Hiring in the Northeast: New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania
A briefing for Italian and European companies on the region’s economy, main industries, talent, wages and employment rules, from New York City to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
The regional economy
New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania together produce about one seventh of U.S. GDP. New York City is the core of finance, professional services, media and corporate headquarters; northern and central New Jersey concentrate pharma, life sciences and logistics; Philadelphia is strong in health care, life sciences and education; Pittsburgh in robotics, AI, energy and advanced manufacturing.
European companies are deeply rooted here: in 2023 European-owned affiliates directly employed about 840,000 people across the three states, roughly two thirds or more of all jobs at foreign-owned companies in each state.
Main industries and clusters
Financial services
New York City securities employment reached 207,400 in 2025, the highest on record, with average pay including bonus above $560,000.
Pharma and life sciences
New Jersey’s life-science sector employs about 86,000 people at an average wage above $180,000; Philadelphia has a growing cell and gene therapy cluster.
Professional and creative services
Management, legal, media and design roles in the New York metro pay 25–37% above the national mean.
Technology
New York is a major software and fintech market; Pittsburgh hosts more than 100 robotics companies around its universities.
Health care and education
Philadelphia’s academic medical centers and universities are among its largest employers.
Logistics and manufacturing
The Port of New York and New Jersey corridor drives distribution jobs; Pennsylvania keeps a broad advanced-manufacturing base.
Talent, wages and competition
- Three price levels in one region. Mean wages are 24% above the U.S. in the New York metro, about at the national level in Philadelphia ($34.49/h) and below it in Pittsburgh ($31.36/h). Many companies keep client-facing roles in New York and place technical, operations or R&D roles in New Jersey, Philadelphia or Pittsburgh.
- Intense competition in New York for finance, legal, quantitative and senior sales profiles, where counteroffers are common.
- Unemployment was 4.3% in New York and New Jersey and 3.7% in Pennsylvania in August 2026, against 4.1% nationally.
- Strong in-office culture: New York office occupancy is among the highest of large U.S. cities, around 66% of pre-pandemic levels in autumn 2026.
- Deep university pipelines in New York, Princeton and Rutgers, Penn and Drexel in Philadelphia, Carnegie Mellon and Pitt in Pittsburgh.
What differs from state to state
New York
- Minimum wage 2026: $17.00 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester; $16.00 elsewhere.
- Pay ranges required in job postings for employers with 4 or more employees; New York City has a parallel law.
- Paid Family Leave up to 12 weeks (employee-funded), statewide paid sick leave and 20 hours of paid prenatal leave.
- No statewide non-compete ban in force; bills to restrict them remain pending in 2026.
New Jersey
- Minimum wage 2026: $15.92 for most employers.
- Since June 2025, employers with 10 or more employees must publish the pay range and a description of benefits.
- State family leave and disability insurance, plus earned sick leave of up to 40 hours a year for all employers.
Pennsylvania
- Minimum wage is still the federal $7.25.
- No statewide pay-transparency law and no general non-compete statute (health-care practitioners capped at one year).
- Philadelphia levies a city wage tax of 3.735% on residents from July 2026 and has its own paid sick leave ordinance.
Summary for orientation only, current as of October 2026; not legal advice. See also our guide to rules by state.
Italian and European companies in the region
The UK, France and Germany are the largest European employers in the region. Italy’s institutional network is strong: the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce, founded in New York in 1887, the Italian Trade Agency’s U.S. coordination office in New York, and Consulates General in New York and Philadelphia.
Cost of doing business
- Price levels (U.S. = 100): New Jersey 108.8, New York 107.9, Pennsylvania 97.6 (BEA, 2024).
- Offices: Manhattan asking rents average about $80 per sq ft a year; Philadelphia is much cheaper, with vacancy above 20%.
- Payroll taxes: large New York City employers pay the MCTMT at 0.895% of payroll; city income taxes apply in New York City, Yonkers and Philadelphia.
Questions employers ask
Is New York City the only realistic base in this region?
No. New York carries a significant premium in wages and office costs. Philadelphia wages are close to the national average and Pittsburgh’s are below it, so many companies split client-facing and technical roles between locations.
Do we have to publish salary ranges?
Yes in New York State (4+ employees), New York City and New Jersey (10+ employees). Pennsylvania has no statewide requirement.
Can we use non-competes?
In New York and New Jersey there is no statutory ban, but courts apply a strict reasonableness test and New York bills to restrict them are pending. Confidentiality and non-solicitation clauses are the usual safeguards.
Explore the U.S. regions
Data sources
BLS state unemployment, Aug 2026 · BEA state GDP (FRED) · BLS OEWS New York, May 2025 · Transatlantic Economy 2026 (AmCham EU) · NY State Comptroller, Wall Street 2026 · CBRE Manhattan Q3 2026 · NY DOL pay transparency · BEA Regional Price Parities
Figures are the latest available as of October 2026 (state unemployment: August 2026, preliminary; GDP: 2025; wages: BLS OEWS May 2025; foreign-affiliate jobs: BEA 2023). Regional totals are sums of state figures.
Hiring in the Northeast?
We recruit for Italian and European companies in all 50 states. Tell us about the role and we will share what the local market looks like, what it pays and how long it takes.