Highway Maintenance Worker Salary in Philadelphia, PA
Highway Maintenance Workers in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earn a median $43,890 a year — 13% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $36,098 take-home, or $3,008 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median highway maintenance worker salary in Philadelphia, PA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$3,087
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,721
- Medicare (1.45%)$636
- Pennsylvania income tax$1,347
- Take-home pay$36,098
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 3.07% state
Living in Philadelphia? City residents also pay Philadelphia’s Resident Wage Tax — about $1,641 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $34,457 ($2,871 a month). Choose “Philadelphia” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro spans Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Highway Maintenance Worker pay by experience in Philadelphia, PA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $40,410 | $19.43 | $33,409 | $2,784 |
| 25th percentile | $40,790 | $19.61 | $33,703 | $2,809 |
| Median (50th) | $43,890 | $21.10 | $36,098 | $3,008 |
| 75th percentile | $59,970 | $28.83 | $48,525 | $4,044 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $73,690 | $35.43 | $58,409 | $4,867 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Pennsylvania resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $43,890 buys in Philadelphia, PA
Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 2.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.13× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median highway maintenance worker's $36,098 take-home pay has the buying power of $35,199 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Highway Maintenance Worker jobs are about as common in Philadelphia, PA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.19).
Best-paying cities for highway maintenance workers, adjusted for cost of living
Philadelphia, PA ranks #3 of 3 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago, IL | $76,220 | $58,823 | $56,781 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $60,280 | $47,957 | $42,604 |
| 3 | Philadelphia, PA | $43,890 | $36,098 | $35,199 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 3 metros →
About the job: highway maintenance workers
Maintain highways, municipal and rural roads, airport runways, and rights-of-way. Duties include patching broken or eroded pavement and repairing guard rails, highway markers, and snow fences. May also mow or clear brush from along road, or plow snow from roadway.
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +3.4% (about average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a highway maintenance worker make in Philadelphia, PA?
The median highway maintenance worker salary in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area is $43,890 a year, or about $21.10 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $40,790 and $59,970.
What is a highway maintenance worker’s take-home pay in Philadelphia, PA?
On the median $43,890 salary, a single filer living in Pennsylvania takes home about $36,098 a year ($3,008 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,347 in Pennsylvania taxes in 2026.
Is Philadelphia, PA a good place to work as a highway maintenance worker?
Pay here is 13% below the national median of $50,260. Local prices are 2.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $35,199 would in a typical U.S. city. Philadelphia, PA ranks #3 of 3 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a highway maintenance worker afford rent in Philadelphia, PA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Philadelphia, PA is $1,520 a month ($1,810 for two bedrooms) — 51% of a median highway maintenance worker’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Philadelphia, PA
- First-Line Supervisor of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers — $95,840
- Construction and Building Inspector — $75,710
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters — $74,860
- Electrician — $74,590
- Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator — $66,810
- Carpenter — $61,780
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance — $57,410
- Construction Laborer — $55,120