Retail Salespersons
Median $15.00 an hour in Pennsylvania · 141,790 jobs
Pennsylvania · 2026 take-home pay
$15 an hour after taxes in Pennsylvania
At $15 an hour in Pennsylvania you keep about $12.63 of every hour — $505 a week, $2,189 a month or $26,270 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, Pennsylvania income tax and state payroll programs. Pennsylvania has a flat 3.07% income tax plus Unemployment Compensation employee withholding, and its minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
Where $15 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $31,200 | $600 | $15.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$1,564 | −$30 | −$0.75 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$1,934 | −$37 | −$0.93 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$452 | −$9 | −$0.22 |
| Pennsylvania income tax | −$958 | −$18 | −$0.46 |
| Unemployment Compensation employee withholding | −$22 | −$0 | −$0.01 |
| Take-home pay | $26,270 | $505 | $12.63 |
Effective tax rate 15.8% · federal bracket 12% · Pennsylvania bracket 3.07%.
Unemployment Compensation employee withholding: 0.07% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $600.00 | $505.18 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,200.00 | $1,010.37 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,300.00 | $1,094.56 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,600.00 | $2,189.13 |
$15 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Pennsylvania for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $15 an hour for hours over 40, as federal law requires for most hourly workers.
| Schedule | Gross a week | Take-home a week | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 hours a week* | $300 | $268 | $13,917 |
| 30 hours a week | $450 | $387 | $20,145 |
| 40 hours a week | $600 | $505 | $26,270 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $713 | $592 | $30,786 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $825 | $679 | $35,303 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $15 an hour good pay in Pennsylvania?
- Minimum wage: $15 an hour is 2.1 times Pennsylvania's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
- Among Pennsylvania workers: It's about the 14th percentile of hourly pay in Pennsylvania (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 14 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $23.89 an hour.
- Local prices: Pennsylvania's price level is 97.6% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $26,270 a year buys about what $26,923 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $780 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,095 a month for needs, $657 for wants and $438 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Pennsylvania that pay about $15 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Pennsylvania is within 4% of $15 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Dishwashers
Median $14.40 an hour in Pennsylvania · 19,570 jobs
Food Preparation Workers
Median $14.83 an hour in Pennsylvania · 17,940 jobs
Childcare Workers
Median $14.49 an hour in Pennsylvania · 13,000 jobs
Animal Caretakers
Median $15.08 an hour in Pennsylvania · 9,910 jobs
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks
Median $15.06 an hour in Pennsylvania · 7,880 jobs
How Pennsylvania compares on $15 an hour
Pennsylvania ranks 41st of 51 for take-home pay on $15 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $12.63 | $26,270 | $7.25 | — |
| Delaware | $12.53 | $26,070 | $15.00 | −$200 a year |
| Maryland | $12.56 | $26,133 | $15.00 | −$137 a year |
| New Jersey | $12.75 | $26,527 | $15.92 | +$257 a year |
| New York | $12.50 | $25,995 | $16.00 | −$275 a year |
| Ohio | $12.90 | $26,842 | $11.00 | +$572 a year |
| West Virginia | $12.73 | $26,484 | $8.75 | +$214 a year |
How the federal tax on $31,200 ($15 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $31,200 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $15,100. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $2,700 | $324 |
| Total | $15,100 | $1,564 |
How the Pennsylvania income tax on $31,200 ($15 an hour) is worked out
Pennsylvania has no standard deduction or exemption at this income, so all $31,200 is taxable.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 3.07% | $31,200 | $958 |
| Total | $31,200 | $958 |
Common questions
How much is $15 an hour after taxes in Pennsylvania?
About $12.63 for every hour you work, or $26,270 a year at 40 hours a week ($31,200 gross). Taxes take about 15.8% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $15 an hour a week after taxes in Pennsylvania?
About $505 a week at 40 hours, from $600 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,010.
How much is $15 an hour a month after taxes in Pennsylvania?
About $2,189 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,600 gross.
Is $15 an hour good pay in Pennsylvania?
$15 an hour is 2.1 times Pennsylvania's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. It's about the 14th percentile of hourly pay in Pennsylvania (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 14 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Pennsylvania is $23.89. After taxes and local prices, $26,270 a year buys about what $26,923 would at national-average prices.
Is Pennsylvania a high-tax state for $15 an hour?
It ranks 41st of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $15 an hour. The most you'd keep is $27,249 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $25,274 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Pennsylvania
- $12 an hour in Pennsylvania
- $13 an hour in Pennsylvania
- $14 an hour in Pennsylvania
- $16 an hour in Pennsylvania
- $17 an hour in Pennsylvania
- $18 an hour in Pennsylvania
- $19 an hour in Pennsylvania
$15 an hour in every state · $30,000 a year in Pennsylvania · $35,000 a year in Pennsylvania · Pennsylvania paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Pennsylvania's income tax rules and Pennsylvania's employee payroll programs (methodology). Local income taxes are not included. Minimum wages: U.S. Department of Labor. Wage distribution and jobs: BLS OEWS May 2025. Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities.
- Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- State Minimum Wage Laws — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 14, 2026.