Cost of hiring in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
BLS counts about 32,820 people in these 17 roles in Harrisburg-Carlisle1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($97,850 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($36,920), and Customer Support Specialist is the largest job, with about 5,040 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Harrisburg-Carlisle
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | -0.2% | 3,770 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -1.3% | 220 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -1.6% | 130 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -2.2% | 1,380 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -2.9% | 1,970 | |
| HR Assistant | -3.8% | 250 | |
| Paralegal | -4.0% | 1,000 | |
| Bookkeeper | -4.2% | 2,450 | |
| Project Coordinator | -4.4% | 1,910 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -4.8% | 5,040 | |
| Office Manager | -5.2% | 4,510 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -6.2% | 1,880 | |
| Recruiter | -7.6% | 2,640 | |
| Executive Assistant | -8.0% | 700 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -8.3% | 200 | |
| Accountant | -8.6% | 3,210 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -9.2% | 1,560 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $42,600 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $54,968 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Harrisburg-Carlisle against the US
Harrisburg-Carlisle pays below the US median for 16 of the 17 roles, furthest for marketing specialists (-9.2%). For administrative assistants it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is -4.4%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for sales development representatives, #96 of 520 areas by median pay; its lowest is for data entry specialists, #255 of 394.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Harrisburg-Carlisle has more office managers (13.7% of these jobs here, against 9.1% nationally) and recruiters (8.0% against 5.8%), and fewer medical administrative assistants (4.2% against 6.1%) and payroll specialists (0.7% against 1.0%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Jacksonville, FL is nearest, at -4.3%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | -4.2% | 14 | 3,850 |
| Pueblo, CO | -4.2% | 16 | 5,280 |
| Jacksonville, FL | -4.3% | 17 | 85,630 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | -4.4% (this area) | 17 | 32,820 |
| Green Bay, WI | -4.5% | 17 | 16,460 |
| Iowa City, IA | -4.5% | 16 | 8,030 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Harrisburg-Carlisle span $35,320–$135,370, the widest band (3.8×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $37,050–$54,080. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 12 of 17 roles, paralegals most ($44,740–$101,500 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($78,140 against a $65,650 median for sales development representatives).
Harrisburg-Carlisle against Pennsylvania
Against Pennsylvania as a whole, Harrisburg-Carlisle pays more for 4 of 17 roles, led by marketing specialists (+4.0%) and payroll specialists (+3.2%), and less for 7, most of all executive assistants (-6.4%). Its best rank within Pennsylvania is #2 of 20 areas, for executive assistants.
Other areas in Pennsylvania
By jobs in these roles, Harrisburg-Carlisle is #3 of 20 areas in Pennsylvania. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Philadelphia-Camden to the Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetro area.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ | 289,250 | 17 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 105,450 | 17 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem, PA-NJ | 32,240 | 17 |
| Lancaster, PA | 21,700 | 17 |
| Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA | 20,060 | 17 |
| York-Hanover, PA | 14,930 | 17 |
| Reading, PA | 14,430 | 17 |
| Central Pennsylvania (Nonmetro) | 13,520 | 17 |
| Northwestern Pennsylvania (Nonmetro) | 10,870 | 17 |
| Southwestern Pennsylvania (Nonmetro) | 10,340 | 17 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $97,850 a year, about $126,258 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $36,920.
Is hiring in Harrisburg-Carlisle cheaper than the US median?
Mostly: no role pays more than the US median, and 16 of 17 pay less.
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.