Employee Cost Calculator
Estimate the fully loaded cost of a W-2 hire in Maine — including 1% SUTA, $1.10/$100 workers’ comp, state income tax up to 7.15%, benefits, and overhead.
Open the CalculatorPre-configured with Maine tax rates. Adjust salary, benefits, and overhead to model your specific hire.
Total Annual Cost
$101,162
Loaded multiplier: 1.26× base salary
Open the interactive calculator to adjust every input and export a PDF report.
Representative 2026 new-employer figures for Maine. Confirm your experience-rated rate with the state agency.
Each figure on this page is classified and cited. Statutory rates are fixed by law; the new-employer SUTA rate and workers’ comp are representative estimates; benefit/overhead defaults are editable TrueHireCost modeling assumptions.
| Metric | Value | Type | Source | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New-employer SUTA rate | 1% | Representative estimate | Maine Department of Labor | Aug 2026 |
| SUTA wage base | $12,000 | Official statutory figure | Maine Department of Labor | Aug 2026 |
| Workers’ comp (office/clerical) | 1.1 / $100 payroll | Representative estimate | DOL Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs | Aug 2026 |
| State income tax | Up to 7.15% | Official statutory figure | Maine Department of Labor | Aug 2026 |
| State minimum wage | $14.65/hr | Official statutory figure | Maine Department of Labor | Aug 2026 |
| Employer FICA | 7.65% (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | Official statutory figure | IRS Publication 15 (Circular E) | Aug 2026 |
| FUTA (effective) | 0.6% on first $7,000 | Official statutory figure | IRS Publication 15 (Circular E) | Aug 2026 |
| Social Security wage base | $184,500 | Official statutory figure | Social Security Administration | Aug 2026 |
How to read this table
An $80,000 office hire in Maine costs approximately $101,162 once employer taxes, workers’ comp, benefits, and overhead are added — a 1.26× loaded multiplier.
Healthcare, tourism, fishing, and forestry anchor Maine’s economy. When budgeting a hire in Maine, the biggest state-specific cost drivers are the 1% SUTA rate (applied to the first $12,000 of wages), workers’ compensation at $1.10/$100, and state income tax withholding at up to 7.15%.
How much it costs to employ someone in Maine depends on far more than salary. The fully loaded annual employee cost — the recurring cost to keep a W-2 worker on payroll — adds employer payroll taxes, Maine unemployment insurance, benefits, workers’ compensation, retirement, and overhead to base wages:
Salary + employer FICA + FUTA + Maine SUTA + benefits + workers’ comp + retirement + overhead = fully loaded employee cost.
For an $80,000 office hire, Maine’s 1% SUTA rate (on the first $12,000 of wages), $1.10/$100 office workers’ comp, $650/month benefits, a 4% 401(k) match, and $3,000 overhead produce a fully loaded annual cost of about $101,162 — a 1.26× loaded multiplier. “Employee cost” here means the recurring annual cost to employ someone; the one-time cost to recruit, hire, and onboard a new person is a separate hiring cost.
Use this checklist to make sure every employer-paid cost layer is accounted for when budgeting a Maine hire.
Key steps employers must complete when hiring in Maine.
Maine workforce & unemployment agency
Federal employer tax guide
Federal wage & hour division
Editorial Standards
Maintained by the TrueHireCost editorial team
TrueHireCost is an independent research and tooling project. Our content is written and maintained by the TrueHireCost editorial team — not by a licensed CPA, attorney, or HR certificant, and no named professional endorses or "verifies" these pages. Rates, wage bases, and benchmarks are collected from official public sources (IRS, U.S. Department of Labor, state workforce agencies, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics) and labeled with their source and last-reviewed date. State SUTA, workers’ comp, and minimum-wage figures are representative new-employer estimates and should be confirmed with the agency for your specific situation.
Found an outdated rate or a calculation that looks wrong? Email Support@hostinger.com and we’ll review and correct it. TrueHireCost is an informational tool, not professional tax, legal, or HR advice — consult a qualified professional before making hiring or payroll decisions.
Dataset baseline: 2026-08-24
Every rate and formula is checked against the issuing agency before publication. Dataset baseline: 2026-08-24.
IRS
FICA, FUTA tax rate & wage base
U.S. DOL
FUTA credit, federal wage & hour
State Workforce Agencies
SUTA rates, wage bases, new-employer rates
BLS
Industry salary benchmarks & turnover
The fully loaded annual cost of an $80,000 employee in Maine includes the 1% SUTA rate, $1.10/$100 workers’ comp, state income tax withholding up to 7.15%, benefits, and overhead. Use the TrueHireCost calculator above for a Maine-specific estimate.
The representative new-employer SUTA rate in Maine is 1%, applied to the first $12,000 of wages per employee. Your experience-rated rate may differ — confirm with the Maine Department of Labor.
Workers’ comp required for all employers. Check the Maine labor agency for the exact employee-count threshold that applies to your business.
Yes. Maine levies a state income tax with a top marginal rate of 7.15%. Employers must withhold state income tax from employee wages.
Beyond salary, a Maine W-2 employee adds employer FICA (7.65%), FUTA, Maine unemployment insurance at 1% on the first $12,000 of wages, workers’ comp, benefits, a 401(k) match, and overhead. At an $80,000 salary with this page’s defaults that totals about $101,162 fully loaded — roughly 26% more than salary alone.
Maine’s representative 2026 minimum wage is $14.65/hour, above the federal $7.25. For hourly or entry-level roles, minimum wage sets the wage floor; overtime and coverage needs can push effective labor cost higher. The calculator’s salary input lets you model any wage level.
For Estimation Purposes Only
TrueHireCost provides cost estimates for informational purposes only and is not professional tax, legal, or HR advice. Actual employer costs vary by experience rating, industry classification, carrier, and jurisdiction. Consult a qualified CPA, tax advisor, or HR professional before making hiring or payroll decisions.