How Pittsburgh taxes your pay
Pittsburgh residents pay an earned income tax made of a city part and a Pittsburgh School District part. Someone who works in Pittsburgh but lives elsewhere pays the higher of their home rate and the city's nonresident rate, under the rules of Pennsylvania's Act 32.
Everyone who works in the city also pays the Local Services Tax, a flat amount a year taken in equal parts from each paycheck. Low earners can apply to be exempt.
Pittsburgh tax rates for 2026
- Pittsburgh City earned income tax: 3% of pay for residents; people who work here and live elsewhere pay the higher of their home rate and 1%.
- Pittsburgh City Local Services Tax: $52 a year for people who work here, split across the year's paychecks.
| Salary | Live and work here | Work here, live elsewhere in Pennsylvania | Take-home, living here | Take-home with no local tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,252 | $452 | $31,812 | $33,064 |
| $60,000 | $1,852 | $652 | $46,654 | $48,506 |
| $75,000 | $2,302 | $802 | $56,935 | $59,237 |
| $100,000 | $3,052 | $1,052 | $72,988 | $76,040 |
| $150,000 | $4,552 | $1,552 | $104,529 | $109,081 |
| $250,000 | $7,552 | $2,552 | $167,780 | $175,332 |
The commuter column assumes a home elsewhere in Pennsylvania with no local tax of its own; a home city or county with its own tax can add to it or credit it.
Worked example: the Pennsylvania median wage in Pittsburgh
The median annual wage in Pennsylvania is $49,690: half of all jobs pay more and half pay less, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey for May 2025 (all occupations; survey date May 31, 2025). Paid every two weeks as a single filer, with no 401(k) or benefits, that salary works out like this in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
| Line | Each paycheck | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $1,911.15 | $49,690.00 |
| Federal income tax | $145.49 | $3,782.75 |
| Social Security | $118.49 | $3,080.75 |
| Medicare | $27.71 | $720.46 |
| Pennsylvania income tax | $58.67 | $1,525.43 |
| Pittsburgh City earned income tax | $57.33 | $1,490.59 |
| Pittsburgh City Local Services Tax | $2.00 | $52.00 |
| PA Unemployment Compensation (employee) | $1.34 | $34.84 |
| Take-home pay | $1,500.12 | $39,003.18 |
You keep 78.5% of gross pay. Of the $10,687 withheld, federal income tax is the largest part at $3,783, followed by Social Security at $3,081.
Without the local tax the same salary would leave $40,546 a year in Pennsylvania, so living and working in Pittsburgh costs $1,543 a year, or 3.1% of pay.
Pittsburgh paycheck questions
How much is Pittsburgh local tax on $75,000 a year?
$2,302 for the year if you live and work in Pittsburgh, single and paid every two weeks, and $802 if you work there but live elsewhere in Pennsylvania. That leaves $56,935 after all taxes, against $59,237 with no local tax.
Do I pay Pittsburgh tax if I live there but work somewhere else?
Yes for the earned income tax: Pittsburgh residents pay the resident rate wherever they work. The Local Services Tax is different; it goes to the place where you work.
What is the Pennsylvania median wage after tax in Pittsburgh?
The median wage in Pennsylvania is $49,690 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). Living and working in Pittsburgh, that leaves $39,003 a year after federal, Pennsylvania, FICA and $1,543 of local tax.
What does a paycheck look like in Pittsburgh?
At the Pennsylvania median wage, paid every two weeks, each paycheck is $1,911.15 before tax and $1,500.12 after it. $59.33 of that goes to Pittsburgh, next to $145.49 of federal income tax and $58.67 for Pennsylvania.
How much Pittsburgh tax is withheld on $250,000?
$7,552 for the year living and working there, which leaves $167,780 after every tax, against $175,332 with no local tax.
Sources
Rules checked . How we calculate.