Question 1

What is the cost of living in Pennsylvania?

Accepted Answer

Pennsylvania's overall price level (BEA Regional Price Parity) is 94.97, where 100 equals the U.S. average. That means everyday goods, services, and housing cost about 5% less than the national average. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,351/month.

Question 2

What is the average salary in Pennsylvania?

Accepted Answer

Across the 100 BLS-tracked occupation categories with published data in Pennsylvania, the average median wage is $155,585. The single highest-paying occupation here is Cardiologists at $579,120/year (BLS OEWS).

Question 3

What are the highest-paying jobs in Pennsylvania?

Accepted Answer

Based on BLS OEWS data, the top-paying occupations in Pennsylvania are: 1) Cardiologists at $579,120; 2) Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons at $553,740; 3) Anesthesiologists at $461,390; 4) Radiologists at $455,380; 5) Physicians, Pathologists at $413,370. Click any occupation above to see the full wage breakdown (10th to 90th percentile).

Question 4

How much does it cost to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in Pennsylvania?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a 2-bedroom unit in Pennsylvania is $1,351/month. FMR is the rent level HUD uses to administer housing assistance and reflects the 40th percentile of standard-quality rentals, updated annually.

Question 5

Where does AffordMap's Pennsylvania data come from?

Accepted Answer

Salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). Rent comes from HUD Fair Market Rents. All three are federal datasets, updated annually, and free to use. AffordMap pairs them so you can see what a salary actually buys after local costs.

Rank	Occupation	Category	Median salary	Hourly
31	Natural Sciences Managers	Management	$138K	$66.3/hr
32	Optometrists	Healthcare	$135K	$65.1/hr
33	Physical Scientists, All Other	Science	$135K	$64.8/hr
34	Biochemists and Biophysicists	Science	$134K	$64.47/hr
35	Commercial Pilots	Transportation	$134K	N/A
36	Aerospace Engineers	Engineering	$134K	$64.4/hr
37	Veterinarians	Healthcare	$134K	$64.19/hr
38	Nuclear Engineers	Engineering	$133K	$64.06/hr
39	Human Resources Managers	Management	$133K	$63.97/hr
40	Air Traffic Controllers	Transportation	$132K	$63.63/hr

Top Paying Jobs in Pennsylvania

Highest paying careers in Pennsylvania

Affordability snapshot: Pennsylvania

Metro areas in Pennsylvania