Counter and Rental Clerks in the Portland-South Portland Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Counter and Rental Clerks pay in Portland-South Portland, ME at a median of $48,090 per year ($23.12/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $41,300, the metro estimate is +16% above. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 510 counter and rental clerks are employed across the Portland-South Portland MSA in SOC 41-2021.

The Portland-South Portland pay distribution spans from $36,510 at the 10th percentile to $64,040 at the 90th, a 1.8× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $38,150 and the 75th at $56,190, so half of Portland-South Portland-based counter and rental clerks earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Portland-South Portland, ME covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide ME estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.