SOC 51-9061

Quality Control Inspector Salary in Lewiston-Auburn, ME (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + ME
COL Index: 106.14 (+6.1% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 76.7% Realized
$37,030 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $48,310 $23.23/hr
Effective Tax Drag 17.35% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$8,381 $322.34/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $23.23 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$2,899/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$348/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$3,269
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$2,995
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$701
Maine Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,416
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$37,030 ($1,424.25 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Lewiston-Auburn, ME Quality Control Inspector Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $48,310
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $32.8k 25th $37.6k Median: $48,310 50th (Median) $48.3k 75th $63.6k 90th $74.0k You: $48,310
10th (Entry) $32,750 $15.75/hr
25th (Junior) $37,630 $18.09/hr
50th (Median) $48,310 $23.23/hr
75th (Senior) $63,650 $30.60/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $74,050 $35.60/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Quality Control Inspector in Lewiston-Auburn, ME
1
QC Inspector ApprenticeVisual inspection, measurement calipers, rejection log documentation
$31,829$15.30/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Certified Quality InspectorCMM operation, blueprint GD&T interpretation, non-conformance reports
$45,754$22.00/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Quality Assurance TechSix Sigma green belt, statistical process control (SPC), ISO 9001 audits
$61,668$29.65/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Quality Assurance ManagerPlant quality management system, vendor audits, compliance signoff
$81,561$39.21/hr · 8+ Years
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers+$5,140/yr
National median: $53,710
Skill overlap: 84%
Industrial Machinery Mechanics+$15,950/yr
National median: $64,520
Skill overlap: 81%View Salary
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers+$16,810/yr
National median: $65,380
Skill overlap: 81%
Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping-$2,190/yr
National median: $46,380
Skill overlap: 78%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Lewiston-Auburn, ME under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
42% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,282/month Requires minimum annual gross of $51,280
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,677/month Requires minimum annual gross of $67,080
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $23.47/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $21.95/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Lewiston-Auburn, ME.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$48,310-$8,381$37,030$1,424.25
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$57,368-$10,642$43,284$1,664.77
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$66,426-$12,931$49,509$1,904.20
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$75,484-$15,666$55,289$2,126.50
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$84,543-$18,807$60,663$2,333.18
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Quality Control Inspector in Lewiston-Auburn, ME: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Maine tax codes.

Market Baseline
$48,310/yr
$23.23/hr · SOC 51-9061
Statutory Tax Drag
17.35% Effective
-$8,381 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
42% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$1,804/mo
Post-$1,282/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 51-9061
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Quality Control Inspector in Lewiston-Auburn, ME: Market Snapshot

Quality Control Inspector roles in Lewiston-Auburn, ME report a median annual wage of $48,310, 0.5% below the national median of $48,570. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $32,750 to $74,050, and HUD’s $1,282 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 31.8% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $23.47 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Quality Control Inspector

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Lexington Park, MD$92,000+90.4%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$76,800+59.0%
Savannah, GA$72,800+50.7%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$71,950+48.9%
Anchorage, AK$71,470+47.9%
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$68,060+40.9%
Flagstaff, AZ$65,840+36.3%
Bismarck, ND$63,910+32.3%
Lake Charles, LA$63,570+31.6%
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS$63,520+31.5%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Lewiston-Auburn, ME

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Physician Assistant$143,710$69.09/hr
Chief Executives$138,440$66.56/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$138,050$66.37/hr
Nurse Practitioner$135,630$65.21/hr
Financial Manager$131,190$63.07/hr
Industrial Production Managers$126,300$60.72/hr
Marketing Managers$126,140$60.64/hr
Sales Managers$125,230$60.21/hr
Construction Managers$117,870$56.67/hr
Software Engineer$117,700$56.59/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 388 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Quality Control Inspector Salary in Lewiston-Auburn, ME (2026) Overview

Quality Control Inspector median pay in Lewiston-Auburn, ME is $48,310 a year ($23.23/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Quality Control Inspector in Lewiston-Auburn, ME compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Quality Control Inspector in Lewiston-Auburn, ME?

The median annual wage is $48,310 ($23.23 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $32,750 and $74,050. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Quality Control Inspector in Lewiston-Auburn, ME after taxes?

On the median wage of $48,310, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $39,413 a year ($3,284 a month) after $8,897 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 18.42%, using 2026 tax rules.