Average Salary in Pennsylvania
What workers in Pennsylvania earn: mean and median wages, monthly and hourly pay, the full wage distribution, household income and cost-of-living context. Wage data: BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Mean annual wage$65,730Rank #25 of 51 · US $69,770
- Median annual wage$49,690Rank #26 of 51 · US $50,980
- Mean hourly wage$31.60Median $23.89/hour
- Median monthly pay$4,141Mean $5,478/month
- Median household income$77,545ACS 2024 · rank #28
- Price level (RPP)97.6US = 100 · BEA 2024
What is the average salary in Pennsylvania?
The average (mean) annual wage across all occupations in Pennsylvania is $65,730, and the median annual wage is $49,690, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates. The mean is 5.8% below the national mean of $69,770; the median is 2.5% below the national median of $50,980. Pennsylvania ranks #25 of the 50 states and DC for mean wage and #26 for median wage.
The mean is $16,040 (32%) higher than the median. That gap is normal: a minority of very high earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical worker in Pennsylvania earns. Why mean and median differ →
The estimates cover 6,064,600 wage and salary jobs in Pennsylvania (self-employed workers are not included).
Monthly, weekly and hourly pay in Pennsylvania
Gross pay before taxes. Monthly = annual ÷ 12, bi-weekly = annual ÷ 26, weekly = annual ÷ 52. Hourly figures are published by BLS.
| Pay period | Mean (average) | Median (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual | $65,730 | $49,690 |
| Monthly | $5,478 | $4,141 |
| Bi-weekly paycheck | $2,528 | $1,911 |
| Weekly | $1,264 | $956 |
| Hourly | $31.60 | $23.89 |
Estimate take-home pay on the Pennsylvania median wage (2026 tax year) →
What is a good salary in Pennsylvania?
“Good” depends on your household and where in the state you live, but the wage distribution shows where a salary stands relative to other workers in Pennsylvania:
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $28,920 | $2,410 | 90% of workers earn more |
| 25th | $36,690 | $3,058 | 75% earn more |
| 50th (median) | $49,690 | $4,141 | half earn more, half less |
| 75th | $78,270 | $6,522 | top 25% earn more than this |
| 90th | $117,860 | $9,822 | top 10% earn more than this |
In practice, a salary above $49,690 beats more than half of Pennsylvania workers, about $78,270 puts you in the top quarter, and $117,860 or more puts you in the top 10%. These are individual wages, not household income. Compare percentiles across states →
Household income and earnings in Pennsylvania
| Measure (ACS 2024) | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,545 | $81,604 |
| Median family income | $100,557 | $101,265 |
| Per-capita income | $44,674 | $45,256 |
| Median earnings, all workers with earnings | $46,804 | $46,949 |
| Median earnings, men working full-time year-round | $67,699 | $66,965 |
| Median earnings, women working full-time year-round | $55,760 | $55,678 |
Household income adds up the income of everyone in a household — often two earners, plus Social Security, investment and self-employment income — so it is higher than any per-worker wage figure. Women working full-time year-round in Pennsylvania have median earnings equal to 82% of men’s. Household income in every state →
Salary vs. cost of living in Pennsylvania
Prices in Pennsylvania are about 2.4% below the national average (BEA regional price parity 97.6; housing 85.1). Adjusted for that, the median wage of $49,690 is worth $50,912 at national-average prices (rank #39), and the mean wage is worth $67,346 (rank #31). Cost-of-living adjusted ranking →
Pennsylvania taxes wage income, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures above by federal tax, FICA and state income tax.
Pennsylvania vs. neighboring states
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | RPP | Adjusted median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $65,730 | $49,690 | 97.6 | $50,912 |
| Delaware | $69,880 | $52,190 | 99.8 | $52,295 |
| Maryland | $77,580 | $59,510 | 105.0 | $56,676 |
| New Jersey | $78,040 | $58,570 | 108.8 | $53,833 |
| New York | $82,460 | $59,670 | 107.9 | $55,301 |
| Ohio | $64,390 | $49,380 | 92.8 | $53,211 |
| West Virginia | $56,470 | $45,300 | 89.5 | $50,615 |
Highest-paying occupations in Pennsylvania
Detailed occupations with at least 300 jobs in the state, ranked by mean annual wage. “$239,200+” means BLS reports only that the wage is at or above that level.
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $239,200+ | $239,200+ | 570 |
| Cardiologists | $492,490 | $579,120 | 640 |
| Anesthesiologists | $425,950 | $461,390 | 410 |
| Radiologists | $418,720 | $455,380 | 1,360 |
| Chief Executives | $302,990 | $232,560 | 8,850 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $299,730 | $304,290 | 310 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $298,410 | $306,030 | 4,190 |
| Psychiatrists | $282,370 | $278,970 | 830 |
| Physicians, All Other | $237,190 | $217,310 | 23,800 |
| Pediatricians, General | $236,790 | $226,440 | 1,120 |
Most common jobs in Pennsylvania and what they pay
| Occupation | Employment | Median wage | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
The largest occupation in Pennsylvania is home health and personal care aides, with 257,370 jobs and a median wage of $29,420. Many of the most common jobs pay well below the state median, which is one reason the overall median sits far below the mean.
Salaries for 54 common occupations in Pennsylvania
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physician | $298,410 | $306,030 | 4,190 |
| Dentist (General) | $172,710 | $163,390 | 4,460 |
| Lawyer | $169,170 | $157,180 | 27,170 |
| Marketing Manager | $159,270 | $150,810 | 13,840 |
| Financial Manager | $164,650 | $145,610 | 32,180 |
| Pharmacist | $138,740 | $138,160 | 14,090 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $132,070 | $130,140 | 10,670 |
| Physician Assistant | $125,160 | $127,070 | 9,020 |
| Software Developer | $128,110 | $126,550 | 55,920 |
| Information Security Analyst | $119,570 | $117,770 | 4,660 |
| Electrical Engineer | $118,310 | $110,820 | 6,970 |
| Construction Manager | $121,000 | $108,250 | 6,840 |
| Data Scientist | $110,810 | $106,850 | 13,810 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | $117,690 | $103,670 | 30,480 |
| General and Operations Manager | $126,200 | $103,130 | 172,010 |
| Physical Therapist | $101,650 | $101,380 | 11,710 |
| Project Management Specialist | $106,910 | $100,150 | 36,150 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | $99,630 | $98,550 | 19,450 |
| Occupational Therapist | $98,460 | $98,440 | 6,560 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $103,740 | $97,920 | 13,550 |
| Civil Engineer | $100,750 | $97,850 | 15,870 |
| Registered Nurse | $94,020 | $96,430 | 146,520 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | $93,720 | $92,960 | 6,570 |
| Web Developer | $87,440 | $86,380 | 1,670 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrator | $92,250 | $86,140 | 7,750 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $81,910 | $85,470 | 26,510 |
| Financial and Investment Analyst | $98,530 | $84,460 | 13,310 |
| Dental Hygienist | $84,260 | $80,610 | 7,970 |
| Accountant and Auditor | $86,070 | $79,000 | 54,290 |
| High School Teacher | $77,650 | $78,800 | 52,240 |
| Middle School Teacher | $77,630 | $77,930 | 22,720 |
| Elementary School Teacher | $75,780 | $77,060 | 48,370 |
| Firefighter | $71,340 | $73,460 | 5,020 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $77,290 | $70,450 | 36,960 |
| Plumber, Pipefitter and Steamfitter | $77,050 | $68,080 | 13,620 |
| Electrician | $75,770 | $67,600 | 22,730 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN/LVN) | $65,930 | $63,940 | 38,260 |
| Correctional Officer | $64,650 | $63,460 | 15,560 |
| Paralegal and Legal Assistant | $68,510 | $63,370 | 14,670 |
| HVAC Technician | $64,880 | $62,400 | 15,880 |
| Diesel Mechanic | $62,680 | $61,740 | 12,630 |
| Carpenter | $63,220 | $59,370 | 30,630 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver | $59,640 | $58,580 | 87,550 |
| Welder | $56,300 | $52,900 | 17,850 |
| Child, Family and School Social Worker | $55,330 | $50,820 | 16,200 |
| Automotive Service Technician | $54,340 | $49,800 | 29,400 |
| Construction Laborer | $54,330 | $49,400 | 35,920 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting and Auditing Clerk | $50,860 | $48,440 | 48,920 |
| Secretary and Administrative Assistant | $46,570 | $46,270 | 65,310 |
| Customer Service Representative | $46,260 | $44,630 | 94,340 |
| Nursing Assistant (CNA) | $43,960 | $44,590 | 67,740 |
| Medical Assistant | $43,500 | $43,920 | 23,050 |
| Retail Salesperson | $34,530 | $31,200 | 141,790 |
| Cashier | $29,880 | $29,220 | 110,950 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Pennsylvania?
The average (mean) annual wage in Pennsylvania is $65,730, or $31.60 per hour, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The median wage — what a typical worker earns — is $49,690 a year ($23.89 per hour).
What is the average monthly salary in Pennsylvania?
Dividing the annual figures by 12, the mean wage in Pennsylvania works out to about $5,478 per month and the median wage to about $4,141 per month, before taxes.
What is considered a good salary in Pennsylvania?
Earning more than the median of $49,690 puts you above half of all workers in Pennsylvania. A salary of $78,270 or more is in the top 25%, and $117,860 or more is in the top 10% of wage earners in the state.
What is the median household income in Pennsylvania?
Median household income in Pennsylvania was $77,545 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, compared with $81,604 nationally. Household income combines all earners and income sources in a home.
Does Pennsylvania have a state income tax on wages?
Yes. Pennsylvania taxes wage income, so state income tax is deducted from paychecks in addition to federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.