Our Commonwealth

Pennsylvania has all of the essentials — the lowest cost of living in the Northeast U.S., affordable real estate, prominent world-ranked universities, and top-ranked health institutions.

• Lowest cost of living in the Northeast U.S.
• Median home price is $161,800 versus the U.S. average of $201,900 (Zillow ).
• 26.3 minutes average commute (U.S. Census ).
• 2nd lowest marginal personal income tax rate among states that levy the tax.
• #2 K-12 school district in the U.S., with four PA districts ranked top 20 (Niche ).
• Three of the top 20 hospitals in the U.S. (U.S. News ).
• Three of the top 10 cities for millennials are in PA (Trulia ).
• 121 state parks that are free to the public.
• Seven professional sports teams with 20+ championships.

We also take pride in our rich history. As the birthplace of our nation, Pennsylvania was founded centuries ago on the idea that all are welcome and can practice their faith and culture as they see fit.

We still live by that grand idea today because ours continues to be an open and welcoming state for people from all walks life.

Public Service

As a commonwealth employee, you can come to work each day knowing that you’re helping to improve the lives of your fellow Pennsylvanians.

Our commitment to public service and helping other goes well beyond the workplace. Every year, our employees donate millions of dollars to worthy causes in PA, the nation, and the world through our annual charitable giving campaign — the State Employee Combined Appeal .

Watch Governor Tom Wolf talk about how the hard work of commonwealth employees improves the lives of Pennsylvanians.

Opportunities Statewide

Many commonwealth employees are headquartered in and around the capital city of Harrisburg and a significant percentage of the workforce calls Central PA home. However, you can find commonwealth employees doing a variety of jobs all across the commonwealth.

Financial

Retirement and Financial Planning

• Secure retirement income from a defined benefit pension plan.
• Invest more of your income through an optional deferred compensation program.

Group Life Insurance
Free life insurance for all permanent employees after 90 days.

Optional Insurance
Get special employee-only rates for:

• Supplemental life.
• Long term disability.
• Auto.
• Home.

Higher Education

• Make saving for college more affordable with a PA 529 account.
• Some agencies offer tuition assistance for job-related higher education.
• Most commonwealth employees are eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

Additional Programs

• Save money on family and child care expenses with pretax payroll deductions with the Family Care Account Program.
• Most employees are eligible for free credit union membership with PSECU.
• As a commonwealth employee, you may be able to take advantage of special discounts from a wide variety of providers.

Health and Wellness

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including health coverage, vision, dental and wellness programs.

Medical Benefits

• Choice of medical plans.
• Vision.
• Dental.
• Prescription drug.
• Hearing aid.
• Durable medical equipment.

Wellness Programs
Improve your health and quality of life through specific wellness programs for mental and physical wellness, nutrition, weight loss, smoking cessation, and more.

• Wellness webinars.
• Screenings.
• Discounts to gyms.
• Weight loss and nutrition programs.
• Reduced costs for health benefits by participating in a biometrics screening.

Activity Challenges
Join a team of coworkers to track steps and exercise through these fun and friendly competitions throughout the year.

Free, Confidential Counseling
Everyone needs help sometimes. We offer free, confidential counseling referral services for employees and their families through our State Employees Assistance Program (SEAP).

Work-Life Balance

There’s more to life than work, and we want you to enjoy it.

Leave
Paid vacation days, paid sick days and military leave.

Holidays
Paid time off for most major U.S. holidays.

Flexible Schedules
Alternative work schedules and telecommuting arrangements available for certain positions.

Onsite Child Care
Offered at certain locations.

Career Development

We want to help you grow and see your goals become a reality.

Opportunities to Advance

• Easily transfer between positions or agencies to expand knowledge and pursue new challenges.
• Retain your leave, health, and other benefits when moving between most agencies.

A Plan for Success

• Supervisors and human resources staff are available to help employees create a plan to develop skills for their current jobs or prepare for the next step in their careers.
• Access to free training designed for commonwealth employees through the Keystone Academy for Learning.

Leadership Training
There are also a variety of programs available to help get you where you want to be:

• Commonwealth Mentoring Program (PDF): Provides mentoring through voluntary career guidance, networking and leadership development and the transfer of institutional knowledge.
• Emerging Leader Program (PDF): Tap into the talents of commonwealth employees who exhibit leadership potential.
• Leadership Development Institute (PDF): Professional development for employees who demonstrate leadership potential and the ability to succeed in positions of greater responsibility.
• IT Manager Certificate Program : Designed for employees looking to serve in IT management positions and provides business and interpersonal skills essential to management duties.
• Chief Information Officer Executive Certificate Program : Provides a comprehensive study of executive-level issues, including strategy and planning, governance, security, financing and workforce development for current and future leadership roles.

Employee Recognition
We understand that our most valuable asset is our employees.

• Many agencies have programs to acknowledge outstanding work and achievement.
• The governor presents the annual state employee Awards for Excellence to individuals and groups who demonstrate exemplary job performance or service.

Resources for Veterans

Connect with Veterans’ Employment Representatives at any of the statewide Pennsylvania CareerLink Offices to receive free job counseling, training referrals, and placement services.

Eligible veterans are given priority in the referral to job openings and training opportunities, with disabled veterans receiving the highest priority.

Benefits for Veterans

Working for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will enable you to use your military time toward your retirement with state government. Explore available purchasing service options through the State Employees’ Retirement System .

For civil service positions, qualified veterans get ten extra points added to their passing test scores and preference in the hiring process. For non-civil service positions, veterans are given preference when they meet all the requisite qualifications. These benefits are commonly referred to as veterans’ preference.

Internships

The commonwealth has year-round internship opportunities available for high school, college, and post-graduate students across a wide variety of agencies. See current internship opportunities , and be sure to check back often as new opportunities become available.

Commonwealth Public Service Internship Program

The Commonwealth Public Service Intern program offers paid internships in state agencies leading to rewarding careers in public service.

Students that complete a flexible six-month internship and graduate with a bachelor’s degree will be hired into a full-time position guaranteed!

Benefits

• Flexible path from internship to employment.
• Opportunities available year-round.
• Fulfilling career in public service.
• Earn money through a paid internship.
• Opportunities in a wide variety of fields.

Eligibility

• Current enrollment as a full-time undergraduate student in an accredited college/university in a declared bachelor’s degree program.
• Successful completion of at least 30 college credits at time of application.
• Anticipated successful completion of at least 60 college credits at the time of hire.
• Meet PA residency requirements for civil service employment.

Residency
You don’t have to be from PA or live here year-round to be considered a resident! For example, you qualify as a PA resident if you:

• Are a student from another state who is currently residing at and enrolled in a PA college, university, or technical school, and have a PA mailing address.
• Lived in PA before leaving to attend school in another state and have a PA mailing address.

Check out the PA residency requirements on the State Employment website for the full details, including requirements for former residents and active duty armed forces.

William Penn Fellowship

The William Penn Fellowship is granted to talented, passionate individuals with a commitment to public service and a drive to help make Pennsylvania a better place to live.

The program provides aspiring professionals with the opportunity to serve and learn with the state’s top executive leaders. Fellows will work to improve the overall effectiveness of state government by serving on projects that align with Governor Wolf’s priorities of Jobs that Pay, Schools that Teach and Government that Works.

Enthusiastic and highly-motivated individuals will spend two years working full-time for senior and top-ranking government officials. Fellows will be assigned to state agencies to complete impactful projects based on their personal interests and skill sets.

Eligibility
To be considered eligible for the William Penn Fellowship, applicants must have obtained a master’s or equivalent or higher degree between December 2013 and August 2017.

In addition to the educational requirement, selection as a William Penn Fellow is based on a combination of the following:

• Established excellence in academics and/or professional achievement.
• Proven leadership ability and potential for further growth.
• Demonstrated commitment to public service.
• Evidence of effective teamwork and working well with others.

Applicants may also be considered if they have successfully completed military service or long-term public service work with an organization such as AmeriCorps, Teach for America or the Peace Corps. Other service will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The application period for the 2018 class will begin later this year. Please check back for updates.