Employment in Philadelphia

Local Economy

Job growth is definitely on the up, and the growing economy could become one of the strongest in America, as the large network of airports, highways, ports, and railways puts the region in a position of benefiting from the need to store and then transport goods for delivery the next day.

Because healthcare and education in Philadelphia enjoy a good reputation, both sectors are growing fast and more positions in these two fields are definitely predicted. Around 12% of the employment is represented by education in Philadelphia and 18% by healthcare.

Home to a lot of big companies, these following five are amongst the top 50 to work for in Philadelphia:

• GlaxoSmithKline – A global healthcare company that research and develop medicines, vaccines and consumer healthcare products.
• IBM – A multinational American technology and consulting corporation which manufactures and markets hardware and software for computers.
• Comcast – An American mass media company which is by revenue the largest broadcasting and cable company in the world.
• Aria Health – The largest healthcare provider in Northeast Philadelphia.
• US Airways – A major US airline that is owned by American Airlines Group.

Job Hunting in Philadelphia

Many expats who move to Philadelphia have been transferred from another office of their company, which makes the process of moving to a new location and especially of getting a visa much easier. For those who need to find work once they are already in Philadelphia there are various ways to do this.

Newspapers

There are lots of local newspapers with jobs advertised, such as The Philadelphia Inquirer, Freetown Express and the Main Line Times. However, job ads in local papers are usually not for professional positions. For those who are looking for highly paid jobs in top line companies, we would recommend using one of the methods below.

Online

There are a multitude of sites where you can register your details, CV, and salary requirements. Agencies are paid by employers to find them the very best candidates for the positions they have to fill. By registering with lots of agencies you should find they will be contacting you with details of positions you are an ideal match for.

Alternatively, you can try to find a suitable vacancy on your own on websites such as Craigslist or Deloitte.

Applying Directly

If you know who you would like to work for, it’s always worthwhile checking out their website to see which vacancies they have and applying directly. Many companies like this approach, as it shows confidence and self-belief from a potential employee. Even if they currently don’t have vacancies but they like what they read, you can be sure your details will be kept on file for the future.

Job Fairs

These are a great place to meet prospective employers and agents who represent companies. Networking and getting your name out there can open up lots of opportunities when job hunting.

Income Taxation in Philadelphia

Next to the federal as well as the Pennsylvania state income taxation, expatriates in Philadelphia will have to pay one of two types of tax for local workers:

• City Wage Tax – This is a tax on salaries and other compensation paid to employees who work for a business in Philadelphia. The rates are 3.924% for residents and 3.495% for non-residents. Employers will deduct this tax from salaries.
• Earnings Tax – The rates are the same as the wage tax, but this is paid by residents or non-residents who are working in Philadelphia but do not have the City Wage Tax deducted from their salary. Those who work for employers who are out of state are a good example of this.