Cost of Living in Pennsylvania
What it costs to live in Pennsylvania, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 13,078,751
- Median household income
- $77,545
- State income tax
- Flat 3.1%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 97.6
What a typical paycheck keeps in Pennsylvania
The typical Pennsylvania worker earns $49,690 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $7,328 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $49,690
- Federal income tax
- −$3,783
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,801
- State income tax
- −$1,525
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$15,084
- Everyday costs
- −$18,169
a year, or $611 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Pennsylvania.
Cost of living in Pennsylvania
Prices across Pennsylvania run 2% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing15% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)1% below the US average
- Utilities9% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)About the same as the US average
- All items2% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,257 | $15,084 |
| Food | $490 | $5,880 |
| Transportation | $388 | $4,656 |
| Healthcare | $351 | $4,212 |
| Utilities | $285 | $3,420 |
| Total before taxes | $2,771 | $33,252 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Pennsylvania taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 3.1% |
No standard deduction or personal exemption. Local earned income taxes are in the local tax table.
Taxes on the median household income
$77,545 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$8,230 |
| Payroll taxes | −$5,932 |
| State income tax | −$2,381 |
| Effective tax rate | 21.3% |
Cities in Pennsylvania
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Pennsylvania city we cover.
- PhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaTypical worker keeps $5,8521-bedroom $1,506 a month
- PittsburghPennsylvaniaTypical worker keeps $4,2871-bedroom $1,379 a month
- AllentownPennsylvaniaTypical worker keeps $3,0051-bedroom $1,488 a month
- ScrantonPennsylvaniaTypical worker keeps $4,4971-bedroom $1,135 a month
- LancasterPennsylvaniaTypical worker keeps $3,9191-bedroom $1,378 a month
- HarrisburgPennsylvaniaTypical worker keeps $7,0861-bedroom $1,175 a month
What common jobs keep in Pennsylvania
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $163,390 | $84,674 |
| Lawyer | $157,180 | $80,621 |
| Pharmacist | $138,160 | $68,204 |
| Veterinarian | $133,520 | $65,175 |
| Nurse practitioner | $130,140 | $62,968 |
| Physician assistant | $127,070 | $60,964 |
| Software engineer | $126,550 | $60,625 |
| Data scientist | $106,850 | $47,466 |
| Lineman | $106,230 | $47,048 |
| Physical therapist | $101,380 | $43,785 |
| Project manager | $100,150 | $42,958 |
| Occupational therapist | $98,440 | $41,807 |
| Mechanical engineer | $97,920 | $41,458 |
| Civil engineer | $97,850 | $41,410 |
| Registered nurse | $96,430 | $40,455 |
Salary pages in Pennsylvania, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Pennsylvania
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Radiologists | $455,380 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $306,030 |
| Chief Executives | $232,560 |
| Pediatricians, General | $226,440 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $221,530 |
| Physicians, All Other | $217,310 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $164,990 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $164,690 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $163,910 |
| Dentists, General | $163,390 |
| Lawyers | $157,180 |
| Marketing Managers | $150,810 |
| Financial Managers | $145,610 |
| Purchasing Managers | $141,790 |
| Pharmacists | $138,160 |
Living in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Pennsylvania | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $277,600 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,252 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 36.4% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 27.1 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 13.8% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Pennsylvania with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Pennsylvania?
Prices in Pennsylvania are 2% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,257 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,514 a month.
Does Pennsylvania have a state income tax?
Yes. Pennsylvania's income tax rate is flat 3.1%. On a typical wage of $49,690, a single filer pays about $1,525 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Pennsylvania?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $40,300 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Pennsylvania earns $49,690 and keeps $7,328 after those costs.
Where in Pennsylvania does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Pennsylvania cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Harrisburg ($7,086 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Allentown ($3,005).
What jobs pay the most in Pennsylvania?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Pennsylvania goes to Radiologists ($455,380); Family Medicine Physicians ($306,030); Chief Executives ($232,560) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate