Pennsylvania Minimum Wage & Back Pay Calculator
Verify whether hours worked comply with the Pennsylvania statutory minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Calculate mandatory earnings floors, determine confirmed wage underpayments, and understand the legal boundary between statewide preemption and Philadelphia’s municipal contractor standard.
Pennsylvania Minimum Wage & Back Pay Calculator
Verify wages against the Pennsylvania statutory rate ($7.25/hr under 43 P.S. § 333.104), evaluate back-pay deficits, and review Philadelphia municipal contractor standards.
Understanding Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Law
State Statutory Rate ($7.25/hr)
Pennsylvania’s statutory minimum wage is established by the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act of 1968 (PMWA), codified at 43 P.S. § 333.104. The statutory rate aligned with the federal rate on July 24, 2009 at $7.25 per hour. Unlike states with automatic inflation indexation, Pennsylvania’s rate requires legislative action by the General Assembly to change.
Local Preemption & Philadelphia Contractors
Pennsylvania law strictly preempts local governments from mandating higher minimum wages for private employers (43 P.S. § 333.105). While the City of Philadelphia enforces the “21st Century Minimum Wage Standard” under Philadelphia Code Chapter 17-1300 ($17.63/hr for qualifying FY27 contracts effective July 1, 2026; $16.82/hr for transitional FY26 contracts; $12.40/hr in calendar 2026 for grandfathered pre-April-2019 contracts), it applies strictly to municipal employees, covered city contractors, and financial aid recipients. Ordinary private-sector employees in Philadelphia remain subject to the $7.25 state minimum wage baseline.