Pennsylvania Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your take-home pay in Pennsylvania, which charges one of the lowest flat state income tax rates in the country at 3.07%, on top of which most municipalities add their own local Earned Income Tax.
This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only. Actual paycheck amounts may vary based on your employer, benefits, local taxes, filing status, and tax elections.
Your estimate will appear here
Enter your pay details and click calculate to see your estimated take-home pay, tax breakdown, and annual income.
A note on local tax: This calculator's 3.07% state tax figure is exact, but it doesn't add Pennsylvania's local Earned Income Tax, since the rate depends on the specific municipality and school district you live and work in, commonly totaling somewhere around 1% to just over 3% combined. Check your local municipality's EIT rate (or Philadelphia's Wage Tax rate, if that applies to you) and subtract that percentage of your gross pay on top of this estimate for a more complete picture.
Quick Answer
This calculator estimates your Pennsylvania take-home pay by subtracting federal income tax, a flat 3.07% state tax, Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%) from your gross pay. It doesn't include local Earned Income Tax, which most Pennsylvania municipalities and school districts also collect, so your actual paycheck will typically show a bit more withheld than this estimate.
How It Works: Formula & Variables
Net Pay = Gross Pay − Federal Tax − State Tax (3.07% flat) − Social Security − Medicare − Other Deductions
- Gross Pay
- Your total earnings before any deductions, hourly rate times hours, or annual salary divided by pay periods.
- Federal Tax
- Calculated using progressive tax brackets based on your filing status and taxable income.
- State Tax
- A true flat 3.07% of taxable income. Local Earned Income Tax is not included and varies by municipality.
- Social Security
- 6.2% of gross pay, up to the annual wage base limit.
- Medicare
- 1.45% of gross pay, with no wage limit (plus 0.9% surtax above certain thresholds).
Worked Examples
Example 1: Hourly worker in Pittsburgh
Jordan works 40 hours a week at $23 an hour. Gross weekly pay is $920. After federal income tax (around $92), Pennsylvania state tax (3.07%, or $28.24), Social Security (6.2%, or $57.04), and Medicare (1.45%, or $13.34), estimated take-home pay before local EIT lands at about $729.38 a week, roughly 79% of gross pay.
Example 2: Salaried employee in Philadelphia
Alicia earns $78,000 a year, paid biweekly ($3,000 gross per paycheck), filing as Single. After federal tax, Pennsylvania's flat 3.07% state tax, Social Security, and Medicare, her estimated take-home pay before Philadelphia's city Wage Tax comes out to roughly $2,300 per paycheck. Her actual paycheck will be lower once Philadelphia's Wage Tax is subtracted.
Key Concepts
One of the lowest flat rates: At 3.07%, Pennsylvania's state income tax rate is among the lowest flat rates of any state that taxes wages.
Local tax makes the real story more complex: Nearly every Pennsylvania municipality and school district layers its own Earned Income Tax on top of the state rate, collected through the state's Act 32 local tax system.
Philadelphia is a special case: Instead of the standard local EIT, Philadelphia collects its own city Wage Tax, at a rate that applies to both residents and, at a lower rate, nonresidents who work in the city.
Useful for comparing job offers: When comparing a Pennsylvania offer to another state, remember to factor in your specific municipality's local tax rate, not just the state's 3.07%.
Common Mistakes
Forgetting local Earned Income Tax: The biggest gap between this calculator's estimate and your real Pennsylvania paycheck is usually local EIT, which this tool doesn't include since it varies by municipality.
Assuming Philadelphia works like the rest of the state: Philadelphia's Wage Tax is a separate system from the standard municipal EIT used almost everywhere else in Pennsylvania.
Comparing gross salaries across states: A $70,000 offer in Pennsylvania and a $70,000 offer in Texas don't translate to the same take-home pay. Always compare net pay, not gross.
Ignoring pre-tax deductions: 401(k) contributions and health insurance premiums lower your taxable income before federal and state tax apply, so leaving them out understates your real take-home pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pennsylvania charges a flat 3.07% state income tax on wages, one of the lowest flat rates in the country. This calculator applies that exact 3.07% rate. Note that it doesn't include local Earned Income Tax, which most Pennsylvania workers also pay on top of the state rate.
On top of the 3.07% state rate, most Pennsylvania municipalities and school districts collect their own local Earned Income Tax, typically ranging from around 1% to just over 3% combined, depending on where you live and work. Philadelphia has its own separate Wage Tax system instead of the standard EIT. This calculator doesn't include local EIT since rates vary by municipality, so your real Pennsylvania paycheck will usually show a bit more withheld than this estimate.
Federal income tax, the flat 3.07% Pennsylvania state tax, local Earned Income Tax (not included in this calculator), Social Security (6.2% up to the annual wage base), and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% more for high earners).
Philadelphia is authorized under its own city charter to levy a Wage Tax instead of using the standard municipal EIT system that applies elsewhere in the state. Philadelphia's combined resident wage tax rate runs higher than the local EIT in most other Pennsylvania municipalities.
Yes, switch between the Hourly and Salary tabs and enter your wage or annual salary along with your pay frequency. The state is already set to Pennsylvania.