants$131,180
Master's degree
$107,680 – $160,700490
7Veterinarians$130,990
Doctoral or professional degree
$101,440 – $196,660280
8Nurse Practitioners$130,240
Master's degree
$107,820 – $165,090720
9Lawyers$129,990
Doctoral or professional degree
$78,990 – $226,0301,360
10Software Developers$128,710
Bachelor's degree
$83,760 – $185,1301,460
11Engineers, All Other$123,780
Bachelor's degree
$80,290 – $155,150510
12Nuclear Engineers$120,430
Bachelor's degree
$78,440 – $143,210370
13Electrical Engineers$113,760
Bachelor's degree
$80,740 – $161,230650
14Computer Occupations, All Other$113,760
Bachelor's degree
$72,850 – $172,490570
15Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other$108,850
Associate's degree
$82,750 – $130,480750
16Mechanical Engineers$107,060
Bachelor's degree
$79,600 – $136,160630
17Project Management Specialists$105,530
Bachelor's degree
$66,770 – $150,1201,370
18Marine Engineers and Naval Architects$104,850
Bachelor's degree
$79,370 – $136,580230
19Operations Research Analysts$102,860
Bachelor's degree
$66,520 – $141,550100
20Physical Therapists$102,820
Doctoral or professional degree
$80,750 – $122,770880
21Environmental Engineers$102,270
Bachelor's degree
$77,430 – $152,360100
22Civil Engineers$102,240
Bachelor's degree
$73,730 – $134,770710
23Computer Systems Analysts$101,470
Bachelor's degree
$76,830 – $133,6501,090
24Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$101,260
Associate's degree
$79,250 – $133,650180
25Industrial Engineers$101,030
Bachelor's degree
$79,630 – $182,600660
26Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$100,730
Bachelor's degree
$65,050 – $127,940220
27Chiropractors$99,210
Doctoral or professional degree
$59,620 – $198,500120
28Dental Hygienists$98,880
Associate's degree
$86,060 – $112,320500
29Data Scientists$97,840
Bachelor's degree
$65,410 – $153,140620
30Financial and Investment Analysts$93,240
Bachelor's degree
$66,540 – $144,200370
31Network and Computer Systems Administrators$92,520
Bachelor's degree
$63,470 – $131,510370
32Teachers and Instructors, All Other$92,100
Bachelor's degree
$48,820 – $108,850170
33Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers$92,050
Bachelor's degree
$46,100 – $129,770230
34Registered Nurses$88,470
Bachelor's degree
$78,430 – $106,0406,970
35Business Operations Specialists, All Other$86,530
Bachelor's degree
$53,200 – $130,2002,230
36Occupational Therapists$86,530
Master's degree
$63,990 – $107,650530
37Respiratory Therapists$86,440
Associate's degree
$65,210 – $107,530200
38Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$85,510
Associate's degree
$63,240 – $125,760160
39Biochemists and Biophysicists$84,490
Doctoral or professional degree
$66,570 – $132,830380
40Database Administrators$83,290
Bachelor's degree
$55,490 – $133,160120
41Urban and Regional Planners$81,930
Master's degree
$56,320 – $122,21090
42Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$80,910
Associate's degree
$64,900 – $103,970350
43Accountants and Auditors$79,790
Bachelor's degree
$60,420 – $128,4801,780
44Conservation Scientists$78,440
Bachelor's degree
$44,390 – $124,560130
45Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary$78,210
Doctoral or professional degree
$61,450 – $163,240100
46Special Education Teachers, Middle School$78,160
Bachelor's degree
$49,980 – $82,050120
47Human Resources Specialists$78,100
Bachelor's degree
$48,060 – $112,2601,310
48Massage Therapists$78,090
Postsecondary nondegree award
$32,450 – $127,180230
49Logisticians$78,060
Bachelor's degree
$52,740 – $110,410370
50Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$77,770
Associate's degree
$51,850 – $113,760240

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianPortland-South Portland, ME	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Nurse AnesthetistsMaster's degree	$256,620	$177,110 – $343,560	190
2	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$221,190	$160,420 – $388,110	150
3	OptometristsDoctoral or professional degree	$161,220	$109,170 – $214,200	100
4	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$140,620	$89,940 – $166,550	620
5	Computer ProgrammersBachelor's degree	$131,960	$80,080 – $191,670	190
6	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$131,180	$107,680 – $160,700	490
7	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$130,990	$101,440 – $196,660	280
8	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$130,240	$107,820 – $165,090	720
9	LawyersDoctoral or professional degree	$129,990	$78,990 – $226,030	1,360
10	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$128,710	$83,760 – $185,130	1,460
11	Engineers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$123,780	$80,290 – $155,150	510
12	Nuclear EngineersBachelor's degree	$120,430	$78,440 – $143,210	370
13	Electrical EngineersBachelor's degree	$113,760	$80,740 – $161,230	650
14	Computer Occupations, All OtherBachelor's degree	$113,760	$72,850 – $172,490	570
15	Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All OtherAssociate's degree	$108,850	$82,750 – $130,480	750
16	Mechanical EngineersBachelor's degree	$107,060	$79,600 – $136,160	630
17	Project Management SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$105,530	$66,770 – $150,120	1,370
18	Marine Engineers and Naval ArchitectsBachelor's degree	$104,850	$79,370 – $136,580	230
19	Operations Research AnalystsBachelor's degree	$102,860	$66,520 – $141,550	100
20	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$102,820	$80,750 – $122,770	880
21	Environmental EngineersBachelor's degree	$102,270	$77,430 – $152,360	100
22	Civil EngineersBachelor's degree	$102,240	$73,730 – $134,770	710
23	Computer Systems AnalystsBachelor's degree	$101,470	$76,830 – $133,650	1,090
24	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$101,260	$79,250 – $133,650	180
25	Industrial EngineersBachelor's degree	$101,030	$79,630 – $182,600	660
26	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$100,730	$65,050 – $127,940	220
27	ChiropractorsDoctoral or professional degree	$99,210	$59,620 – $198,500	120
28	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$98,880	$86,060 – $112,320	500
29	Data ScientistsBachelor's degree	$97,840	$65,410 – $153,140	620
30	Financial and Investment AnalystsBachelor's degree	$93,240	$66,540 – $144,200	370
31	Network and Computer Systems AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$92,520	$63,470 – $131,510	370
32	Teachers and Instructors, All OtherBachelor's degree	$92,100	$48,820 – $108,850	170
33	Software Quality Assurance Analysts and TestersBachelor's degree	$92,050	$46,100 – $129,770	230
34	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$88,470	$78,430 – $106,040	6,970
35	Business Operations Specialists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$86,530	$53,200 – $130,200	2,230
36	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$86,530	$63,990 – $107,650	530
37	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$86,440	$65,210 – $107,530	200
38	Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$85,510	$63,240 – $125,760	160
39	Biochemists and BiophysicistsDoctoral or professional degree	$84,490	$66,570 – $132,830	380
40	Database AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$83,290	$55,490 – $133,160	120
41	Urban and Regional PlannersMaster's degree	$81,930	$56,320 – $122,210	90
42	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$80,910	$64,900 – $103,970	350
43	Accountants and AuditorsBachelor's degree	$79,790	$60,420 – $128,480	1,780
44	Conservation ScientistsBachelor's degree	$78,440	$44,390 – $124,560	130
45	Biological Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$78,210	$61,450 – $163,240	100
46	Special Education Teachers, Middle SchoolBachelor's degree	$78,160	$49,980 – $82,050	120
47	Human Resources SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$78,100	$48,060 – $112,260	1,310
48	Massage TherapistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$78,090	$32,450 – $127,180	230
49	LogisticiansBachelor's degree	$78,060	$52,740 – $110,410	370
50	Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All OtherAssociate's degree	$77,770	$51,850 – $113,760	240

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Portland-South Portland, ME. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Portland-South Portland, ME to rank honestly.

High paying entry level jobs in Portland-South Portland, ME

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