Cashiers in Pennsylvania
May 2025 wages · tax year 2026
You keep
$24,761
after federal, FICA and Pennsylvania tax
Tax takes
$4,459
15.3% of the whole
Worth, in national money
$25,396
Pennsylvania costs less than average
On that salary you would be around the 25th percentile for this work in Pennsylvania — roughly, since only five points along the band are published.
One filer, standard deduction, no dependants and nothing paid in before tax — the same household the rest of this page uses, so the comparison holds. City and school-district income taxes are not included.
Median here
$29,220
Kept after tax
$24,761
Worth in national money
$25,396
State rank
38
of 51 states
What this pays, and what it is worth
- Pennsylvania is among the lower-paying states for cashiers. The middle earner takes $29,220, ranking 38 of 51 states — about 11.13% below the national middle. Costs here are often lower too, which the figures further down account for.
- Measured against other jobs in Pennsylvania, this one sits low: 483 of 492 occupations with published pay, in the bottom quarter.
- Prices here sit close to the national average, so the adjustment changes little. From $29,220 the take-home is $24,761, which is worth about $25,396 in comparable money. Tax does most of the work here, not cost of living. The average is higher, $29,880, because the best-paid pull it up.
- Pennsylvania ranks 38 of 51 for cashiers, with a median of $29,220 — about 11.13% below the national figure. A nominal shortfall is not by itself a real one: lower-paying states frequently carry lower tax and lower price levels, and the adjusted figures below are where that is settled rather than assumed.
- Cashiers occupies position 483 of 492 in Pennsylvania's occupational wage distribution, in the bottom quartile. National ranking and local ranking answer different questions and frequently disagree; this is the one a resident experiences.
- Pennsylvania's price level is near the national average, so price deflation is close to neutral for cashiers on its $29,220 median: $24,761 retained after tax becomes $25,396 in national-average terms. Where the price adjustment is small, the tax stack is the dominant determinant of the real outcome. The mean of $29,880 sits above the median, the right skew typical of wage data.
Compare this career across states
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Pay band: Cashiers
The state median for this job
| Lowest tenth earn under | $22,270 |
|---|---|
| Half earn under | $29,220 |
| Top tenth earn over | $36,280 |
| This salary | $29,220 |
Positions between the published tenth, quarter, half, three-quarter and ninetieth points are estimated by straight line.
The same pay, somewhere else
The state median for this job
| Take-home in Pennsylvania | $24,761 |
|---|---|
| Take-home in Texas | $25,658 |
| Once local prices are leveledBEA price parity | +$1,008 |
State income tax and state price levels only. No city income tax, and no housing market.
What you would need there
The state median for this job
| To match take-home only | $28,113 |
|---|---|
| You could take a cut of | −$1,207 |
| Prices in Texas | 97 vs 98 |
State taxes and state price levels only. No city tax, and no housing market.
Sources and assumptions
- Treat $29,220 as a midpoint for Pennsylvania, not a promise. The tenth percentile is $22,270 and the ninetieth is $36,280 — a wide band, and where you land in it depends on far more than the state.
- In Pennsylvania the take-home figure of $24,761, from $29,220, assumes one filer, no dependants, and nothing paid into a pension before tax. Each of those lowers the bill, so treat it as the plain case. City and school-district income taxes are not included either, and in a few states those are real money. It ranks 483 of 492 occupations here.
- One number stands for prices across all of Pennsylvania, which is a simplification — big cities cost far more than small towns. Read $25,396, the adjusted value of that $29,220 median, as a way to compare states fairly, not as a quote for any particular place. The two datasets are also from different years. This job sits at 483 of 492 in the state.
- The Pennsylvania median of $29,220 describes the midpoint of a distribution spanning $22,270 to $36,280. Because that spread is typically larger than the interstate spread, a state median is a weak predictor for any individual worker in this occupation.
- Take-home for Pennsylvania is computed for a single filer taking the standard deduction with no dependants and no pre-tax contributions, giving $24,761 from $29,220. Each omitted item reduces taxable income, so the figure is a lower bound on retained pay for this household shape. Municipal and school-district income taxes are excluded, which understates the burden materially in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The occupation ranks 483 of 492 locally.
- Price deflation uses one statewide parity for Pennsylvania, so $25,396 — the adjusted value of that $29,220 median — establishes comparability between states rather than accuracy within one. The wage and parity series are dated independently, each following its own publication cycle, and neither is projected forward. This occupation sits at 483 of 492 locally.
Questions people ask
How much does pay for this job actually vary?
Less than you might expect. The bottom tenth earn $22,270 and the top tenth $36,280, so most people doing this work in Pennsylvania sit within a fairly tight band.
What does this pay actually buy where I live?
More than the figure suggests. Prices in Pennsylvania sit below the national level, so take-home here stretches like $25,396 would elsewhere. The wage is the same; the ground it covers is larger.
Where does the difference between the wage and my paycheck go?
Four deductions, stacked. The federal layer and the two payroll taxes apply wherever you work; Pennsylvania then takes its own share, leaving $24,761.
Can I compare this job across every state?
All 51 jurisdictions report this work, which makes the ranking a like-for-like one.
What is the dispersion of this occupation's wage distribution?
The tenth-to-ninetieth percentile span ($22,270 to $36,280) sits at or below the family's median dispersion, indicating relatively standardized compensation. Percentiles are published per state, so this dispersion is specific to Pennsylvania rather than a national figure.
What is this occupation's price-adjusted compensation in this state?
Pennsylvania's regional price parity is at or below the national average, so nominal wages understate purchasing power. Take-home deflated by the state price level is $25,396 in national-average terms. The adjustment uses an all-items index and does not isolate housing.
What accounts for the gap between gross wage and take-home here?
Take-home of $24,761 reflects federal income tax, OASDI, Medicare and Pennsylvania income tax for a single filer with no adjustments. The state layer is levied in addition to the federal one; only its rate and base differ between states.
Is this occupation's state coverage complete?
State-level estimates are published for all 51 jurisdictions for this occupation, so cross-state comparison is not confounded by suppression. ⚠️ Estimates remain survey-based and carry sampling error; small differences between adjacent states should not be over-read.