Pennsylvania Paycheck Calculator
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Pennsylvania takes a flat 3.07% of compensation, plus a local earned income tax and a small 0.07% unemployment contribution, on top of the federal items. A $65,000 salary paid every two weeks, with a 5% 401(k) and a $120 health premium, takes home about $1,788 per paycheck for a single filer.
On $2,500.00 gross per paycheck ($65,000 a year), you pay about $186.75 federal income tax, $147.56 Social Security and $34.51 Medicare. State and local items total $98.62. Your take-home pay is about $1,787.56 per paycheck.
- Take-home pay$1,787.5672%
- Federal income tax$186.757%
- Social Security and Medicare$182.077%
- State and local taxes$98.624%
- 401(k) and pre-tax items$245.0010%
Your paycheck line by line
| Line on your pay stub | This paycheck | Full year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay
Annual salary divided by 26 paychecks.
|
$2,500.00 | $65,000 |
| 401(k) (pre-tax)
Lowers income tax wages. Social Security and Medicare still apply.
|
-$125.00 | -$3,250 |
| Health, HSA and other pre-tax
Cafeteria-plan items lower income tax and also Social Security and Medicare wages.
|
-$120.00 | -$3,120 |
| Federal income tax
IRS Publication 15-T percentage method from your W-4 answers.
|
-$186.75 | -$4,856 |
| Social Security
6.2% of wages up to 184,500 dollars for the year.
|
-$147.56 | -$3,837 |
| Medicare
1.45% of all wages.
|
-$34.51 | -$897 |
| Pennsylvania income tax
3.07% flat rate. Unlike most states, PA taxes 401(k) deferrals; health premiums paid through a cafeteria plan are excluded.
|
-$73.07 | -$1,900 |
| Local earned income tax
Your municipality and school district rate applied to the same wages.
|
-$23.80 | -$619 |
| PA unemployment (employee)
0.07% of gross wages withheld for state unemployment compensation.
|
-$1.75 | -$46 |
| Take-home pay
What lands in your account.
|
$1,787.56 | $46,477 |
Your take-home pay in other units
| Per year | $46,476.56 |
|---|---|
| Per month | $3,873.05 |
| Per week | $893.78 |
| Per day (5 days a week) | $178.76 |
| Per hour (40 hours a week) | $22.34 |
Putting one more percent of your pay into a traditional 401(k) would add about $25.00 to savings and lower your take-home pay by only about $22.00 per paycheck.
Show every step
- Gross pay: $2,500.00 this paycheck (26 paychecks a year). Taxable wages for federal withholding: $2,500.00 minus traditional 401(k) $125.00 minus pre-tax items $120.00 = $2,255.00.
- Federal: annualize $2,255.00 x 26 = $58,630; add W-4 step 4(a) $0; subtract step 4(b) $0 and the standard-deduction adjustment $8,600 = adjusted annual wage $50,030. Annual tentative tax from the 2026 table = $4,855.60; divided by 26 = $186.75; minus step 3 credits per paycheck $0.00; plus step 4(c) $0.00 = $186.75.
- Social Security: 6.2% of $2,380.00 = $147.56. Medicare: 1.45% of $2,380.00 = $34.51.
- Pennsylvania wages: $2,500.00 minus cafeteria-plan pre-tax items $120.00 = $2,380.00. The 401(k) is not subtracted.
- Pennsylvania income tax: $2,380.00 times 3.07% = $73.07.
- Local earned income tax: $2,380.00 times 1% = $23.80.
- Unemployment contribution: $2,500.00 times 0.07% = $1.75.
About this calculator
Pennsylvania is flat at 3.07% with no standard deduction or allowances in withholding, so the state line is simple. The surprises are local: most workers also pay a local earned income tax, and Pennsylvania is one of the few states where employees chip in for unemployment.
Pennsylvania also treats retirement savings differently. Your 401(k) deferrals are still taxable Pennsylvania compensation, while health premiums paid through a cafeteria plan are not. The calculator applies both rules.
How to use it
- Pick how you are paid: hourly, salary or a gross amount per paycheck, then choose your pay frequency.
- Choose your federal filing status, and add any bonus or overtime.
- Open the savings section for 401(k), health premiums and HSA amounts. Open the W-4 section if you filled in steps 2 to 4.
- Fill in the Pennsylvania details, then read your take-home pay, the line-by-line table and the full-year column. Use the copy and CSV buttons to keep the result.
What is taken from a Pennsylvania paycheck
- Federal income tax: figured from your Form W-4 using the 2026 IRS percentage method.
- Social Security and Medicare: 6.2% up to 184,500 dollars of wages, and 1.45% on all wages.
- Pennsylvania income tax: 3.07% flat on compensation. 401(k) deferrals are not subtracted.
- Local earned income tax (EIT): a percentage set by your municipality and school district, with an optional local services tax.
- Pennsylvania unemployment: 0.07% of gross wages withheld from employees.
Pennsylvania compensation rules
The Department of Revenue says employee contributions to an eligible retirement plan are always taxable Pennsylvania compensation, so your 401(k) does not reduce the Pennsylvania line. Employee health premiums paid through a Section 125 cafeteria plan are excluded, and so are HSA contributions made through that plan; an HSA contribution made directly outside a cafeteria plan is treated as compensation.
There are no withholding allowances in Pennsylvania. Your employer applies 3.07% to your compensation, so you do not fill in a state version of the W-4.
Local earned income tax and local services tax
Under Act 32 a local earned income tax applies in nearly every municipality. Rates differ by address, and employers generally withhold the higher of the rate where you live and where you work. Enter the combined rate from your pay stub or your local tax collector. Philadelphia residents pay 3.735% as of July 2026 (3.74% before that).
Some places also charge a flat local services tax, often around 52 dollars a year. Enter the annual amount if you have one and the calculator spreads it over your paychecks.
Pennsylvania unemployment contribution
Since 2023 employees pay 0.07% of gross wages toward unemployment compensation, with no wage cap. It appears as its own line, often labelled PA SUI.
Working in Pennsylvania but living elsewhere
Pennsylvania has reciprocal agreements with Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, New Jersey, Virginia and West Virginia. If you live in one of those states, your employer withholds your home state’s tax instead of Pennsylvania’s. This calculator assumes Pennsylvania withholding applies.
How to read your pay stub
Pay stubs look different from company to company, but nearly all of them follow the same order. Here is what each part means, so you can line it up with the result above.
| Gross pay | Everything you earned in the pay period before anything is taken out: regular hours, overtime, bonus. |
|---|---|
| Pre-tax deductions | Money removed before income tax is figured, such as a traditional 401(k), health, dental and vision premiums, an HSA or FSA. They lower your taxable wages. |
| Taxable wages | Gross pay minus pre-tax items. Federal, Social Security and Medicare wages can differ: a 401(k) lowers federal wages but not Social Security or Medicare wages. |
| Federal withholding | What your employer sends the IRS for you, based on your Form W-4. It is a pay-as-you-go estimate, not your final tax bill. |
| FICA (OASDI and Medicare) | Social Security at 6.2% up to a yearly wage cap, and Medicare at 1.45% with no cap. Your employer pays a matching amount on top. |
| State and local lines | Income tax and any state programs that apply where you live and work. The state section of this page explains each one. |
| After-tax deductions | Roth 401(k), union dues, garnishments and similar items taken after tax. They reduce your take-home pay but not your taxes. |
| Net pay | The amount deposited to your account. Gross pay minus every line above. |
| Year to date (YTD) | Running totals since January. Use them to check the Social Security cap and to see whether your year-end withholding is on track. |
A quick sanity check: add your net pay to every tax and deduction line and you should land exactly on gross pay. If the stub total is off, ask your payroll team before your next check.
The 2026 numbers used here
| Federal withholding method | IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Worksheet 1A percentage method |
|---|---|
| Standard deduction built into withholding | 8,600 dollars (12,900 dollars for married filing jointly) unless Step 2 is checked |
| Social Security | 6.2% up to 184,500 dollars of wages |
| Medicare | 1.45%, plus 0.9% above 200,000 dollars of wages in the year |
| Supplemental (bonus) federal rate | 22% flat, or the aggregate method |
| 401(k) employee limit | 24,500 dollars |
| W-4 Step 3 credits | 2,200 dollars per child under 17 and 500 dollars per other dependent |
| Pennsylvania income tax | 3.07% flat; 401(k) deferrals stay taxable |
| Local earned income tax | Your local rate (entered by you) |
| PA unemployment (employee) | 0.07% of gross wages |
What this estimate leaves out
This estimate covers federal withholding, FICA, Pennsylvania tax, the local earned income tax rate you enter and your pre-tax items. Local rates vary by address, and credits and other income are not included. Your employer’s system uses your real Form W-4, and the result can differ by a few dollars. Treat it as a planning estimate, not a pay stub.
Practice questions
Quiz complete
Sources
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue: employer withholding
- Pennsylvania Personal Income Tax Guide: gross compensation
- Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry: employee UC withholding
- City of Philadelphia: wage tax for employers
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue: letter ruling on HSA withholding (PIT-06-005)
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026): Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods
- IRS Form W-4 (2026)
- Social Security Administration: contribution and benefit base
- IRS Topic 751: Social Security and Medicare withholding rates
Common questions
What is the Pennsylvania state income tax rate?
A flat 3.07% of compensation. Pennsylvania has no brackets, no standard deduction and no withholding allowances.
Is my 401(k) taxed in Pennsylvania?
Yes, on the way in. Employee contributions to an eligible retirement plan are taxable Pennsylvania compensation, so your 401(k) lowers federal tax but not the Pennsylvania line. Health premiums paid through a cafeteria plan are excluded.
What is the local earned income tax?
A tax on wages set by your municipality and school district, commonly around 1% combined, with higher rates in some places such as Philadelphia (3.735% for residents). Enter your rate in the local tax field.
Do Pennsylvania employees pay unemployment tax?
Yes. Employees pay 0.07% of gross wages for unemployment compensation, with no wage cap. Most states do not take this from employees.
Does Pennsylvania have state disability insurance?
No. Pennsylvania does not take a state disability or paid family leave premium from paychecks.
Why is my paycheck different from this estimate?
Local rates and the local services tax depend on your address, and your employer withholds from your actual Form W-4 and real hours. Other jobs, credits and after-tax deductions change the result too.
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