Pennsylvania
Across all occupations in Pennsylvania, the median wage is $49,690 a year ($23.89 an hour) and the mean $65,730, May 2025. That median is −3% against the US median of $50,980. BLS counts 6,064,600 jobs in the state. The highest-paying occupation is cardiologists; the largest is home health and personal care aides.
All occupations: Pennsylvania vs the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $13.91 | $17.64 | $23.89 | $37.63 | $56.66 | $31.60 | 6,064,600 |
| Annual | $28,920 | $36,690 | $49,690 | $78,270 | $117,860 | $65,730 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
Minimum wage in Pennsylvania
The wage floor is a separate question from these survey figures. See the Pennsylvania minimum wage page for the current rate, scheduled increases and tipped rules, verified against the U.S. Department of Labor.
20 highest-paying occupations in Pennsylvania
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiologists | $579,120 | $278.42 | 640 |
| 2 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | $553,740 | $266.22 | ** |
| 3 | Anesthesiologists | $461,390 | $221.82 | 410 |
| 4 | Radiologists | $455,380 | $218.93 | 1,360 |
| 5 | Physicians, Pathologists | $413,370 | $198.74 | 210 |
| 6 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $354,020 | $170.20 | 240 |
| 7 | Orthodontists | $311,180 | $149.61 | ** |
| 8 | Family Medicine Physicians | $306,030 | $147.13 | 4,190 |
| 9 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $304,290 | $146.29 | 310 |
| 10 | Psychiatrists | $278,970 | $134.12 | 830 |
| 11 | Chief Executives | $232,560 | $111.81 | 8,850 |
| 12 | Pediatricians, General | $226,440 | $108.86 | 1,120 |
| 13 | Nurse Anesthetists | $221,530 | $106.50 | 2,500 |
| 14 | Physicians, All Other | $217,310 | $104.48 | 23,800 |
| 15 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $213,310 | $102.55 | 990 |
| 16 | Physicists | $210,990 | $101.44 | 230 |
| 17 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $195,150 | $93.82 | 160 |
| 18 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $164,990 | * | 2,270 |
| 19 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $164,690 | $79.18 | 9,640 |
| 20 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $163,910 | $78.80 | 27,060 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Pennsylvania
Occupation groups in Pennsylvania
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $116,330 | $133,800 | 460,720 | 75.97 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $99,930 | $105,590 | 181,360 | 29.90 |
| Legal | $96,230 | $127,170 | 47,170 | 7.78 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $92,330 | $98,360 | 91,260 | 15.05 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $81,590 | $99,880 | 437,740 | 72.18 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $80,980 | $94,370 | 59,660 | 9.84 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $79,020 | $89,550 | 383,000 | 63.15 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $61,820 | $68,520 | 368,330 | 60.73 |
| Construction and Extraction | $60,520 | $66,410 | 219,050 | 36.12 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $59,510 | $61,750 | 224,700 | 37.05 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $57,550 | $67,740 | 66,910 | 11.03 |
| Community and Social Service | $52,350 | $57,440 | 122,720 | 20.24 |
| Production | $47,710 | $51,330 | 366,080 | 60.36 |
| Protective Service | $47,690 | $58,320 | 135,600 | 22.36 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $46,720 | $49,740 | 659,390 | 108.73 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $44,390 | $47,050 | 573,840 | 94.62 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $38,930 | $42,490 | 7,750 | 1.28 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $37,190 | $39,660 | 166,320 | 27.42 |
| Sales and Related | $36,650 | $51,010 | 474,770 | 78.29 |
| Personal Care and Service | $34,880 | $38,420 | 132,420 | 21.84 |
| Healthcare Support | $34,270 | $36,430 | 395,970 | 65.29 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $30,770 | $34,380 | 489,850 | 80.77 |
Metropolitan areas in Pennsylvania
16 metropolitan areas touch Pennsylvania, plus 4 nonmetropolitan areas, with the all-occupations median of each. A linked metropolitan area has its own profile; nonmetropolitan areas appear here only.
| Area | Type | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | Metropolitan | $48,990 | $23.55 | 377,180 |
| Altoona, PA | Metropolitan | $44,270 | $21.28 | 58,650 |
| Chambersburg, PA | Metropolitan | $47,540 | $22.86 | 60,280 |
| Erie, PA | Metropolitan | $44,460 | $21.38 | 120,480 |
| Gettysburg, PA | Metropolitan | $46,610 | $22.41 | 31,940 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | Metropolitan | $49,610 | $23.85 | 335,010 |
| Johnstown, PA | Metropolitan | $44,110 | $21.21 | 47,810 |
| Lancaster, PA | Metropolitan | $48,210 | $23.18 | 252,230 |
| Lebanon, PA | Metropolitan | $46,500 | $22.35 | 53,710 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Metropolitan | $54,310 | $26.11 | 2,897,830 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | Metropolitan | $49,650 | $23.87 | 1,114,490 |
| Reading, PA | Metropolitan | $49,440 | $23.77 | 174,670 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | Metropolitan | $46,330 | $22.28 | 255,620 |
| State College, PA | Metropolitan | $49,220 | $23.66 | 68,840 |
| Williamsport, PA | Metropolitan | $46,050 | $22.14 | 49,510 |
| York-Hanover, PA | Metropolitan | $48,170 | $23.16 | 183,590 |
| Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $45,690 | $21.97 | 149,200 |
| Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $45,230 | $21.74 | 129,300 |
| Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $46,510 | $22.36 | 187,680 |
| Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $46,600 | $22.41 | 140,370 |
Occupation pages for Pennsylvania
63 occupations have a dedicated Pennsylvania page with the state's percentiles, its metro table and a comparison with neighbouring states.
- Accountants and Auditors $79,000
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics $49,800
- Bartenders $28,420
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks $48,440
- Business Operations Specialists, All Other $80,590
- Carpenters $59,370
- Cashiers $29,220
- Computer and Information Systems Managers $163,910
- Computer User Support Specialists $58,670
- Construction Laborers $49,400
- Cooks, Fast Food $28,810
- Cooks, Restaurant $36,580
- Customer Service Representatives $44,630
- Electricians $67,600
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $77,060
- Fast Food and Counter Workers $28,570
- Financial Managers $145,610
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $81,540
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $43,050
- First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $79,400
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $65,270
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,990
- First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers $46,690
- First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $61,460
- Food Preparation Workers $30,840
- General and Operations Managers $103,130
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $58,580
- Home Health and Personal Care Aides $29,420
- Human Resources Specialists $70,450
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators $47,730
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $36,520
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand $42,480
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers $39,500
- Lawyers $157,180
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $63,940
- Light Truck Drivers $44,120
- Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $33,870
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $49,290
- Management Analysts $93,830
- Managers, All Other $131,600
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $68,760
- Medical Assistants $43,920
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants $44,930
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $77,930
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators $44,160
- Nursing Assistants $44,590
- Office Clerks, General $44,950
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $85,470
- Project Management Specialists $100,150
- Receptionists and Information Clerks $36,810
- Registered Nurses $96,430
- Retail Salespersons $31,200
- Sales Managers $130,610
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel $64,480
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $66,130
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $78,800
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive $46,270
- Security Guards $37,050
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks $45,780
- Software Developers $126,550
- Stockers and Order Fillers $36,640
- Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary $34,740
- Waiters and Waitresses $34,690
Take-home pay and benefits calculators for Pennsylvania
FastCalc, a sister site, has these calculators for Pennsylvania. Each takes your own figures; this site computes nothing.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Pennsylvania estimates.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in Pennsylvania.