A simple method based on the linear relationship between experimental metal work functions and Pauling electronegativities has been used to obtain effective solid state Fermi energies for atoms, both metallic and nonmetallic. A simple arithmetic mean combination rule was used to give the intrinsic Fermi level of a solid, and this level was then combined with band gap data to give electron affinities. The method was applied to materials covering a wide range of band gaps and ionicity. The results were in good agreement with literature values of electron affinities.