PA $15 Minimum Wage Would Fall Short of ‘Living Wage’

Pennsylvania’s minimum wage has remained at the federal amount of $7.25 an hour since 2009, but in Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2026-27 proposed state budget, the minimum wage would increase to $15.  Laura Nevitt of the Keystone Progress Education Fund says the cost of living has far outpaced paychecks in the last 17 years, but even the proposed increase is still too low…

“For a single adult in Pennsylvania its around $22.91—that’s minimally. You start talking about two adults and children, you can get, you know, upwards almost of $55 an hour or higher.”