Philadelphia fellowship offers can look nothing alike: one pays $600 a month with housing and health insurance, another $45K-55K a year. That gap is the answer to how much do fellowships pay in Philadelphia.
Pay depends on how the program is built, so this guide sets stipends, salaries and benefits side by side. The broader guide to postgraduate fellowships philadelphia places these pay figures in the context of the programs themselves.
Fellowship pay in Philadelphia at a glance
The Philadelphia Public Service Fellows program pays $20 per hour for 30 hours a week, for a full salary of up to $22,800 over a nine-month term, plus a $4,000 completion bonus after successful completion of the term. Other Philadelphia-listed fellowships run from $15 per hour up to salaries of $45K-55K a year. The spread is wide because the programs are built differently: some pay by the hour, some give a small cash stipend alongside housing, and some pay a salary.
| Program | Pay figure | Conditions | Planning use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Public Service Fellows | $20 per hour, up to $22,800 in total, plus a $4,000 completion bonus | 30 hours a week; nine-month term; bonus paid only after successful completion | A predictable hourly wage; the bonus arrives after the term, not during it |
| Repair the World | $600 a month stipend | Housing and health insurance included; Philadelphia is one of five cities | Judge it as cash plus housing and coverage, not on the stipend alone |
| Environment America | $25,500, with a $1,500 raise in the second year | Two-year program; Philadelphia is a listed location | Plan for the raise only if you commit to the full program |
| Emerging Leader Fellowship | $45K-55K per year | Two-year fellowship; professional development funding included | The salary-level end of the local range |
| Hilliard P. Jenkins Fellowship | $15 per hour | Summer internship, with a Philadelphia office option | Short-term earnings, so treat it as a summer income rather than a full-year plan |
The Philadelphia Public Service Fellows figures come from the city’s requirements and benefits page, and the other awards come from ProFellow’s Philadelphia fellowship listing.
The city fellowship is open to applicants who are at least 21 years old by the start of the September term and hold a high school diploma or GED, so its pay level is not tied to holding a degree. That makes it a different proposition from the salary-level awards in the table, and the table is best read as a set of different models rather than a single market rate.
Stipend versus salary
In Philadelphia listings, the label describes how the money is framed, not how much it is. Compare programs on the full package and the hours expected.
- Hourly wage language. The city fellowship describes a wage of $20 per hour for 30 hours a week. Pay is tied directly to hours, which makes it easy to compare against an hourly entry-level job.
- Monthly stipend language. Repair the World lists a stipend of $600 a month with housing and health insurance included. The cash figure looks small, but housing and coverage sit outside it.
- Salary language. The Emerging Leader Fellowship describes a salary of $45K-55K a year over its two-year term, with professional development funding on top.
- Funder-paid compensation. The Independence Foundation funds compensation and employment benefits for young public interest lawyers and helps repay educational loans, and the Stoneleigh Fellowship is designed to cover salary, fringe benefits, travel and part of project expenses. Neither listing gives a dollar amount, so ask the program for the figure before planning around it.
Hours matter as much as the label. The city fellowship is built around 30 hours a week, while Philly Fellows places fellows for 40 hours a week at a partnering nonprofit agency, according to ProFellow. When two programs quote different time commitments, an annual figure alone will mislead you. Before comparing offers, also ask the program office how the payment is reported for tax purposes and what paperwork it issues.
Health insurance and other benefits
Health insurance is common in the programs that use a living stipend, but it is not guaranteed, and the benefits that do exist vary widely by program.
- Coverage bundled with a stipend. Philly Fellows gives free housing, a living stipend, health insurance and an education award, and Repair the World includes housing and health insurance with its $600 monthly stipend, per ProFellow. Neither listing states a dollar value for these extras.
- Benefits that are not insurance. The city fellowship lists earned sick leave, enrollment in SEPTA Key Advantage with unlimited system-wide rides, over 80 hours of professional development, and up to $250 for professional development, according to the City of Philadelphia. Health coverage is not among the listed benefits, so confirm it separately if you need it.
- Medical fellowships as a pattern. SalaryDr reports that most fellowship programs provide health and dental insurance, meal stipends and housing allowances. Its medians are a $14,000 housing stipend (from 8 reports) and a $900 meal stipend (from 15 reports). Those samples are small and cover medical training, so they are a rough guide rather than a rule for nonprofit fellowships.
If coverage matters to your decision, ask for the plan details in writing before you accept. A line reading “health insurance included” does not say who pays the premium or how soon coverage starts, and those details change what the stipend is really worth.
Awards that pay differently or not at all
Not every fellowship is a paid job. Some are honors with perks, and some pay by project or by career stage.
- Membership-style fellowships. The College of Physicians of Philadelphia offers fellows complimentary museum admission for themselves and up to four guests, a 20% store discount and voting privileges, according to its fellows benefits page. It lists no pay. Check what a program actually provides before treating the word “fellowship” as a job.
- Research awards by career stage. The Beckman Center listing shows short-term fellowships at $3,000, dissertation fellowships at $26,000 and postdoctoral fellowships at $45,000. ProFellow dated that listing 2018 and updated it in 2023, so confirm current amounts with the program.
- Summer pay. The Hilliard P. Jenkins Fellowship pays $15 per hour and centers on a summer internship, so it suits a recent graduate who wants paid experience rather than a full-year income.
Medical fellowship salaries are a different scale
Medical fellowship pay should not serve as a benchmark for nonprofit or civic fellowships. SalaryDr reports a median medical fellowship salary of $80,000 per year in the United States, based on 107 reports in 2026, and $85,000 for Pennsylvania from 5 reports. These figures describe physicians in advanced training, and the Pennsylvania sample is very small.
Readers aiming at health-sector roles can compare programs in this public health fellowship philadelphia guide, since clinical salaries run on a different scale from the civic and nonprofit fellowships above.
What to confirm before accepting an offer
A fellowship offer is easiest to judge when every piece of the package is on the page. Weigh it against a regular job using the comparison in fellowship vs job after graduation.
- Ask for the pay basis. Find out whether it is hourly, monthly or annual, and how many hours a week it assumes.
- Separate cash from in-kind support. Housing, transit passes and coverage matter, but they do not arrive in your bank account.
- Check timing. The city fellowship’s $4,000 bonus is paid only after successful completion of the term, so it cannot cover costs during the program.
- Confirm health coverage. Ask what is included, when it starts and who pays the premium.
- Note development funds. Allowances such as the city’s up to $250 for professional development are capped, so treat them as a limit rather than a guarantee of what you will spend.
Frequently asked questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Are there paid fellowships for college graduates in Philadelphia? | Yes. Listed examples include the Emerging Leader Fellowship at $45K-55K a year, an Environment America fellowship at $25,500, and the city’s Public Service Fellows at $20 per hour. |
| Who can apply to the city’s fellowship? | Applicants must be at least 21 years old by the start of the September term and have a high school diploma or GED. The term lasts nine months. |
| Is a stipend taxed the same way as a salary? | The program descriptions reviewed here do not settle that. Ask the program office how your payment is reported before you compare offers. |
| Does the city fellowship include any bonus? | Yes. A $4,000 completion bonus is paid after successful completion of the term, along with up to $250 for professional development. |
