Montco Raises Minimum Wage To $20.52 An Hour, But Concerns Loom

NORRISTOWN, PA — As Pennsylvania continues to debate movement on its $7.25 minimum wage, Montgomery County hopes its recent decision to raise its minimum to $20.52 serves as an example for other counties. But analysis shows that even this comparatively progressive policy is not enough for many residents.

While the move makes Montgomery County the highest minimum wage county in Pennsylvania — passing Allegheny County's $18 an hour — it still falls well short of what some workers need to support their family.

A single adult with no children requires $26.61 an hour to maintain a "living wage," according to MIT's Living Wage calculator. That number shoots up to $50.89 an hour if they're a single parent.

But even two adults with a child need to make $27.98 an hour each to stay above water, the calculator shows. If only one of the parents is working, they need to make $43.46 an hour.

The living wage reflects what a family requires to meet "basic needs," according to MIT, taking into account food, rent, average bills, and the rising cost of inflation.

The raises will immediately go into effect for the county's 129 employees currently making the old minimum wage rate. Those include many public-facing roles like administrative assistants, clerks, and various court support staff.

The county's minimum wage had previously stood at $16.51 per hour.

"Montgomery County sets the standard for what public service looks like — we have top talent working hard to deliver for our nearly 900,000 residents," Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija said in a statement. “With this historic increase of the County’s minimum starting wage, this isn’t business as usual. We hope this sets an example for Harrisburg and others to follow statewide.”

The move comes as minimum wage remains stagnant at $7.25 in Pennsylvania despite a skyrocketing cost of living, rapidly increasing income inequality, and warnings from advocates of rising homelessness and crime rates.

In addition to passing Allegheny County, minimum wage in Montgomery County now exceeds nearby Philadelphia ($16.35), Chester ($15.30), and Bucks ($14.36).

Commissioners and other supporters of the move said it would improve livelihoods and invigorate the economy.

“State lawmakers have fought for years to raise the minimum wage, but while Harrisburg continues to deliberate, Montgomery County takes bold action," State Senator Art Haywood said. "By raising wages for public workers, the county is supporting neighbors, families, and entire communities. When workers are paid fairly, neighborhoods thrive, businesses benefit, public trust grows—and dignity wins.”

Pennsylvania is one of 20 states whose minimum wage is the same as the federal minimum wage of $7.25. Efforts to raise the wage to at least $15 have been underway for a decade or more, and were strongly advocated for by Gov. Tom Wolf's administration. However, bills never received much traction in the Republican-controlled legislature.

That could be changing, however. Just a few weeks ago, the now-Democratic run state House passed a bill that would raise the minimum wage in the state's most populous counties to $15 an hour, while other counties would see a more modest raise to $12 an hour. It's not yet clear if there is sufficient bipartisan appetite for the bill to move through the Republican state Senate.