Travel MRI tech salary in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania travel MRI pay currently runs 13% above the national average, while living costs stay below it. See current weekly offers from Philadelphia to Erie, how shift and city change the package, and the taxes and per diem rates that shape what you take home.
Traveling MRI tech salary in Pennsylvania by pay band and shift
The most common Pennsylvania offer right now falls in the $2,600–$2,900 weekly range. The two charts below use the same open jobs: one sorts them into weekly pay bands, the other compares the average package for each shift.
Pennsylvania offers by pay band
Weekly package by shift
How much do MRI techs make in Pennsylvania?
Travel MRI techs taking a Pennsylvania assignment today average $2,849 per week, roughly 13% above the national travel average. Current offers range from $2,600 to $2,945, and the biggest group pays $2,600–$2,900. Every figure is the full advertised package, hourly pay plus any housing and meal stipends, before taxes.
For comparison, permanent MRI technologists in Pennsylvania earned a median of $91,120 a year in the latest BLS survey. Philadelphia-area staff techs earn well above that, and the Pittsburgh area sits below it.
Where Pennsylvania travel pay comes from
- Philadelphia’s per diem. GSA lodging there runs $174–$227 a night with $92 a day for meals, the highest in the state, which supports larger stipends.
- Teaching hospitals. Large academic systems in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Hershey run scanners around the clock and post most of the off-hours openings.
- Off-hours coverage. Night jobs currently average $2,773 a week, against $2,938 for days.
- Winter months. Utilities in Pennsylvania cost about 10% more than the U.S. average, so a fall or winter contract can carry higher heating bills.
Taxes to plan for in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania taxes wages at a flat 3.07%, and most municipalities add a local earned income tax. Philadelphia is the big one. Its wage tax applies to people who work in the city even if they live elsewhere, at 3.425% for non-residents as of July 1, 2026. Taxable wages are usually the hourly part of your package, so ask your recruiter how an offer is split, and check the details with a tax professional.
Best-paying Pennsylvania cities for travel MRI techs
Right now Philadelphia has the best offer and Wilkes-Barre the next best. Each bar shows the highest weekly offer open in that city right now.
Top offer in each city
How Pennsylvania MRI pay stacks up against its neighbors
New York, New Jersey and Maryland all cost far more to live in than Pennsylvania, while Ohio and West Virginia cost less. Pennsylvania ranks 1st of 5 on weekly pay right now. In the second chart, states in the shaded corner pay above the national travel average while costing less than the U.S. average.
Avg. weekly pay: Pennsylvania and neighbors
Pay vs. cost of living
Median yearly pay for permanent (non-travel) MRI technologists, from BLS
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, MRI technologists (29-2035), May 2025. U.S. median via the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Pennsylvania cost of living for travel MRI techs
Pennsylvania sits in the middle of the national pack, with a cost-of-living index of 95.3 that ranks 25th lowest. Housing is the clear savings at 84.8. Nearly everything else is close to average, and utilities run noticeably higher.
Pennsylvania prices by category
Federal per diem rates in Pennsylvania
GSA FY2027 rates, in effect since Oct 1, 2026. Housing and meal stipends are often benchmarked against them.
Hershey runs $151–$207 by season. Source: GSA per diem rates, FY2027.
Highest-paying travel MRI jobs in Pennsylvania
Today’s strongest Pennsylvania MRI offers, ranked by weekly package. Each card shows where the job is, the hours, the shift and how long the contract runs. Open any of them to see the facility and the experience it requires.
LiveRanked by weekly pay · updated
Start your next Pennsylvania MRI contract
Pay shown upfront. A recruiter who answers. Browse open travel MRI jobs across Pennsylvania, or have us find one that fits your dates.
MRI tech salary in Pennsylvania: FAQs
How much do MRI techs make in Pennsylvania?
Travel MRI techs average $2,849 a week on open Anders Group assignments in Pennsylvania, with offers running from $2,600 to $2,945. That includes listed housing and meal stipends, before taxes. Staff MRI technologists in the state earned a median of $91,120 a year in the latest BLS data.
Which Pennsylvania city pays travel MRI techs the most?
Philadelphia has the highest offer right now at $2,945 a week, followed by Wilkes-Barre. Philadelphia has the state’s highest federal lodging and meal rates. The order shifts as jobs open and close.
Do MRI techs need a Pennsylvania license?
Not today. Pennsylvania doesn’t license medical imaging professionals, so employers rely on ARRT (MR) or ARMRIT certification. A bill that would license imaging staff, including MRI, House Bill 2173, cleared committee in June 2026 but was laid on the table on Sept. 8, 2026, and has not become law.
Will I pay Philadelphia wage tax on an assignment there?
Usually, yes, on the taxable wages you earn working in the city. Since July 1, 2026, the rate is 3.425% for non-residents and 3.735% for residents, on top of Pennsylvania’s flat 3.07% state income tax. A tax professional who works with travelers can confirm how it applies to your package. Source: City of Philadelphia.
How does Pennsylvania compare with New York and New Jersey?
New York averages $2,840 a week and New Jersey , but both cost much more to live in. Pennsylvania’s index is 95.3, against 119.2 for New Jersey and 132.6 for New York. Adjusted for prices, a $2,849 Pennsylvania package works out to about $2,989 in an average-cost state.