StateRates

Reading salaries

The median worker in the Reading, PA metro area earned $48,210 a year in 2024, about $23.18 an hour. That ranks #131 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 171,480 wage and salary
Metro rank #131 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Reading 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.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 3.56× 610 $52,710
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators 2.72× 540 $61,690
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators 2.52× 2,260 $49,310
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists 2.36× 750 $66,150
Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers 2.2× 640 $52,590
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers 2.12× 1,620 $75,670
Bus Drivers, School 1.9× 820 $46,490
Industrial Machinery Mechanics 1.88× 880 $65,750
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists 1.79× 590 $29,800
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 1.79× 840 $52,520
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 1.74× 1,200 $78,720
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders 1.71× 730 $41,230

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Reading
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Architectural and Engineering Managers $153,610 $73.85 250
Computer and Information Systems Managers $152,260 $73.20 340
Pharmacists $137,870 $66.28 280
Nurse Practitioners $135,030 $64.92 280
Financial Managers $131,210 $63.08 770
Human Resources Managers $129,470 $62.25 200
Sales Managers $127,760 $61.42 610
Marketing Managers $125,900 $60.53 240
Managers, All Other $121,540 $58.43 450
Software Developers $116,990 $56.25 490
Computer Systems Analysts $104,870 $50.42 330
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $104,040 n/a 440
Electrical Engineers $103,440 $49.73 200
Lawyers $102,810 $49.43 420
Industrial Production Managers $102,350 $49.21 470
Medical and Health Services Managers $101,890 $48.98 600
Personal Financial Advisors $100,770 $48.45 230
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $99,310 $47.75 230
Management Analysts $97,950 $47.09 350
Physical Therapists $97,570 $46.91 260
General and Operations Managers $97,150 $46.71 4,050
Civil Engineers $96,890 $46.58 310
Mechanical Engineers $96,680 $46.48 420
Registered Nurses $96,330 $46.31 3,360
Computer Occupations, All Other $96,180 $46.24 230
Project Management Specialists $96,160 $46.23 690
Industrial Engineers $94,350 $45.36 380
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $87,930 $42.28 640
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $82,070 $39.46 200
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $80,800 $38.85 690
Financial and Investment Analysts $79,770 $38.35 200
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $78,780 n/a 1,450
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $78,720 n/a 1,200
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $78,480 $37.73 670
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $77,970 n/a 1,400
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School $77,750 n/a 200
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School $77,340 n/a 360
Accountants and Auditors $75,700 $36.40 1,290
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $75,670 $36.38 1,620
Cost Estimators $74,620 $35.88 270
Logisticians $73,490 $35.33 230
Social and Community Service Managers $72,690 $34.95 200
Buyers and Purchasing Agents $68,500 $32.93 390
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $67,640 $32.52 460
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians $67,590 $32.50 260
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School $66,320 n/a 220
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists $66,150 $31.80 750
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $65,800 $31.64 940
Industrial Machinery Mechanics $65,750 $31.61 880
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants $64,590 $31.05 260
Compliance Officers $64,400 $30.96 270
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $64,280 $30.90 1,590
Electricians $64,110 $30.82 730
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $64,040 $30.79 1,570
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $64,030 $30.79 760
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines $63,450 $30.51 240
Human Resources Specialists $63,290 $30.43 940
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $62,910 $30.25 420
Loan Officers $62,810 $30.20 210
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $62,190 $29.90 640

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Reading by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 5,960 $29,430 $14.15
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 5,430 $41,800 $20.09
Retail Salespersons 4,170 $32,300 $15.53
Fast Food and Counter Workers 4,110 $28,320 $13.61
General and Operations Managers 4,050 $97,150 $46.71
Cashiers 3,770 $28,670 $13.78
Stockers and Order Fillers 3,560 $37,460 $18.01
Registered Nurses 3,360 $96,330 $46.31
Office Clerks, General 3,180 $45,100 $21.68
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 2,870 $58,130 $27.95
Customer Service Representatives 2,700 $39,680 $19.08
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 2,690 $42,050 $20.22
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 2,450 $36,560 $17.58
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators 2,260 $49,310 $23.71
Waiters and Waitresses 2,180 $29,020 $13.95
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 1,940 $51,000 $24.52
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 1,900 $44,950 $21.61
Nursing Assistants 1,870 $43,930 $21.12
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 1,750 $31,350 n/a
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers 1,620 $75,670 $36.38

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

Reading pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Reading?

The median across all occupations is $48,210, or $23.18 an hour, covering 171,480 wage and salary workers. The mean is $59,380, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Reading 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 Reading?

Architectural and Engineering Managers ($153,610), Computer and Information Systems Managers ($152,260), Pharmacists ($137,870). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Reading unusually full of?

Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, at 3.56× 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.