New grad RN jobs and nurse residency programs in Maine
Maine employs 16,540 registered nurses, and half of them earn more than $86,990 a year, $10,560 below the national median of $97,550. Our list has 14 new-grad programs in Maine; 2 were taking applications on Oct 29, 2026.
- RNs employed
- 16,540
- Median RN pay
- $86,990
- 25th percentile
- $38.41/hr
- Programs we track
- 14
- Open on Oct 29, 2026
- 2
- In the compact
- Yes
- NCLEX pass rate, 2025
- 89.7%
- Work before the NCLEX
- No
Every Maine program we track is listed in the Vibe Nursing app.
What new grad nurses earn in Maine
A quarter of Maine RNs earn less than $38.41 an hour ($79,890 a year) and half earn more than $41.82. First-year offers tend to sit near the lower figure, since hospital pay scales usually rise with experience.
That puts Maine 29th of the 50 states and DC for median RN pay.
Pay is bunched together in Maine: only $3.41 an hour separates the 25th percentile from the median, a narrower gap than in most states.
| Metro area | RNs employed | Median pay | 25th percentile, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-South Portland, ME | 6,970 | $88,470 | $39.86 |
| Bangor, ME | 2,190 | $93,940 | $37.31 |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | 1,280 | $85,870 | $39.22 |
Where the RN jobs are
The Portland-South Portland area employs 6,970 RNs, about 42% of the state's total.
Getting licensed in Maine
The Maine State Board of Nursing licenses RNs in Maine.
Maine is in the Nurse Licensure Compact. If Maine is your primary state of residence, the license you earn after the NCLEX can be multistate, valid in every compact state. Nurses who live in another compact state can work in Maine on their home state's multistate license.
Of its nearby states, New Hampshire and Vermont are in the compact; Massachusetts is not, so working there means a separate license.
Working before you pass the NCLEX in Maine
No. Graduates are treated as unlicensed assistive personnel and may not practice as RNs. An employer may run a structured orientation before licensure with an RN preceptor on site and no patient assignment, and you must pass within three months of starting it.
Source: Maine State Board of Nursing, position statement on orientation of new graduates, read October 2026.
14 of the 50 states and DC make new graduates wait for the license. See every state's rule.
NCLEX pass rate in Maine
840 of the 936 first-time, U.S.-educated candidates who took the NCLEX-RN for Maine in 2025 passed: 89.7%, 3.0 points above the national rate of 86.7%.
Set against the 14 new-grad programs we track here, that is about 67 new test takers per program, fewer than the national figure of about 114.
The exam is the same everywhere; the rate tells you about the graduates who tested here, not about your own chances. See pass rates in every state.
Maine and its nearby states
Among its nearby states, Massachusetts both pays RNs the most (a median of $104,550) and has the most new-grad programs on our list (31).
| State | Programs we track | Median RN pay | In the compact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | 14 | $86,990 | Yes |
| Massachusetts | 31 | $104,550 | Not yet in force |
| New Hampshire | 6 | $99,700 | Yes |
| Vermont | 4 | $97,460 | Yes |
Questions about Maine
How much do new grad nurses make in Maine?
The BLS does not separate new graduates. For all Maine RNs, the 25th percentile is $38.41 an hour and the median $41.82 (May 2025); first-year offers usually sit nearer $38.41.
How many nurse residency programs are in Maine?
Vibe Nursing tracks 14 new-grad programs at Maine hospitals: nurse residencies, and hospitals that hire new grads straight into RN jobs. On Oct 29, 2026, 2 were taking applications.
Can I work in Maine with a compact license?
Yes. Maine is a compact state, so a multistate license from your home compact state is valid here.
Can new grads work before passing the NCLEX in Maine?
No. Graduates are treated as unlicensed assistive personnel and may not practice as RNs. An employer may run a structured orientation before licensure with an RN preceptor on site and no patient assignment, and you must pass within three months of starting it.
What is the NCLEX pass rate in Maine?
89.7% in 2025: 840 of 936 first-time, U.S.-educated candidates passed the NCLEX-RN for Maine (NCSBN). The national rate was 86.7%.
What do RNs earn in the Portland-South Portland area?
The median is $88,470 a year, and a quarter of RNs there earn under $39.86 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The area employs 6,970 RNs.
Sources
- Pay and jobs: BLS OEWS, May 2025, all registered nurses.
- Board: NCSBN directory. Compact: nursecompact.com. Both read October 2026.
- Working before the NCLEX: Maine State Board of Nursing, position statement on orientation of new graduates, read October 2026.
- NCLEX: NCSBN, 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics, first-time U.S.-educated candidates. Portions copyrighted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. All rights reserved.
- Program counts: Vibe Nursing, Oct 29, 2026 (how we count).