Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Pittsburgh, PA Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Pittsburgh, PA, Pennsylvania is $100,404 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 63 occupations and roughly 229,720 workers. Adjusted for Pittsburgh, PA's cost-of-living index of 92.3, that nominal average translates to $108,780 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Family Medicine Physician at $275,930; the lowest is Clinical Laboratory Technologist at $47,610.
Pittsburgh, PA, PA has below-baseline cost-of-living (index 92.3), which means the $100,404 average median wage translates to higher real purchasing power than the same number would in higher-COL markets.
Highest-paying role in Pittsburgh, PA on BLS data is Family Medicine Physician at $275,930 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. Lower-COL cities like Pittsburgh, PA often outperform higher-COL ones on cost-adjusted real income for the same role, especially for workers in mid-paying occupations whose gross wages do not vary as much by city.
Salaries by Occupation in Pittsburgh, PA
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $275,930 | $165,600 – $407,650 | 1,730 |
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $208,050 | $192,300 – $293,270 | 340 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $159,090 | $100,500 – $224,130 | 5,290 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $155,250 | $69,990 – $309,220 | 1,050 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $136,330 | $80,390 – $264,440 | 6,460 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $134,180 | $107,650 – $160,250 | 3,300 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $133,040 | $65,220 – $308,000 | 5,550 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $131,690 | $78,400 – $214,820 | 1,600 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analyst | Technology | $130,300 | $90,030 – $179,090 | 50 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $129,900 | $94,760 – $164,650 | 340 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $128,290 | $90,470 – $291,150 | 640 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $127,590 | $73,650 – $217,110 | 2,060 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $125,230 | $98,630 – $146,930 | 2,560 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $125,060 | $64,480 – $219,340 | 3,890 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $124,500 | $76,030 – $191,710 | 10,320 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $123,410 | $77,470 – $166,360 | 1,110 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $121,760 | $52,650 – $166,990 | 940 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $119,630 | $102,680 – $154,370 | 1,980 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $115,600 | $58,700 – $397,940 | 2,030 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $112,420 | $62,970 – $161,530 | 870 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $104,990 | $78,120 – $157,400 | 1,630 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $103,630 | $66,500 – $158,140 | 1,130 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $103,420 | $57,900 – $164,630 | 2,760 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $102,070 | $58,340 – $165,250 | 470 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $101,570 | $64,270 – $169,870 | 5,990 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $100,840 | $50,130 – $216,150 | 31,020 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $100,680 | $68,970 – $141,310 | 4,210 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $98,550 | $63,550 – $126,070 | 5,230 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $98,190 | $67,840 – $140,540 | 2,140 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $98,050 | $65,580 – $143,000 | 3,470 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $97,910 | $63,090 – $155,080 | 710 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $97,750 | $76,800 – $118,220 | 2,120 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $96,670 | $60,580 – $157,600 | 2,270 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $90,860 | $61,140 – $116,630 | 1,170 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $85,990 | $50,660 – $154,660 | 5,910 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $85,900 | $46,750 – $132,100 | 600 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $85,340 | $56,290 – $128,490 | 420 |
| Architect | Engineering | $83,460 | $61,280 – $125,990 | 830 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $82,900 | $56,140 – $125,390 | 830 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $82,560 | $36,660 – $121,830 | 310 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $82,560 | $52,920 – $123,920 | 430 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $82,530 | $53,910 – $133,530 | 2,390 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $82,370 | $67,910 – $111,790 | 29,360 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $81,810 | $51,670 – $118,410 | 1,300 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $81,350 | $51,470 – $105,260 | 9,600 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $80,440 | $59,760 – $124,020 | 1,570 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $78,820 | $47,920 – $118,010 | 780 |
| Accountant | Finance | $76,940 | $51,040 – $124,880 | 10,430 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $76,550 | $53,570 – $105,760 | 7,640 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $75,960 | $63,790 – $80,710 | 1,580 |
| Statistician | Technology | $75,230 | $58,240 – $137,320 | 340 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $73,360 | $39,990 – $129,190 | 1,440 |
| Plumber | Trades | $70,100 | $46,910 – $107,870 | 2,910 |
| Electrician | Trades | $69,340 | $45,780 – $106,840 | 5,210 |
| Audiologist | Healthcare | $67,650 | $52,590 – $127,580 | 120 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $63,620 | $45,710 – $94,680 | 2,620 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $63,190 | $35,690 – $118,170 | 4,940 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $61,180 | $43,940 – $93,600 | 5,920 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $57,830 | $40,970 – $86,680 | 1,200 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $55,910 | $31,200 – $95,880 | 1,970 |
| Welder | Trades | $53,610 | $43,280 – $75,780 | 3,600 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $48,900 | $36,140 – $78,220 | 6,430 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $47,610 | $37,130 – $79,960 | 2,610 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Pittsburgh, PA is Family Medicine Physician, with a median of $275,930 and a 90th-percentile reading of $407,650. That $242,050 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 63 BLS-tracked occupations in Pittsburgh, PA, the average median salary is $100,404. The top five roles average $186,930 — about 1.9× 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.
Pittsburgh, PA runs below the U.S. average on cost of living (index 92.3, about 8% below the national mean). Lower nominal salaries here often translate to comparable or better purchasing power than higher headline numbers in coastal hubs.
Salary Negotiation in Pittsburgh, PA
For salary negotiation in Pittsburgh, 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 92.3 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 Pittsburgh, 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 Pittsburgh, PA, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (92.3) 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 Pittsburgh, PA in 2026?
The average salary in Pittsburgh, PA is $100,404 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 63 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $100,404. The top-paying role is Family Medicine Physician at $275,930.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Pittsburgh, PA?
In Pittsburgh, PA, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $108,342 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 92.3). That is above $100K of buying power — a $100K salary stretches further in Pittsburgh, PA than in most U.S. metros. Compared to the city's average median of $100,404, $100K is below the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Pittsburgh, PA?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Pittsburgh, PA are Family Medicine Physician ($275,930), Pediatrician ($208,050), Computer and Information Systems Manager ($159,090), and Dentist ($155,250). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $129,900 to $275,930. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/pittsburgh.
How does Pittsburgh, PA's cost of living affect salaries?
Pittsburgh, PA has a cost-of-living index of 92.3, 8% below the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $100,404 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $108,780 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 Pittsburgh, PA?
Across the 63 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Pittsburgh, PA metro is approximately 229,720. 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 Pittsburgh, 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, Pittsburgh, PA MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 63 occupations · COL Index 92.3.