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Philadelphia · Occupational wage benchmark

Financial Managers Salary in Philadelphia

What Financial Managers actually earn in the Philadelphia metro area — the published BLS median, what it is worth after local costs, and how it ranks against other major metros.

Direct answer
Financial Managers in the Philadelphia metro area earn a median of $166,920 per year (+0.2% vs national, #18 of 49 major metros). Because the area price level is 102.6 against a U.S. average of 100, that salary carries roughly the purchasing power of $162,763 nationally. These are BLS occupational wage benchmarks across all workers — not MBA-graduate-specific outcomes.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2024 estimates (published April 2025)), Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro estimates for SOC 11-3031; cost-of-living adjustment from U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MARPP) (2024). Occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes.

Median annual wage
$166,920
Financial Managers in Philadelphia
Adjusted for cost of living
$162,763
Philadelphia price level 102.6 (U.S. = 100)
Rank among metros
#18 of 49
#24 after cost of living
Workers employed
18,520
in metro Philadelphia

What Financial Managers earn in Philadelphia, adjusted for what it costs to live there

A headline wage only means something next to local prices. Once local prices are accounted for, Philadelphia drops 6 places — a higher headline wage is partly consumed by a higher cost of living.

MetroMedian (nominal)Adjusted for cost of living
San Jose$225,280$204,015
New York$221,010$196,343
San Francisco$216,150$186,960
Boston$209,780$193,764
Denver$193,400$182,829
Seattle$185,550$166,962
Washington DC$185,270$170,154
Los Angeles$175,310$154,368
San Diego$174,210$155,702
Richmond$173,140$176,930
Charlotte$172,760$177,466
Atlanta$171,240$171,141
Hartford$170,310$165,758
Dallas-Fort Worth$169,200$164,128
Chicago$168,810$162,952
Providence$167,570$164,651
Austin$167,180$170,477
Philadelphia$166,920$162,763
Houston$166,910$169,230
Minneapolis$165,620$158,001

Nominal medians: BLS OEWS, May 2024 estimates (published April 2025) — occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes. Adjusted column: SalaryMBA estimate, computed as nominal ÷ (metro RPP ÷ 100) using BEA MARPP 2024 regional price parities.

The national pay range for Financial Managers

BLS publishes the full percentile distribution nationally. The spread within the occupation is usually far wider than the gap between metros.

Percentile (national)Annual wageReading
10th percentile$94,310Entry / early-career end
25th percentile$125,490
Median (50th)$166,570
75th percentile$219,980
90th percentile$323,270Senior / top-market end

Other MBA-relevant roles in Philadelphia

How to read the Philadelphia number

The $166,920 median means half of Financial Managers in the Philadelphia area earn less and half earn more. It is measured across everyone in the occupation — every experience level, industry, and level of education. It is not the salary of a recent MBA graduate, and it is not a starting salary.

BLS counts roughly 18,520 people in this role in the Philadelphia area. To compare against the state and national picture, see Financial Managers nationally or model your own economics with the MBA ROI calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How much do Financial Managers make in Philadelphia?

Financial Managers in the Philadelphia metro area earn a median of $166,920 per year, according to BLS OEWS May 2024 estimates (published April 2025). That is +0.2% vs national, ranking Philadelphia #18 of 49 major metros we track for this role. This is an occupational wage benchmark across all workers in the metro, not an MBA-graduate-specific salary.

Is $166,920 a good salary in Philadelphia?

It depends on local prices. The Philadelphia area price level is 102.6 against a U.S. average of 100, so $166,920 there carries roughly the purchasing power of $162,763 nationally — about $4,157 less than the headline number implies. Once local prices are accounted for, Philadelphia drops 6 places — a higher headline wage is partly consumed by a higher cost of living.

Do Financial Managers in Philadelphia need an MBA?

These BLS figures cover everyone in the occupation regardless of degree, so they cannot isolate what an MBA adds. Financial Managers is a role MBA graduates commonly target, and an MBA can affect where you land within the range through network, function, and seniority — but any precise MBA premium for this role in Philadelphia would not be supported by this data.

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Every figure on SalaryMBA is source-labeled. See our methodology for how we source and gate data.