Comprehensive salary data, cost of living, and employment information for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Population: 1,603,797.
Reviewed by Alexander O.M., MBA, BSc Engineering•Updated
Philadelphia's $52,649 median household income is below the national average, and the city's cost-of-living index of 102 puts effective purchasing power in the middle of the major-metro pack. Employment is anchored by three unusually large clusters. Healthcare and biomedical research — the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia together employ over 60,000 people, and Penn is the largest private employer in the city. Education and research — Penn, Temple, Drexel, and Thomas Jefferson University form one of the largest 'eds-and-meds' clusters in the country. Pharmaceuticals and cell-and-gene therapy — while legacy pharma has scaled down from its peak, Philadelphia hosts meaningful operations for GSK and Johnson & Johnson along with a fast-growing cell-and-gene therapy startup base spun out of Penn's Abramson Cancer Center. Philadelphia is the only US city with its own wage tax that non-residents also pay if they work in the city — 3.4481% for residents and 3.4424% for non-residents — a significant detail affecting take-home pay calculations. Pennsylvania's flat 3.07% state income tax applies on top. Center City wages run meaningfully higher than the city-wide median. Full breakdown below.
Median Individual
$32,560
per year
Median Household
$52,649
per year
Cost of Living
102
Average (US avg = 100)
Population
1.6M
Salary Breakdown for Philadelphia
The median individual income in Philadelphia is $32,560 per year, which works out to approximately $2,713/month or $15.65/hour for full-time workers. The median household income is $52,649.
Cost of Living Adjusted Salary
Philadelphia's cost of living index is 102 (national average = 100). The median salary of $32,560 in Philadelphia has the purchasing power of approximately $31,922 at the national average cost of living. Philadelphia is roughly in line with the national average, making it a balanced option for salary vs expenses.