Pennsylvania Paycheck Calculator (2026)

Employers use the IRS Publication 15-T percentage method with the elections on your Form W-4: filing status, whether Step 2 is checked, Step 3 credits, and any Step 4 adjustments. That produces an amount to withhold each pay period before Social Security, Medicare, and any state or local tax are applied.

FICA is Social Security tax (6.2% of wages up to the annual Social Security wage base) plus Medicare tax (1.45% of all wages, with an extra 0.9% on wages above $200,000 in a year). Both are withheld on every US paycheck regardless of which state you work in, because they fund federal programs rather than a state one.

It is an estimate for planning, not a substitute for your pay stub. Your actual withholding depends on the exact elections on file with your employer, your specific pay dates, and any mid-year changes to your deductions — the calculator applies the published federal and state formulas to the numbers you enter.

Yes. Unlike the federal government and most states, Pennsylvania does not let traditional 401(k), 403(b) or 457 deferrals reduce taxable wages. Your 401(k) contribution lowers federal income tax withholding, but Pennsylvania's 3.07% and your local earned income tax still apply to the full amount.

A flat 3.07% of taxable compensation for both residents and nonresidents. There is no standard deduction or personal exemption, so the rate applies from the first dollar of taxable pay.

No. Because the rate is flat with no allowances, Pennsylvania has no state withholding certificate. The only related form is REV-419, which lets residents of reciprocal states, and certain military spouses, ask their employer not to withhold Pennsylvania tax.

The Earned Income Tax (EIT) is a percentage of your wages, usually 1% to 3.6% in total, paid to your municipality and school district. The Local Services Tax (LST) is a flat amount, at most $52 a year in most places, charged by the municipality where you work and spread evenly across your paychecks. Most Pennsylvania workers pay both.

Your employer compares two rates: the total resident rate where you live and the nonresident rate where you work, and withholds the higher one. For example, a Pittsburgh resident pays the 3% resident rate wherever they work in Pennsylvania outside Philadelphia, because few work locations charge nonresidents more.

For pay dates through June 30, 2026, the rate is 3.74% for Philadelphia residents and 3.43% for nonresidents who work in the city. From July 1, 2026, it is 3.735% for residents and 3.425% for nonresidents. The Wage Tax applies to gross pay, including 401(k) and cafeteria plan contributions.

No. Philadelphia's Wage Tax takes the place of the local earned income tax for Philadelphia residents and for wages earned in Philadelphia, so a Pennsylvania EIT is not added on top. Philadelphia also has no Local Services Tax. You still pay the 3.07% state income tax.

Where the LST is more than $10, anyone whose total earned income from the taxing municipality is under $12,000 a year must be exempted (the threshold is higher in the few cities charging $156). File the LST exemption certificate with your employer to stop the deduction. The LST also can't exceed $52 a year in total, even if you work in several municipalities.

Pennsylvania is one of three states where employees contribute to unemployment compensation. The 2026 employee rate is 0.07% of gross wages, 70 cents per $1,000, with no annual cap. It's separate from the unemployment tax your employer pays.

Not at the state level. Pennsylvania adds a bonus to the pay period's regular wages and withholds the same flat 3.07%. Federally, bonuses are usually withheld at the 22% supplemental rate, and local EIT or Philadelphia Wage Tax applies to the bonus at your normal local rate.

$7.25 an hour, the same as the federal minimum wage. It has not changed since July 24, 2009; proposals to raise it have passed the state House but not the Senate.