Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Median $20.43 an hour in Pennsylvania · 131,050 jobs
Pennsylvania · 2026 take-home pay
$21 an hour after taxes in Pennsylvania
At $21 an hour in Pennsylvania you keep about $17.26 of every hour — $690 a week, $2,992 a month or $35,905 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 $21 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $43,680 | $840 | $21.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$3,062 | −$59 | −$1.47 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,708 | −$52 | −$1.30 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$633 | −$12 | −$0.30 |
| Pennsylvania income tax | −$1,341 | −$26 | −$0.64 |
| Unemployment Compensation employee withholding | −$31 | −$1 | −$0.01 |
| Take-home pay | $35,905 | $690 | $17.26 |
Effective tax rate 17.8% · 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) | $840.00 | $690.49 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,680.00 | $1,380.97 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,820.00 | $1,496.06 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,640.00 | $2,992.11 |
$21 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Pennsylvania for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $21 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* | $420 | $364 | $18,909 |
| 30 hours a week | $630 | $528 | $27,474 |
| 40 hours a week | $840 | $690 | $35,905 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $998 | $812 | $42,229 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,155 | $934 | $48,552 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $21 an hour good pay in Pennsylvania?
- Minimum wage: $21 an hour is 2.9 times Pennsylvania's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
- Among Pennsylvania workers: It's about the 38th percentile of hourly pay in Pennsylvania (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 38 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 $35,905 a year buys about what $36,799 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,092 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,496 a month for needs, $898 for wants and $598 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Pennsylvania that pay about $21 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Pennsylvania is within 4% of $21 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Office Clerks, General
Median $21.61 an hour in Pennsylvania · 107,500 jobs
Customer Service Representatives
Median $21.46 an hour in Pennsylvania · 94,340 jobs
Nursing Assistants
Median $21.44 an hour in Pennsylvania · 67,740 jobs
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators
Median $21.23 an hour in Pennsylvania · 57,780 jobs
Light Truck Drivers
Median $21.21 an hour in Pennsylvania · 42,380 jobs
How Pennsylvania compares on $21 an hour
Pennsylvania ranks 31st of 51 for take-home pay on $21 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 | $17.26 | $35,905 | $7.25 | — |
| Delaware | $17.00 | $35,355 | $15.00 | −$550 a year |
| Maryland | $17.10 | $35,568 | $15.00 | −$337 a year |
| New Jersey | $17.33 | $36,042 | $15.92 | +$137 a year |
| New York | $16.97 | $35,295 | $16.00 | −$610 a year |
| Ohio | $17.56 | $36,519 | $11.00 | +$614 a year |
| West Virginia | $17.36 | $36,099 | $8.75 | +$194 a year |
How the federal tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $43,680 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $27,580. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $15,180 | $1,822 |
| Total | $27,580 | $3,062 |
How the Pennsylvania income tax on $43,680 ($21 an hour) is worked out
Pennsylvania has no standard deduction or exemption at this income, so all $43,680 is taxable.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 3.07% | $43,680 | $1,341 |
| Total | $43,680 | $1,341 |
Common questions
How much is $21 an hour after taxes in Pennsylvania?
About $17.26 for every hour you work, or $35,905 a year at 40 hours a week ($43,680 gross). Taxes take about 17.8% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $21 an hour a week after taxes in Pennsylvania?
About $690 a week at 40 hours, from $840 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,381.
How much is $21 an hour a month after taxes in Pennsylvania?
About $2,992 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,640 gross.
Is $21 an hour good pay in Pennsylvania?
$21 an hour is 2.9 times Pennsylvania's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. It's about the 38th percentile of hourly pay in Pennsylvania (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 38 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Pennsylvania is $23.89. After taxes and local prices, $35,905 a year buys about what $36,799 would at national-average prices.
Is Pennsylvania a high-tax state for $21 an hour?
It ranks 31st of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $21 an hour. The most you'd keep is $37,277 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $34,254 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Pennsylvania
- $17 an hour in Pennsylvania
- $18 an hour in Pennsylvania
- $19 an hour in Pennsylvania
- $20 an hour in Pennsylvania
- $22 an hour in Pennsylvania
- $23 an hour in Pennsylvania
- $24 an hour in Pennsylvania
- $25 an hour in Pennsylvania
$21 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in Pennsylvania · $45,000 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.