Nine dollars. That is what Pennsylvania pays you for a day of jury duty, for each of the first three days. It goes up to $25 a day after that, which is still less than most people spend on parking and lunch. How much does jury duty pay in Pennsylvania? The state sets one of the lowest rates in the country, and it has not moved in decades. Here is the full picture: the state rate, the county exceptions, the employer question, and the penalty for ignoring the summons entirely.
The rate comes from 42 Pa.C.S. Section 4561: $9 per day for the first three days of service, $25 per day for every day after. That is the statewide floor, and unlike some states, Pennsylvania does not let most counties rewrite the daily number. The money is a token. A two-week trial pays $9 + $9 + $9 + $25 x 7, which is $202 for ten working days, before tax.
How much does jury duty pay in Pennsylvania: mileage and the Philadelphia exception
The state also pays a travel allowance of 17 cents per mile round trip. There is one big exception: jurors in Philadelphia's First Judicial District get no travel allowance at all. And the mileage picture gets more local than the statute suggests. Some counties set their own mileage rates on top of or instead of the state figure: Lebanon County pays 31 cents a mile, while Berks and Lancaster Counties pay 17 cents a mile. The daily rate is uniform; the mileage is not. Check your county's jury page before you drive in.
There is also a special tier most people never encounter. Jurors serving on a multicounty investigating grand jury get $40 a day, travel reimbursed at the same rate as state employees on official business, and meal per diem of $6 for breakfast, $10 for lunch, and $25 for dinner. If your summons says "multicounty investigating grand jury," you are in a different pay system from the person in the next courtroom over.
Your employer and your paycheck
Pennsylvania law protects your job: an employer cannot fire, threaten, or otherwise penalize you for responding to a summons or serving. What the law does not do is make the employer pay your salary while you serve. That is the gap that decides whether jury duty costs you money. Many Pennsylvania employers pay for jury days as a benefit, and some of those require you to sign over the $9 court check in return. The first call to make is not to the courthouse. It is to your HR department, to find out whether your company pays and what it wants in exchange.
Jury duty pay is taxable income, same as everywhere else. Mileage reimbursements are not. If you sign the stipend over to your employer because it kept paying your salary, you can exclude it. The amounts are small enough that the tax question is almost academic, but the IRS does not have a de minimis exception for jury pay.
If you are called to federal court instead
Federal jury duty in Pennsylvania pays the standard federal rate: $50 a day, with a possible increase to $60 a day for trials running longer than 10 days at the judge's discretion. The federal employment protections are also stronger: firing a permanent employee for serving on a federal jury carries a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation, plus lost wages and reinstatement rights under 28 U.S.C. 1875. Same state, same courthouse district sometimes, different pay and different protections.
The penalty for ignoring the summons
Ignoring a Pennsylvania jury summons without being excused is contempt of court under 42 Pa.C.S. Section 4584: up to $500 in fines, up to 10 days in jail, or both. Courts do not always impose the maximum, but ignoring the summons is far riskier than calling the jury office. If you have a real reason you cannot serve, a postponement or excusal request before your service date costs nothing and is almost always granted.
Two calls settle everything: your county's jury administration office, for the exact daily rate, mileage, and parking situation where you will serve, and your HR department, for whether your paycheck survives the week. Everything else is detail.
Calculate your state: run the numbers for any state in the Jury Duty Pay Calculator, then keep reading: Employer Jury Duty Pay Requirements · Federal Jury Duty Pay Per Day · How Much Does Jury Duty Pay in Illinois · Is Jury Duty Pay Taxable.
Want more of these? I write one practical civic guide a week on jury pay, employer rules, and the summons in your mailbox. Subscribe free here.
Frequently asked questions
How much does jury duty pay in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania pays jurors $9 per day for the first three days of service and $25 per day for every day after, under 42 Pa.C.S. Section 4561. A two-week trial pays $202 for ten working days, before tax. Jurors also get 17 cents per mile round trip, except in Philadelphia's First Judicial District.
Does my employer have to pay me for jury duty in Pennsylvania?
No. Pennsylvania law protects your job, an employer cannot fire or penalize you for serving, but it does not require the employer to pay your salary during service. Many employers pay anyway as a benefit, and some require you to sign over the court stipend in return.
Does Pennsylvania pay mileage for jury duty?
The state pays 17 cents per mile round trip, except in Philadelphia's First Judicial District, where no travel allowance is paid. Some counties set their own mileage: Lebanon County pays 31 cents a mile, and Berks and Lancaster Counties pay 17 cents a mile. Check your county's jury page.
What happens if I ignore a jury duty summons in Pennsylvania?
Ignoring a summons without being excused is contempt of court under 42 Pa.C.S. Section 4584, punishable by up to $500 in fines, up to 10 days in jail, or both. Requesting a postponement or excusal before your service date is almost always granted and costs nothing.
How much does federal jury duty pay in Pennsylvania?
Federal jurors in Pennsylvania receive the standard federal rate of $50 a day, with a possible increase to $60 a day for trials running longer than 10 days at the judge's discretion. Federal employment protections are also stronger, with civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation for firing an employee for federal jury service.