Philadelphia: what paychecks leave after rent
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area: 2,897,830 jobs, median pay of $54,310 across all occupations, and a $1,558 one-bedroom Fair Market Rent.
The typical worker in Philadelphia, earning the all-occupations median of $54,310, takes home about $3,818 a month after federal taxes. A one-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent would take 41% of that. The median wage is 0.87× the income needed to keep that rent at 30% of gross pay, which falls short of the guideline.
Of the 10 jobs covered here, software developers have the most room (18% of take-home on a 1BR). Fast Food and Counter Workers are the most squeezed (67%).
Census figures add context: the ACS 2020–2024 5-year median gross rent paid by all renter households in the metro was $1,480 (±$8), and median household income was $91,289 (±$666).
Rent share of take-home pay, by job
All jobs in Philadelphia
| Job | Median pay | Take-home / mo | Hours of work | 1BR share | Left after 1BR | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | $133,040 | $8,517 | 24.4 h | 18% | $6,959 | 2.13× |
| Registered Nurse | $101,180 | $6,668 | 32.0 h | 23% | $5,110 | 1.62× |
| Police Officer | $89,580 | $5,987 | 36.2 h | 26% | $4,429 | 1.44× |
| Accountant or Auditor | $85,990 | $5,777 | 37.7 h | 27% | $4,219 | 1.38× |
| Elementary School Teacher | $78,570 | $5,342 | — h | 29% | $3,784 | 1.26× |
| Electrician | $74,590 | $5,109 | 43.4 h | 31% | $3,551 | 1.20× |
| Truck Driver | $59,370 | $4,157 | 54.6 h | 37% | $2,599 | 0.95× |
| Medical Assistant | $45,890 | $3,254 | 70.6 h | 48% | $1,696 | 0.74× |
| Retail Salesperson | $34,810 | $2,512 | 93.1 h | 62% | $954 | 0.56× |
| Fast Food Worker | $32,220 | $2,339 | 100.6 h | 67% | $781 | 0.52× |
HUD rent areas in this metro
| HUD FMR area | Population | 1BR | 2BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA | 6,272,014 | $1,558 | $1,860 |
HUD treats the whole metro as one rent area.
Sources & method
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — metropolitan areas — vintage: May 2025 estimates. File:
oesm25ma.zip, retrieved 2026-10-06. - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD USER), Fair Market Rents, FY2027 — vintage: FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). File:
FY27_FMRs.xlsx, retrieved 2026-10-05. - U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates: Median gross rent (B25064) — vintage: ACS 2020–2024 5-year. File:
acsdt5y2024-b25064.dat, retrieved 2026-10-05. - U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates: Median household income (B19013) — vintage: ACS 2020–2024 5-year. File:
acsdt5y2024-b19013.dat, retrieved 2026-10-05. - Internal Revenue Service, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (tax year 2026 brackets, $16,100 standard deduction) and SSA's $184,500 wage base, used for the take-home estimate.
Take-home = annual wage − 2026 federal income tax (single filer, standard deduction) − Social Security and Medicare. State and local income taxes are not deducted. Wages are May 2025 estimates; rents are HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). Full details on the methodology page. Page data last rebuilt 2026-10-06.