StateRates

Pittsburgh salaries

The median worker in the Pittsburgh, PA metro area earned $48,210 a year in 2024, about $23.18 an hour. That ranks #129 of the 391 metro areas published here, 2.6% below the national median.

Pennsylvania

Median pay $48,210 $23.18 per hour
Vs national -2.6% U.S. $49,500
Workers 1,109,050 wage and salary
Metro rank #129 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Pittsburgh pays 0.7% less than Pennsylvania as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Housing here moved +2.9% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +30.5% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in Pittsburgh.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders 5.49× 800 $60,210
Crossing Guards and Flaggers 3.67× 2,380 $36,980
Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas 2.83× 900 $58,770
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary 2.79× 1,490 $72,900
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary 2.74× 4,520 $95,210
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other 2.49× 660 $43,630
Roustabouts, Oil and Gas 2.23× 730 $48,960
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators 2.2× 1,770 $57,490
Brickmasons and Blockmasons 2.17× 830 $76,040
Physicians, All Other 2.13× 4,830 $172,490
Orderlies 2.12× 810 $36,130
Labor Relations Specialists 2.1× 980 $78,220

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Pittsburgh
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Chief Executives $210,810 $101.35 2,560
Nurse Anesthetists $207,380 $99.70 530
Pediatricians, General $195,050 $93.77 510
Physicians, All Other $172,490 $82.93 4,830
Computer and Information Systems Managers $154,870 $74.46 4,360
Dentists, General $153,730 $73.91 750
Architectural and Engineering Managers $144,570 $69.51 1,880
Financial Managers $134,740 $64.78 5,980
Nuclear Engineers $134,580 $64.70 210
Pharmacists $131,950 $63.44 3,540
Commercial Pilots $131,610 n/a 240
Human Resources Managers $128,480 $61.77 1,510
Database Architects $126,410 $60.78 440
Lawyers $125,870 $60.51 5,600
Managers, All Other $125,570 $60.37 4,570
Sales Managers $125,010 $60.10 4,010
Veterinarians $124,500 $59.86 580
Marketing Managers $123,120 $59.19 2,010
Purchasing Managers $122,580 $58.93 600
Computer Hardware Engineers $122,580 $58.93 200
Software Developers $122,350 $58.82 8,820
Computer Network Architects $117,850 $56.66 1,150
Optometrists $113,580 $54.61 270
Physician Assistants $111,150 $53.44 2,000
Public Relations Managers $109,150 $52.48 390
Nurse Practitioners $107,680 $51.77 2,300
Training and Development Managers $106,320 $51.12 230
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $105,910 $50.92 860
Industrial Production Managers $104,800 $50.38 1,790
Information Security Analysts $103,470 $49.75 1,090
Administrative Services Managers $103,180 $49.61 990
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $102,820 n/a 2,050
Electrical Engineers $102,630 $49.34 1,770
Construction Managers $102,330 $49.20 1,230
Medical and Health Services Managers $102,230 $49.15 5,230
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $101,930 $49.01 1,170
Computer Occupations, All Other $101,760 $48.92 2,970
General and Operations Managers $100,280 $48.21 30,170
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay $100,030 $48.09 260
Financial Risk Specialists $99,870 $48.01 500
Personal Financial Advisors $99,670 $47.92 2,300
Fundraising Managers $99,530 $47.85 380
Sales Engineers $99,210 $47.70 560
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $99,190 $47.69 1,400
Power Distributors and Dispatchers $98,870 $47.54 280
Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary $98,600 n/a 370
Engineers, All Other $98,480 $47.35 1,040
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School $98,430 n/a 270
Financial Examiners $98,140 $47.18 660
Physical Therapists $98,010 $47.12 1,710
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $97,860 $47.05 1,600
Environmental Engineers $97,760 $47.00 340
Mechanical Engineers $97,580 $46.91 3,570
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary $97,010 n/a 540
Data Scientists $96,370 $46.33 1,890
Project Management Specialists $96,070 $46.19 6,820
Computer Systems Analysts $95,820 $46.07 3,460
Civil Engineers $95,770 $46.05 3,630
Industrial Engineers $95,630 $45.98 2,070
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $95,210 n/a 4,520

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Pittsburgh by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 35,740 $29,260 $14.07
General and Operations Managers 30,170 $100,280 $48.21
Registered Nurses 29,560 $81,190 $39.03
Retail Salespersons 29,130 $30,020 $14.43
Fast Food and Counter Workers 27,020 $28,040 $13.48
Office Clerks, General 21,620 $43,830 $21.07
Cashiers 20,940 $29,010 $13.95
Customer Service Representatives 20,240 $41,300 $19.86
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 19,350 $39,850 $19.16
Waiters and Waitresses 16,590 $30,830 $14.82
Stockers and Order Fillers 16,100 $35,340 $16.99
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 15,910 $35,500 $17.07
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 14,670 $42,750 $20.55
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 14,490 $57,040 $27.42
Cooks, Restaurant 13,550 $33,760 $16.23
Nursing Assistants 12,390 $39,220 $18.85
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 11,720 $63,140 $30.36
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 10,980 $47,930 $23.05
Accountants and Auditors 10,510 $75,550 $36.32
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 10,460 $79,000 n/a

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other Pennsylvania metro areas

Pittsburgh pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Pittsburgh?

The median across all occupations is $48,210, or $23.18 an hour, covering 1,109,050 wage and salary workers. The mean is $62,850, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Pittsburgh pay more than the rest of Pennsylvania?

No. The metro median of $48,210 is 0.7% below the Pennsylvania median of $48,550. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Pittsburgh?

Chief Executives ($210,810), Nurse Anesthetists ($207,380), Pediatricians, General ($195,050). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Pittsburgh unusually full of?

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders, at 5.49× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.