Salaries · United States · Pennsylvania
Salaries in Pennsylvania 2026
The median pay for all jobs in Pennsylvania is $49,690 a year ($23.89 an hour), 3% below the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 26th highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in Pennsylvania earn a median of $62,529 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in Pennsylvania: the key figures
| Figure | Pennsylvania | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $49,690 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $65,730 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $28,920 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $117,860 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 6,064,600 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $62,529 ± $272 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $77,971 ± $342 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 97.6 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $7.25 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $49,690, a single person keeps about $40,546 a year ($3,379 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, Pennsylvania income tax and state payroll contributions. With prices 2% below the US average, $49,690 here buys what $50,900 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $49,690 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$3,783 |
| Social Security | -$3,081 |
| Medicare | -$721 |
| Pennsylvania income tax | -$1,525 |
| Unemployment compensation, employee withholding | -$35 |
| Take-home a year | $40,546 |
What drives pay in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's economy leans heavily on health care, universities and corporate head offices. Educational services, health care and social assistance together made up 12.9% of the state's GDP in 2025, against 8.7% for the US, with educational services alone at 2.4% (US 1.1%). Management of companies, BEA's category for head offices, was 3.0% (US 1.8%), and manufacturing 10.1% (US 9.5%).
Health care runs right through the pay scale. At the top, radiologists earn a median of $455,380 and family medicine physicians $306,030, and the state's 146,520 registered nurses earn $96,430. At the bottom, home health and personal care aides are the single most common job, 257,370 of them on a median of $29,420. That large, low-paid care workforce helps hold the all-jobs median at $49,690, 3% below the US and 26th of the 50 states and DC.
Care is also where the jobs are being added. The Independent Fiscal Office's October 2026 update shows health care and social assistance, including home health care and direct care work, adding jobs over the past year while wholesale and retail trade and the federal government cut them. Overall, payroll jobs were almost flat in the first quarter of 2026, up 0.1% to 5.98 million, while the average annual wage rose 3.3% to $80,590. Behind the slow growth is an aging population: the office counts 156,000 fewer residents aged 20 to 64 in 2025 than in 2020 and expects the number aged 80 and over to rise 20.8% by 2030. Real GDP grew only 5.7% from 2019 to 2025, against 15.6% for the US.
The highest-paid jobs in Pennsylvania
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Radiologists | 1,360 | $455,380 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 4,190 | $306,030 |
| Chief Executives | 8,850 | $232,560 |
| Pediatricians, General | 1,120 | $226,440 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 2,500 | $221,530 |
| Physicians, All Other | 23,800 | $217,310 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 2,270 | $164,990 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 9,640 | $164,690 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 27,060 | $163,910 |
| Dentists, General | 4,460 | $163,390 |
| Lawyers | 27,170 | $157,180 |
| Marketing Managers | 13,840 | $150,810 |
| Financial Managers | 32,180 | $145,610 |
| Purchasing Managers | 2,530 | $141,790 |
| Pharmacists | 14,090 | $138,160 |
The most common jobs in Pennsylvania
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 257,370 | $29,420 | $14.14 |
| General and Operations Managers | 172,010 | $103,130 | $49.58 |
| Registered Nurses | 146,520 | $96,430 | $46.36 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 142,220 | $28,570 | $13.74 |
| Retail Salespersons | 141,790 | $31,200 | $15.00 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 131,050 | $42,480 | $20.43 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 119,840 | $36,640 | $17.62 |
| Cashiers | 110,950 | $29,220 | $14.05 |
| Office Clerks, General | 107,500 | $44,950 | $21.61 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 94,340 | $44,630 | $21.46 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 87,550 | $58,580 | $28.16 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 86,920 | $36,520 | $17.56 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 82,300 | $34,690 | $16.68 |
| Nursing Assistants | 67,740 | $44,590 | $21.44 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 65,310 | $46,270 | $22.25 |
Pay for careers we cover, in Pennsylvania
Official BLS medians for Pennsylvania; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | 2,500 | $221,530 |
| Dentist | 4,460 | $163,390 |
| Lawyer | 27,170 | $157,180 |
| Pharmacist | 14,090 | $138,160 |
| Commercial Pilot | 530 | $134,030 |
| Aerospace Engineer | 990 | $133,940 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 460 | $132,350 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 10,670 | $130,140 |
| Physician Assistant | 9,020 | $127,070 |
| Software Engineer | 55,920 | $126,550 |
| Actuary | 1,710 | $125,040 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 4,660 | $117,770 |
| Elevator Technician | 900 | $117,250 |
| Data Scientist | 13,810 | $106,850 |
| UX Designer | 2,820 | $104,160 |
| Project Manager | 36,150 | $100,150 |
| Registered Nurse | 146,520 | $96,430 |
| Compliance Officer | 19,810 | $85,580 |
| Financial Analyst | 13,310 | $84,460 |
| Dental Hygienist | 7,970 | $80,610 |
| Accountant | 54,290 | $79,000 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 2,080 | $78,000 |
| Plumber | 13,620 | $68,080 |
| Electrician | 22,730 | $67,600 |
| Paralegal | 14,670 | $63,370 |
| HVAC Technician | 15,880 | $62,400 |
| Welder | 17,850 | $52,900 |
| Flight Attendant | 2,290 | $39,520 |
Pennsylvania and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $49,690 | 97.6 | $50,900 |
| Delaware | $52,190 | 99.8 | $52,300 |
| Maryland | $59,510 | 105.0 | $56,700 |
| New Jersey | $58,570 | 108.8 | $53,800 |
| New York | $59,670 | 107.9 | $55,300 |
| Ohio | $49,380 | 92.8 | $53,200 |
| West Virginia | $45,300 | 89.5 | $50,600 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in Pennsylvania, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office: Economic Update, October 2026 (presentation by Director Matthew Knittel to the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce), October 2026
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