Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Philadelphia, PA Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Philadelphia, PA, Pennsylvania is $115,700 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 65 occupations and roughly 585,330 workers. Adjusted for Philadelphia, PA's cost-of-living index of 118.4, that nominal average translates to $97,720 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $320,040; the lowest is Welder at $58,380.
Philadelphia, PA, PA has cost-of-living above the national baseline (index 118.4). The 65 occupations reported here average $115,700 in median wages.
Highest-paying role in Philadelphia, PA on BLS data is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $320,040 median. Top-paying roles in any U.S. city skew toward physicians, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals; the specific ranking varies with the local industry mix. Workers comparing Philadelphia, PA to other regional centers should look at both gross and cost-adjusted wages. The cost-of-living index is uniform across the city but actual household costs vary widely by neighborhood and lifestyle.
Salaries by Occupation in Philadelphia, PA
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obstetrician/Gynecologist | Healthcare | $320,040 | $176,790 – $344,790 | 250 |
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $294,430 | $129,460 – $423,650 | 1,790 |
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $226,440 | $121,340 – $375,010 | 870 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $173,470 | $109,990 – $280,230 | 15,090 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $170,660 | $84,840 – $344,160 | 19,040 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $166,920 | $101,930 – $309,900 | 18,520 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $166,310 | $81,500 – $284,450 | 8,270 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $163,390 | $65,520 – $331,950 | 2,570 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $156,500 | $81,680 – $281,160 | 10,200 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $154,490 | $91,650 – $261,930 | 4,190 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $153,980 | $91,580 – $195,650 | 890 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $148,740 | $119,840 – $167,270 | 6,460 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $139,810 | $89,130 – $281,730 | 1,790 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $138,850 | $87,370 – $205,140 | 3,070 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $135,700 | $104,000 – $169,390 | 6,590 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $135,640 | $103,720 – $170,140 | 3,390 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $133,040 | $82,960 – $190,180 | 28,480 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $132,560 | $75,830 – $186,530 | 2,710 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $127,730 | $81,380 – $180,390 | 3,520 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analyst | Technology | $125,320 | $79,160 – $175,420 | 350 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $122,920 | $72,850 – $205,060 | 14,060 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $121,990 | $61,600 – $171,850 | 7,360 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $121,630 | $57,210 – $284,880 | 68,730 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $116,560 | $62,020 – $392,260 | 7,390 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $109,910 | $67,950 – $181,560 | 6,480 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $107,170 | $49,240 – $207,780 | 2,260 |
| Statistician | Technology | $105,820 | $66,080 – $171,620 | 920 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $105,790 | $80,240 – $131,760 | 6,250 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $105,050 | $72,150 – $156,870 | 8,520 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $104,930 | $65,150 – $166,960 | 1,580 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $104,840 | $55,760 – $164,990 | 1,420 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $104,410 | $75,160 – $157,920 | 4,850 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $103,370 | $78,600 – $160,490 | 6,170 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $103,140 | $77,130 – $131,670 | 3,410 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $102,740 | $63,240 – $144,470 | 2,650 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $101,420 | $58,280 – $172,450 | 1,770 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $101,180 | $79,160 – $121,900 | 73,790 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $100,920 | $59,540 – $165,840 | 15,460 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $100,820 | $83,590 – $103,920 | 4,180 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $100,460 | $64,960 – $148,110 | 4,050 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $100,460 | $63,030 – $142,010 | 1,700 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $100,080 | $66,940 – $132,090 | 3,330 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $99,410 | $75,830 – $147,960 | 6,160 |
| Architect | Engineering | $98,140 | $62,770 – $156,790 | 2,330 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $97,590 | $61,510 – $164,650 | 2,160 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $95,400 | $57,260 – $165,600 | 10,050 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $94,570 | $59,070 – $143,410 | 810 |
| Audiologist | Healthcare | $91,970 | $75,120 – $132,320 | 250 |
| Accountant | Finance | $85,990 | $59,560 – $139,420 | 29,370 |
| Writer/Author | Creative | $84,130 | $52,080 – $182,160 | 560 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $81,230 | $50,000 – $135,470 | 2,080 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $80,560 | $58,870 – $103,480 | 25,460 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $80,350 | $58,140 – $166,300 | 1,380 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $79,420 | $44,950 – $143,060 | 17,600 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $78,570 | $58,650 – $100,940 | 23,380 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $77,590 | $43,540 – $140,860 | 4,660 |
| Plumber | Trades | $74,860 | $48,400 – $142,210 | 7,150 |
| Electrician | Trades | $74,590 | $46,980 – $132,610 | 10,090 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $70,430 | $48,970 – $97,950 | 11,150 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $64,550 | $39,540 – $114,090 | 5,220 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $63,090 | $44,610 – $102,140 | 3,360 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $61,780 | $45,690 – $98,470 | 14,260 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $59,790 | $40,490 – $94,900 | 6,150 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $58,460 | $36,130 – $81,670 | 12,700 |
| Welder | Trades | $58,380 | $44,430 – $79,960 | 4,630 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Philadelphia, PA is Obstetrician/Gynecologist, with a median of $320,040 and a 90th-percentile reading of $344,790. That $168,000 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles is typical for a role of this seniority — entry-level workers cluster near the bottom of the band, while senior specialists and managers earn at the top.
Across all 65 BLS-tracked occupations in Philadelphia, PA, the average median salary is $115,700. The top five roles average $237,008 — about 2.0× the citywide average — which is the expected shape for a U.S. metro economy: a small concentration of high-skill, high-credential occupations sits well above the broader middle.
Philadelphia, PA carries an above-average cost of living (index 118.4, roughly 18% above the U.S. average), driven mostly by housing and transportation. Most professional roles here pay enough premium to compensate, but lower-percentile and mid-percentile workers see materially less purchasing power than nominal salaries suggest.
Salary Negotiation in Philadelphia, PA
For salary negotiation in Philadelphia, PA, the practical input is the percentile band for your role and city, not the citywide average. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for every metro and occupation; you can find your role's exact percentile in the table above and use the SalaryTruth percentile calculator to anchor your offer. Cost-of-living index 118.4 should also factor in any cross-metro comparison.
For city-vs-city moves, the right benchmark is COL-adjusted pay rather than nominal pay. Our COL-adjusted salaries guide shows the exact math; the negotiation playbook covers how to use BLS percentile bands to anchor offers.
How Philadelphia, PA Salary Data Is Built
Wages on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — a federal survey of more than 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. We pull the BLS data file for Philadelphia, PA, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (118.4) is a composite of housing, food, transportation, and utility data from public sources, calibrated to a U.S. national average of 100. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Philadelphia, PA in 2026?
The average salary in Philadelphia, PA is $115,700 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 65 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $115,700. The top-paying role is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $320,040.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Philadelphia, PA?
In Philadelphia, PA, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $84,459 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 118.4). That is roughly in line with what $100K buys in a typical U.S. city. Compared to the city's average median of $115,700, $100K is below the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Philadelphia, PA?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Philadelphia, PA are Obstetrician/Gynecologist ($320,040), Family Medicine Physician ($294,430), Pediatrician ($226,440), and Computer and Information Systems Manager ($173,470). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $154,490 to $320,040. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/philadelphia.
How does Philadelphia, PA's cost of living affect salaries?
Philadelphia, PA has a cost-of-living index of 118.4, 18% above the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $115,700 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $97,720 in an average-cost U.S. city. Housing is the dominant driver of this gap; in higher-COL markets, mortgage or rent typically eats 5–15 percentage points more of pre-tax pay than in average-cost metros.
How many people are employed in Philadelphia, PA?
Across the 65 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Philadelphia, PA metro is approximately 585,330. BLS OEWS sample-based estimates cover all major occupational categories but exclude very small or volatile fields where the sample is too thin to publish.
Where does this Philadelphia, PA salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Philadelphia, PA MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 65 occupations · COL Index 118.4.