Tutors Salary
In Pennsylvania, tutors earn $36,270 at the median, or about $17.44 an hour. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $38,191 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 53.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $36K get you in Pennsylvania?
About tutors
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What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Pay for tutors in Pennsylvania runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $43K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,351/month, which is 53.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for tutorss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pennsylvania
Entry-level tutors (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $52K spread from bottom to top.
Tutors salary by metro in Pennsylvania
12 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | $55K | +52% | 80 |
| York-Hanover | $45K | +25% | 50 |
| Erie | $42K | +15% | 120 |
| Lancaster | $38K | +6% | 130 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $37K | +3% | 260 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $37K | +2% | 150 |
| Pittsburgh | $36K | -2% | 850 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $36K | -2% | 2,680 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $33K | -8% | 170 |
| State College | $31K | -15% | 170 |
| Johnstown | $30K | -18% | 40 |
| Williamsport | $21K | -42% | 50 |
Showing 1–10 of 12 metros
Compare to other states
Track tutors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Pennsylvania numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tutor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 53.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tutors in Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tutors typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,420/month. At HUD’s $1,351/month FMR, rent would take 95% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is tutor a high-paying job in Pennsylvania?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $36K here vs. $43K nationally. Cost of living is 5% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for tutors?
Pennsylvania pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do tutors make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $36,270 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,670, and experienced tutors can clear $75,870. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,506/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 53.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a tutors salary go in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median tutors salary is worth about $38,191 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tutors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.