2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · Pennsylvania

$42 an Hour in Pennsylvania — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $42/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $87,360. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Pennsylvania state income tax, your take-home pay is $32.50/hr. In Pennsylvania's medium cost-of-living environment, this is a comfortable living wage in Pennsylvania.

Gross Annual
$87,360
Net Annual
$67,606
Net Monthly
$5,634
Net Hourly
$32.50

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $42.00 $9.50 $32.50
Daily (8 hrs) $336.00 $75.98 $260.02
Weekly (40 hrs) $1,680.00 $379.89 $1,300.11
Biweekly $3,360.00 $759.78 $2,600.22
Monthly $7,280.00 $1,646.18 $5,633.82
Annual $87,360 $19,754 $67,606

Full Tax Breakdown — Pennsylvania, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $42/hr × 2,080 hrs $87,360
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $71,260
Federal Income Tax 11.9% −$10,389.20
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$5,416.32
Medicare (1.45%) −$1,266.72
Pennsylvania Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$0
Pennsylvania State Income Tax 3.1% −$2,681.95
Total Tax 22.6% effective −$19,754.19
Net Take-Home $67,606

How Does Pennsylvania Compare?

See how $42/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $4,183.06 $5,509/mo $66,105 Florida None $5,857/mo $70,288 New York $4,212.41 $5,506/mo $66,075 Texas None $5,857/mo $70,288 Washington None $5,857/mo $70,288
Open Full Calculator for Pennsylvania — $42/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$42/hr = $87,360/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$87,360 salary in Pennsylvania — full breakdown $87,360 after tax in Pennsylvania $87,360 salary to hourly Pennsylvania paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in Pennsylvania

$39/hr in Pennsylvania$40/hr in Pennsylvania$41/hr in Pennsylvania$43/hr in Pennsylvania$44/hr in Pennsylvania$45/hr in Pennsylvania

Same Rate, Other States

$42/hr in Alabama$42/hr in Alaska$42/hr in Arizona$42/hr in Arkansas$42/hr in California$42/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in Pennsylvania

✓ Comfortable — $42/hr covers costs in Pennsylvania
  • Avg 1BR rent in Philadelphia: $1,200/mo — within budget (16% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in Pennsylvania: $40,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $67,606 ($27,606 above comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$44.1/hr

Working at $42/hr in Pennsylvania

At this level in Pennsylvania the 3.07% flat rate is one of the most favorable in any major state. Vanguard, UPMC, and Carnegie Mellon spin-offs create strong demand for high-skill workers. Pittsburgh's cost of living remains significantly lower than Philadelphia or comparable Northern metros.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 37 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Philadelphia (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's within the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 5.8x Pennsylvania's federal minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Pennsylvania is 22.6% -- federal income tax accounts for 11.9%, FICA 7.6%, and Pennsylvania state tax 3.1%.

Pennsylvania's economy is anchored by healthcare (UPMC, Jefferson Health), finance (Vanguard, Lincoln Financial), manufacturing, energy, and education. Philadelphia is a major healthcare and pharmaceutical hub. Pittsburgh has reinvented itself around tech, healthcare, and robotics (Carnegie Mellon's AI research).

Pennsylvania has a flat 3.07% state income tax — one of the lowest flat rates in the US. No standard deduction, but the very low rate means total state burden is modest. Philadelphia also levies a city wage tax of 3.75% for residents — significantly increasing the total for Philadelphia workers.

Pennsylvania follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr — one of the lowest in the Northeast.

Monthly Budget on $42/hr in Pennsylvania

Based on $5,634/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Pennsylvania's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $1,200 $14,400 21.3%
Food (groceries + dining) $676 $8,112 12.0%
Transportation $563 $6,756 10.0%
Utilities $338 $4,056 6.0%
Healthcare $282 $3,384 5.0%
Entertainment $282 $3,384 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $563 $6,756 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $1,730 $20,760 30.7%

Overtime Pay — $42/hr in Pennsylvania

At time-and-a-half ($63.00/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Pennsylvania. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~26.5%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $315 $231 $11,550
10 hrs/week $630 $463 $23,150
20 hrs/week $1,260 $926 $46,300

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $42/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $32.50 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 1.2 hrs 1.6 hrs
Week of groceries $120 2.9 hrs 3.7 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 19.1 hrs 24.6 hrs
1 month rent (Philadelphia) $1,200 28.6 hrs 37 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 238.1 hrs 307.7 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 1142.9 hrs 1476.8 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

42 an hour -- is it a good wage in Pennsylvania?

42/hr in Pennsylvania gives you $67,606/year after taxes -- a comfortable living wage in Pennsylvania. Avg 1BR rent in Philadelphia: $1,200/month (within the 30% rule).

What is 42 an hour after taxes in Pennsylvania?

42/hr in Pennsylvania = $67,606/year or $5,634/month net. Effective rate: 22.6%.

How does 42/hr go further -- Pennsylvania or Texas?

42/hr in Pennsylvania has similar purchasing power to ~44.1/hr in Texas.

What does 42/hr look like as a monthly budget in Pennsylvania?

On $5,634/month in Pennsylvania: rent $1,200, food $676, transport $563, savings $563, surplus ~$1,730.

How much does overtime add at 42/hr in Pennsylvania?

At 1.5x (63.00/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$11,550/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$23,150/year.