What is different in Pennsylvania:
- Flat 3.07% state income tax — unchanged for decades.
- Nearly everywhere adds a local earned income tax (~1%) on top; Philadelphia's wage tax is ~3.75% (not modeled here).
- The 3.07% applies to wages after pre-tax deductions like a 401(k).
- Federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare work exactly as in every other state.
What a Pennsylvania paycheck looks like at six salaries
Single filer, paid every two weeks, no 401(k) or other deductions, 2026 figures. Every number below comes from the same tested formulas the calculator above uses.
| Salary | Federal income tax | Social Security + Medicare | Pennsylvania tax | Take-home / year | Take-home / paycheck |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $47,000 | $3,460 | $3,596 | $1,443 | $38,502 | $1,480.83 |
| $67,000 | $5,910 | $5,126 | $2,057 | $53,908 | $2,073.37 |
| $87,000 | $10,310 | $6,656 | $2,671 | $67,364 | $2,590.91 |
| $110,000 | $15,370 | $8,415 | $3,377 | $82,838 | $3,186.08 |
| $140,000 | $22,334 | $10,710 | $4,298 | $102,658 | $3,948.38 |
| $180,000 | $31,934 | $13,770 | $5,526 | $128,770 | $4,952.69 |
Worked example: $84,000, single, paid biweekly
Single filer, paid every two weeks, 4% of salary to a traditional 401(k) — $129.23 per paycheck, $3,360 a year — in Pennsylvania.
- Taxable income: $84,000 − $3,360 401(k) − $16,100 standard deduction (single) = $64,540.00.
- Federal income tax on that amount: $8,910.80 a year.
- Social Security: $5,208.00; Medicare: $1,218.00. The 401(k) does not reduce these.
- Pennsylvania state income tax: $2,475.65.
- Take-home: $84,000 − $3,360 − $8,910.80 − $5,208.00 − $1,218.00 − $2,475.65 = $62,827.55 a year, or $2,416.44 per biweekly paycheck.
Worked example: $20 an hour in Pennsylvania
A single worker earns $20.00 an hour for 40 hours a week: $20.00 × 40 × 52 = $41,600 a year before tax. After federal income tax ($2,812), Social Security ($2,579) and Medicare ($603) ($1,277 of Pennsylvania tax), take-home is $34,328 a year — about $1,320.33 per biweekly paycheck.
Pennsylvania vs Ohio: $87,000
The same single worker earning $87,000, paid biweekly with no 401(k). Pennsylvania's 3.07% takes $2,671 a year; Ohio's 2.75% state rate takes $2,393 — before either state's local taxes.
| Pennsylvania | Ohio (2.75% flat) | |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $10,310 | $10,310 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $6,656 | $6,656 |
| State income tax | $2,671 | $2,393 |
| Take-home per year | $67,364 | $67,642 |
The Pennsylvania worker keeps $278 less per year than the Ohio worker on the state rate — about $10.71 per paycheck. (Both states' cities add their own tax on top.) To compare every no-tax and flat-tax state side by side, see take-home pay by state. Also see our Ohio paycheck calculator.
What Pennsylvania does not tax — and what it does
Pennsylvania's 3.07% hasn't moved in decades — but almost nobody pays just 3.07%. Nearly every municipality and school district adds a local earned income tax (usually 1% total), and Philadelphia levies its own wage tax of about 3.75% on residents. This calculator shows the state 3.07%; your pay stub shows the local lines too.
What this page leaves out
Child and dependent credits, itemized deductions, health premiums, 401(k) contributions beyond the examples above, bonuses and overtime are not in the simplified calculator — the full paycheck calculator covers all of them, with Pennsylvania at its 3.07% flat rate. For exact figures use your employer's payroll system or the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator.
Sources and review
Brackets and standard deductions come from IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32. The Social Security wage base comes from the Social Security Administration, and Pennsylvania’s 3.07% flat rate is confirmed by the Tax Foundation's 2026 state rates. Last reviewed September 2026. See our methodology for how every figure is checked.