Pennsylvania Bonus Tax Calculator
Data compiled and maintained by Edmond Daher · Updated 2026-08-02
Pennsylvania bonus tax calculator
Got a bonus in Pennsylvania? It isn't taxed at a special rate — what shrinks it is withholding. Pennsylvania has no separate bonus rate, so it withholds using the aggregate method (about 3.07%) on top of the 22% federal prepayment and FICA. Pennsylvania also withholds unemployment insurance contributions from wages, which this estimate does not model. Drop your figures in to watch the payday deduction sit next to the real filing cost, plus whatever you get back or owe. Everything runs in your browser.
The quick take: a stand-alone Pennsylvania bonus has a flat 22% federal tax withheld, no separate Pennsylvania rate — it's withheld as ordinary wages (about 3.07%), plus 7.65% FICA. But that's only withholding. Your real bill is your marginal rate at filing; run the calculator to see the refund or shortfall. Pennsylvania also withholds unemployment insurance contributions from wages, which this estimate does not model.
Estimate only, not tax advice — terms.
Why your Pennsylvania bonus looks over-taxed — and mostly isn't
Think of the flat rate as a deposit, not a bill. A bonus is taxed like any wages — at your marginal rate when the year's income runs through the brackets — and the 22% is only how it's withheld. Under 22% (most people) the extra comes back as a refund; over 22% you owe the difference. For the $11,000 bonus below, the flat withholding runs roughly $870 light, leaving that to owe. Only FICA (7.65%) is a true tax that never returns.
Cross-border check: Pennsylvania vs. New York, New Jersey and Ohio on a bonus
Side by side, a $70,000 earner's $10,000 bonus in Pennsylvania versus New York, New Jersey and Ohio:
| State | Bonus method | State withheld | Total withheld |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | aggregate (~3.07%) | $307 | $3,272 |
| New York | flat 11.7% | $1,170 | $4,135 |
| New Jersey | aggregate method | $586 | $3,551 |
| Ohio | flat 2.75% | $275 | $3,240 |
Total = federal 22% + state + FICA. Illustrative single-filer figures; the income tax you actually owe trues up at filing.
Pennsylvania bonus withholding across three bonus sizes
For a single filer on a $70,000 salary, here's the Pennsylvania withholding at three bonus amounts:
| Bonus | Federal | Pennsylvania | FICA | Total | % of bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $1,100 | $154 | $383 | $1,636 | 32.7% |
| $25,000 | $5,500 | $768 | $1,913 | $8,180 | 32.7% |
| $100,000 | $22,000 | $3,070 | $7,650 | $32,720 | 32.7% |
That percentage moves once Social Security caps out at the wage base, and the income-tax slice still settles at filing.
What a $11,000 bonus really costs on a $215,000 Pennsylvania income
Say you earn $215,000 in Pennsylvania and your employer cuts a separate $11,000 bonus check:
- Off the top: $3,016 disappears at payday — $2,420 federal, $338 Pennsylvania, and $259 FICA — so roughly $7,984 actually reaches you, a 27.4% cut.
- At tax time: the bonus's actual income tax works out near $3,628 (federal $3,290 + Pennsylvania $338) — and FICA is the same $259 as before.
- The gap: the 22% withheld falls short of your real rate, leaving about $870 to owe at filing. The $259 FICA doesn't move — that part is owed no matter what.
Illustrative single-filer figures from this page's engine; your result depends on your total income and filing status.
Breaking down the withholding on a Pennsylvania bonus
The 22% isn't a bonus tax. It's the flat rate an employer may use to withhold federal income tax from a separately paid bonus (IRS Pub 15). Only the part of your yearly bonuses above $1,000,000 is withheld at 37%; everything under that stays a flat 22% — a shortcut, not a rate reserved for bonuses.
Pennsylvania: no separate bonus rate. With no published supplemental rate, Pennsylvania withholds a bonus using the aggregate method — combined with your regular pay. Its flat 3.07% income tax means a separately paid bonus is withheld close to 3.07%. Pennsylvania also withholds unemployment insurance contributions from wages, which this estimate does not model. The published rate does not say whether a separately paid bonus carries it, so your pay stub is the authority there.
Don't expect FICA back. Of the total held back, 7.65% is FICA — Social Security to the wage base, plus Medicare — owed at that rate. Neither piece refunds at filing, so both columns of the tool show it unchanged; the income-tax withholding is the only part that trues up.
Need your normal take-home instead? Try the Pennsylvania paycheck calculator.
Pennsylvania bonus tax FAQ
What is the Pennsylvania bonus tax rate in 2026?
Pennsylvania withholds about 3.07% (aggregate method) on a separately paid bonus, on top of the flat 22% federal rate (37% above $1,000,000/yr) and 7.65% FICA. That's withholding, not your final tax. Pennsylvania also withholds unemployment insurance contributions from wages, which this estimate does not model.
Does Pennsylvania have a separate bonus withholding rate?
No. Pennsylvania has no separate supplemental rate, so a bonus is withheld with the aggregate method — as if it were part of your regular wages, effectively near 3.07%.
Do I get a refund on my Pennsylvania bonus?
If 22% was more than your real rate, yes — the over-withheld income tax returns at filing. If your marginal rate tops 22%, you owe the shortfall. FICA doesn't come back either way.
Is there a special bonus tax rate in Pennsylvania?
No. The 22% federal and the state supplemental rate are withholding defaults, not rates that apply only to bonuses. Your real tax is your ordinary marginal rate.
Bonus tax calculators near Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania paycheck calculator · all state bonus tax calculators →
Sources
- IRS Publication 15 (2026) — Supplemental Wages (flat 22% / 37% above $1M)
- Pennsylvania income-tax status & rate: see the Pennsylvania paycheck calculator sources (state DOR, verified 2026-08-02).