Pennsylvania Minimum Wage 2026: $7.25/hr — What Workers Need to Know

Pennsylvania minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 per hour since July 24, 2009 — the same day the federal rate last increased. Pennsylvania is one of only two states in the Northeast (alongside New Hampshire) that has not raised its minimum wage above the federal floor, making it an outlier in a region where most states have moved to $15.00/hr or higher.

What Is the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage in 2026?

$7.25 per hour. This applies to most private-sector employees in the Commonwealth. Pennsylvania's minimum wage is set by the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act (Act 5 of 2006), which amended the state's wage law to match the federal rate. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry enforces the law. The rate reached its current level in two steps during the last federal phase-in: $6.55/hr on July 24, 2008, then $7.25/hr on July 24, 2009. It hasn't moved since — the state has now gone more than sixteen years without a raise.

Pennsylvania's Minimum Wage Act (43 P.S. § 333.101 et seq.) sets the state minimum wage by reference to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. The state has no automatic inflation adjustment — any increase requires new legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor.

What Does $7.25 an Hour Add Up To in Pennsylvania?

The math is simple but worth spelling out. A standard 40-hour workweek at $7.25/hr comes to $290.00 in gross pay. Over a two-week pay period (80 hours), that's $580.00. Across a full year at 2,080 hours (40 hrs/wk × 52 weeks), gross pay totals $15,080.00 — the figure referenced in the quick-answer box above. On a monthly basis, using a 4.33-week average month, gross pay works out to roughly $1,256 to $1,257.

• Weekly (40 hrs): $290.00
• Biweekly (80 hrs): $580.00
• Monthly (~173.3 hrs): ~$1,256.67
• Annual (2,080 hrs): $15,080.00

Those are gross figures before payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare) and any applicable state or local income tax withholding, all of which reduce take-home pay further.

Pennsylvania Minimum Wage vs. Neighboring States

Source: US Department of Labor, as of January 2026.

Every state that borders Pennsylvania pays more than $7.25/hr, and four of the six — New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland — pay at least double the Pennsylvania rate. Only Ohio and West Virginia come close, and even West Virginia's $8.75/hr floor is $1.50/hr higher. For workers near the state line, particularly around Philadelphia (which borders New Jersey and sits close to Delaware) and Pittsburgh (near the West Virginia and Ohio borders), that gap can be a real factor in where to look for hourly work.

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Minimum Wage

Philadelphia does not have a citywide minimum wage for all private employers — Pennsylvania law preempts local governments from setting a general minimum wage. The same preemption applies to Pittsburgh, the state's second-largest city: neither city can pass an ordinance requiring private-sector employers to pay above the $7.25/hr state floor. Any increase for workers in either city would have to come from the Pennsylvania General Assembly, not a local ordinance.

Within that constraint, Philadelphia has established higher wage requirements for:

• City contractors and subcontractors: Must pay a living wage that is higher than the state minimum.
• City employees: Philadelphia municipal workers earn above the state minimum.
• Certain service workers: Workers at Philadelphia International Airport and other city-owned facilities may be covered by prevailing wage or living wage ordinances.

For most private-sector workers in Philadelphia, the $7.25/hr state rate applies, though market wages in the city are significantly higher — few employers in Philadelphia actually pay $7.25/hr given the competitive labor market. Pittsburgh doesn't have a published local wage ordinance of the same kind covering general private employment, since the same state preemption applies there as well; workers in both cities fall back on the statewide $7.25/hr floor for any job not otherwise covered by a contractor or prevailing-wage requirement.

Pennsylvania Tipped Minimum Wage

Pennsylvania allows a tip credit. The tipped cash wage is $2.83 per hour, with employers allowed to claim a tip credit of up to $4.42/hr toward the $7.25 full minimum wage. If tips do not bring the employee to $7.25/hr in any workweek, the employer must pay the difference.

In practice: a tipped worker who clocks 30 hours in a week is guaranteed at least $84.90 in direct wages from their employer (30 × $2.83). The employer can count up to $132.60 in tips that week (30 × $4.42) toward the tip credit — but only if the worker actually receives at least that much in tips, bringing total pay to $217.50 for the week (30 × $7.25). If tips fall short, the employer owes the difference. The $7.25/hr floor is a guarantee, not a target — tipped employees are never legally entitled to less than the full state minimum wage once tips are counted.

Overtime and Exempt Employees in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania follows the federal Fair Labor Standards Act for overtime. Non-exempt employees, including those paid the $7.25/hr minimum wage, must receive 1.5 times their regular rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek — $10.88/hr for a worker earning the state minimum.

For salaried employees to be classified as exempt from overtime under the standard executive, administrative, or professional exemptions, they generally must earn at least $684 per week, or $35,568 per year — the federal FLSA salary threshold, which Pennsylvania also uses since the Commonwealth hasn't adopted its own higher exempt-salary threshold the way some other states have. Salaried employees paid below that threshold are entitled to overtime pay regardless of job title.

Will Pennsylvania Raise Its Minimum Wage?

Multiple bills to raise Pennsylvania's minimum wage have been introduced in the General Assembly in recent years, with proposals ranging from $12/hr to $15/hr with various phase-in schedules. Governor Josh Shapiro has called for raising the rate to $15/hr. However, as of 2026, no increase has passed both chambers. The political dynamics in the General Assembly — with a closely divided House and a Republican-controlled Senate — have made consensus difficult.

The current rate has now gone unchanged for more than sixteen years, tied with more than a dozen other states that also last raised their minimum wage on the same date, July 24, 2009, when the final step of the last federal increase took effect. Unlike states such as Florida or Rhode Island, which have future increases scheduled directly into law, Pennsylvania has no next rate change on the books — any further increase depends entirely on new legislation clearing both chambers and being signed by the Governor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Pennsylvania's minimum wage in 2026?

$7.25 per hour, the same as the federal minimum wage. It hasn't changed since July 24, 2009.

Does Philadelphia or Pittsburgh have a higher minimum wage than the rest of Pennsylvania?

Not for general private-sector employment. Pennsylvania law preempts cities from setting their own minimum wage, so both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are bound by the same $7.25/hr state floor. Philadelphia does require higher pay for city contractors, city employees, and some workers at city-owned facilities, but that doesn't apply to most private employers.

What is the tipped minimum wage in Pennsylvania?

$2.83 per hour in direct cash wages, plus a tip credit of up to $4.42/hr. Combined, a tipped employee's total pay must reach at least $7.25/hr for every hour worked, or the employer has to make up the difference.

Is Pennsylvania raising its minimum wage soon?

Not on any confirmed schedule. Several bills proposing increases to $12-$15/hr have been introduced in the General Assembly, and Governor Shapiro has called for $15/hr, but none has passed both chambers as of 2026. Pennsylvania has no automatic inflation adjustment and no scheduled future increase written into law.

How does Pennsylvania compare to its neighbors on minimum wage?

It's the lowest by a wide margin. New York's statewide rate is $16.00/hr (up to $17.00/hr in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County), New Jersey is $15.49/hr, Delaware and Maryland are both $15.00/hr, Ohio is $11.00/hr, and West Virginia is $8.75/hr — still $1.50/hr above Pennsylvania.

Do minimum-wage workers in Pennsylvania get overtime?

Yes. Non-exempt employees, including those earning the $7.25/hr minimum, are entitled to 1.5 times their regular rate — $10.88/hr — for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek, under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

Who enforces the minimum wage law in Pennsylvania?

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry enforces the state's Minimum Wage Act. Because the law sets the state rate by reference to the federal rate, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division also has jurisdiction over most Pennsylvania employers.

Related: States with the Lowest Minimum Wage · Why the Federal Minimum Wage Hasn't Increased Since 2009 · Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Data Page