To take home four times the typical rent, a full-time job in Pennsylvania needs to pay from $21.84 an hour in Venango County to $51.74 in Bucks County, before taxes. The middle county is Lycoming County at $26.05.
| County | Pay needed | Studio rent |
|---|---|---|
| Adams County | $34.48/hr | $1,110/mo |
| Allegheny County | $35.20/hr | $1,130/mo |
| Armstrong County | $22.49/hr | $740/mo |
| Beaver County | $29.29/hr | $950/mo |
| Bedford County | $24.76/hr | $810/mo |
| Berks County | $31.56/hr | $1,020/mo |
| Blair County | $24.76/hr | $810/mo |
| Bradford County | $26.38/hr | $860/mo |
| Bucks County | $51.74/hr | $1,575/mo |
| Butler County | $29.94/hr | $970/mo |
| Cambria County | $25.73/hr | $840/mo |
| Cameron County | $24.43/hr | $800/mo |
| Carbon County | $31.56/hr | $1,020/mo |
| Centre County | $33.18/hr | $1,070/mo |
| Chester County | $47.84/hr | $1,470/mo |
| Clarion County | $23.79/hr | $780/mo |
| Clearfield County | $23.14/hr | $760/mo |
| Clinton County | $23.79/hr | $780/mo |
| Columbia County | $24.27/hr | $795/mo |
| Crawford County | $23.79/hr | $780/mo |
| Cumberland County | $31.56/hr | $1,020/mo |
| Dauphin County | $31.56/hr | $1,020/mo |
| Delaware County | $43.37/hr | $1,350/mo |
| Elk County | $22.81/hr | $750/mo |
| Erie County | $23.14/hr | $760/mo |
| Fayette County | $26.70/hr | $870/mo |
| Forest County | $22.81/hr | $750/mo |
| Franklin County | $28.64/hr | $930/mo |
| Fulton County | $23.62/hr | $775/mo |
| Greene County | $27.51/hr | $895/mo |
| Huntingdon County | $25.08/hr | $820/mo |
| Indiana County | $22.81/hr | $750/mo |
| Jefferson County | $22.17/hr | $730/mo |
| Juniata County | $22.65/hr | $745/mo |
| Lackawanna County | $29.29/hr | $950/mo |
| Lancaster County | $33.18/hr | $1,070/mo |
| Lawrence County | $22.17/hr | $730/mo |
| Lebanon County | $30.26/hr | $980/mo |
| Lehigh County | $41.14/hr | $1,290/mo |
| Luzerne County | $29.29/hr | $950/mo |
| Lycoming County | $26.05/hr | $850/mo |
| McKean County | $22.81/hr | $750/mo |
| Mercer County | $21.84/hr | $720/mo |
| Mifflin County | $25.08/hr | $820/mo |
| Monroe County | $38.35/hr | $1,215/mo |
| Montgomery County | $50.25/hr | $1,535/mo |
| Montour County | $30.91/hr | $1,000/mo |
| Northampton County | $40.96/hr | $1,285/mo |
| Northumberland County | $22.17/hr | $730/mo |
| Perry County | $26.38/hr | $860/mo |
| Philadelphia County | $43.75/hr | $1,360/mo |
| Pike County | $32.20/hr | $1,040/mo |
| Potter County | $23.79/hr | $780/mo |
| Schuylkill County | $22.81/hr | $750/mo |
| Snyder County | $22.81/hr | $750/mo |
| Somerset County | $23.79/hr | $780/mo |
| Sullivan County | $23.79/hr | $780/mo |
| Susquehanna County | $25.08/hr | $820/mo |
| Tioga County | $22.81/hr | $750/mo |
| Union County | $24.11/hr | $790/mo |
| Venango County | $21.84/hr | $720/mo |
| Warren County | $25.73/hr | $840/mo |
| Washington County | $28.97/hr | $940/mo |
| Wayne County | $26.54/hr | $865/mo |
| Westmoreland County | $27.99/hr | $910/mo |
| Wyoming County | $26.38/hr | $860/mo |
| York County | $29.29/hr | $950/mo |
The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent?