Physician Assistant Salary By State in 2024 – (Ranked Highest-to-Lowest Paying)
Written By:
Pattie TrumblePattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
Pattie Trumble is a nurse who worked in both California and New York for many years as an emergency room nurse. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an Associate Degree in Nursing from the Samuel Merritt Hospital School of Nursing. Read Full Bio »» , MPP, MPH
Escalating demand for physician assistant services has resulted in a PA salary that’s high and growing higher every year. This means that becoming a physician assistant is one of the best career moves you can make in the field of healthcare. How much does a physician assistant make? On average, physician assistants earn more than $116,000 annually. Why are PAs in such high demand? Because PAs specialize in primary healthcare services, and better access to primary care has been demonstrated to help save lives. By 2033, there will be a shortage of between 21,000 to 55,200 primary healthcare providers in the U.S.; PAs are poised to help fill that gap. If you’d like to get the full scoop on physician assistant salary in 2024, keep reading.
Table Of Contents
What is a Physician Assistant?
Physician assistants or PAs are mid-level medical providers who care for patients in collaboration with other members of a healthcare team that can include physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, and ancillary healthcare providers. PAs are trained as generalists; that means that even if they go on to specialize in a specific area of healthcare, their approach to healthcare is essentially a holistic one.
In many respects, the roles of physician assistants and nurse practitioners overlap. However, there’s one key difference between the two healthcare practitioner roles: PAs are trained according to the
medical model, which focuses on diagnosis and the treatment of disease, while NPs are educated using a nursing model, which stresses prevention, health education, and patient support.
Additionally, while many states have begun allowing nurse practitioners to practice without physician supervision,
PAs in all 50 states must accept some degree of physician oversight. Recently, however, certain states have begun to allow PAs a greater degree of independence. Interestingly, these also tend to be the states where physician assistants earn their highest salaries.
Where Do Physician Assistants Work?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, physician assistants work in a number of different practice environments, including physicians’ offices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, colleges and universities, and other healthcare environments.
• Physicians’ offices:
Nearly 68,000 PAs (52 percent of the physician labor force) work in private or group physician practices.
• Hospitals and medical centers:
Nearly 31,000 physician assistants (24 percent of the PA workforce) are employed by hospitals.
• Outpatient clinics:
Outpatient care clinics such as ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care clinics and outsourced emergency rooms account for the employment of more than 10,000 PAs (8 percent of the physician assistant workforce.)
• Academia:
Nearly 5,000 physician assistants (4 percent of the PA labor force) work as researchers, instructors and healthcare providers at colleges, universities, and academic medical centers.
• Occupational health services:
An additional 2,900 physician assistants (2 percent of the PA workforce) provide outsourced occupational health services through employment agencies.
Additionally, another 2,000 PAs (2 percent of the physician assistant workforce) are affiliated with multidisciplinary medical teams outside the practice settings described above.
Are Physician Assistants in Demand?
The primary reason why the average physician assistant salary is so high is because physician assistants are in very high demand. Research published in a 2011 issue of the professional journal
Public Health Reports posits that the physician assistant profession will grow by 72 percent by 2025. In part, this demand is a response to the increased implementation of healthcare services following the roll-out of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) passed in 2010; in part, it reflects the increased utilization of medical services associated with the aging of the Baby Boomer generation.
Physician assistants are a particularly cost-effective treatment option for Medicaid and Medicare patients whose numbers are directly impacted by the ACA implementation and Baby Boomer aging. At slightly over $116,000 a year, the annual PA salary is generous by any standards, but it’s still 46.96 percent lower than the annual
$218,850 salary which physicians command. This makes PAs very attractive physician substitutes for budget-conscious healthcare facilities. Additionally, PAs can be onboarded far more quickly than physicians because while a PA can perform many of the same functions as a physician, the PA requires far less training. PA salaries may only be half that of physician salaries, but becoming a PA only requires eight years of education while becoming a physician typically requires a minimum of 11 years of education.
What is the Starting Salary of a Physician Assistant?
What is the starting salary of a physician assistant in 2024? The starting salary of a physician assistant is $36.88 an hour, $1,475 a week, $6,390 a month or $76,700 a year, which is 34 percent less than the average salary of a physician assistant.
It can take anywhere between 6 and 12 weeks to orient an entry-level PA in a hospital practice setting. In addition to learning the facility’s policies and procedures, a fledgling physician assistant must also adapt clinical skills learned during an accredited PA program to the hospital’s preferred way of doing things. Orientation is typically followed by a probationary period during which a PA will most likely manage fewer and less complicated cases than his or her more seasoned colleagues. It may take as long as a year before the new PA becomes a fully productive team member. Comparatively low entry-level salaries are a way for hospitals and other healthcare providers to control some of the costs associated with orienting and training newly hired physician assistants.
Starting Physician Assistant Salary |
Hourly | $36.88 |
Weekly | $1,475 |
Monthly | $6,390 |
Annual | $76,700 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
What is the Average Salary of a Physician Assistant?
What is the average salary of a physician assistant in 2024? The average physician assistant salary is $55.81 an hour, $2,232 a week, $9,670 a month, or $116,080 a year. Physician assistants usually achieve this benchmark somewhere toward the beginning of their tenth year of practice.
The average PA salary range is determined by a number of demographic and market factors. Chief among these is the average market pay rate for people doing similar kinds of work in similar industries, and variations in the cost of living.
Physician assistants and nurse practitioners do very similar types of work, which means that in many ways, NPs can be looked upon as economic substitutes for PAs. It’s not surprising, then, that
nurse practitioner salary tracks closely with physician assistant salary. The average annual salary of a PA is 1 percent higher than the average annual salary of an NP (
$114,510). Part of the reason for this small differential may be that PAs are much fewer in number than NPs: There are 63 percent more nurse practitioners than there are physician assistants in the U.S. Even so,
in 28 states, including New York, Florida, South Carolina and California, PAs make less than NPs. However, annual compensation for the two professions never differs by more than a few thousand dollars on average.
Alaska is the state where the highest-paid physician assistants are employed while Kentucky is the state where PAs earn the lowest salaries. Physician assistants based in the Blue Grass State earn 89 percent less than physician assistants who practice in the Last Frontier State. This differential reflects the fact that
the cost of living in Kentucky is 42 percent less than
the cost of living in Alaska. Of course, other factors come into play here, too—principally, the fact that many parts of Alaska have far fewer amenities than places in the continental United States, and it’s likely if Alaskan employers didn’t offer high average salaries, fewer PAs would agree to work there.
Other factors that influence average physician assistant salaries include education level, certifications, and past experience. PAs who’ve pursued a voluntary
Certificate of Added Qualification may be paid more than PAs who remain uncredentialed while PAs with 10 years of experience earn approximately 17 percent more than PAs with five years of experience.
Average Physician Assistant Salary |
Hourly | $55.81 |
Weekly | $2,232 |
Monthly | $9,670 |
Annual | $116,080 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Physician Assistant Salary by Level of Experience
PAs with one to four years of experience earn 25 percent more than entry-level PAs, while PAs with five to nine years of experience earn 50 percent more than entry-level PAs. The reason for this is obvious: The longer you pursue any career, the better you become at it.
PAs with 20 or more years of experience earn more than twice as much as entry-level PAs. It’s likely physician assistant salaries are higher for PAs approaching retirement age as a means of retaining these professionals.
On average, physician assistants work for 29 years before they retire. Every year, there are approximately, 12,200 new job openings for PAs, but replacement jobs account for slightly more than two-thirds of those openings. While the number of new nurse practitioners is steadily increasing by between 3,000 and 4,000 new graduates every year, the number of physician assistant graduates is holding steady:
Every year, approximately 6,500 physician assistants graduate from PA training programs. This simply isn’t a high enough number to fill all the new PA job openings. Clearly, then, the retention of practicing PAs is a big issue for the profession.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Weekly | Monthly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $36.88 | $1,475 | $6,390 | $76,700 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $46.02 | $1,841 | $7,980 | $95,730 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $55.48 | $2,219 | $9,620 | $115,390 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $65.01 | $2,600 | $11,270 | $135,220 |
20 Years or More Experience | $78.11 | $3,124 | $13,540 | $162,470 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Physician Assistant Average Annual Compensation (Salary + Benefits)
In addition to generous salaries, physician assistants also receive non-cash compensation called benefits. Benefits are customizable perks that employers offer to sweeten job offers. Some employee benefits like workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and COBRA are mandated by federal law while others like health insurance, paid time off, retirement plan contributions and malpractice insurance coverage are offered at an individual employer’s discretion.
Employee benefits often carry a considerable cash value. Though physician assistants working for state and local governments earn salaries that are 4 percent less than the salaries of physician assistants employed in the private sector, their total compensation package is actually 9 percent higher. That’s because public sector PAs have better benefits. The total value of their benefits is $68,628, which, when added to their average annual salary of $111,500, brings their total compensation package to $180,129 a year. In contrast, private sector PAs typically receive around $49,214 in benefits; when added to an average annual salary of $116,490, their total compensation package is $165,704 a year.
Component | Private Industry | State and Local Government |
Paid Leave | $12,262 | $13,690 |
Supplemental Pay | $5,800 | $1,801 |
Insurance | $12,925 | $21,075 |
Retirement and Savings | $5,634 | $22,336 |
Legally Required | $12,594 | $9,907 |
Total Benefits | $49,214 | $68,629 |
Average Annual Salary | $116,490 | $111,500 |
Total Average Compensation | $165,704 | $180,129 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Do Physician Assistants Make Good Money?
Do physician assistants make good money? Indeed, they do! Just how good that money is, depends upon a number of different factors:
• Practice setting:
The physician assistants who earn the highest salaries tend to be independent contractors. Keep in mind, though, that independent contractors don’t receive benefits. PAs working in outpatient care centers such as ambulatory surgery clinics and retail convenient care sites also earn salaries that are slightly above the national average.
• Specialty:
The highest-paid physician assistants are those who work in cardiology, neurology, and dermatology; the lowest-paid physician assistants are those who work in internal medicine, hospice and palliative care, and pediatrics in general but specifically pediatric orthopedics.
• Location:
As noted above, PA compensation packages vary greatly by state and even by city within the same state. Alaska, California and Nevada are three of the states where physician assistants earn their highest salaries while low-paying locations include the Deep South states of Kentucky, Mississippi, and Alabama.
10 Tips to Earn the Most Money as a Physician Assistant
Physician assistants make good money. But if you want to afford the down payment on a new house or a new car, or you want to fast-track the payment of your student loans, you may find yourself looking for ways to earn extra cash. Here are 10 tips.
1. Specialize:
You can maximize your earnings as a physician assistant by focusing upon a higher-paying practice specialty. PAs specializing in cardiology, for example, earn salaries that are 24 percent higher than PAs who specialize in rheumatology. Many specialties have subspecialty needs that aren’t being met.
Within the cardiology specialty, for example, physician assistants can choose to specialize in heart failure, interventional cardiology, invasive cardiology, electrophysiology, preventive cardiology, or peripheral cardiovascular medicine. These subspecialties are subject to supply and demand, so if you concentrate on one of these niches, chances are you’ll find a way to monetize it.
2. Learn more procedures:
Are there procedures related to your specialty that you don’t know how to do? Learn them! You can always boost your income by performing more procedures.
3. Work in an outpatient care center:
As noted above, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care clinics, outsourced emergency rooms and retail outlets like pharmacies are the highest-paying practice settings for physician assistants. PAs who work in outpatient care centers earn salaries that are typically 19 percent higher than PAs who work in academic settings. Keep in mind, though, that the benefit packages in outpatient care centers may not be as lucrative.
4. Become an independent contractor:
PAs working as independent contractors through medical staffing agencies typically earn a higher physician assistant salary per hour than PAs on staff at a physician’s practice or a hospital. Their overall compensation package may be lower, however, because agency PAs seldom get benefits.
5. Pick up extra shifts:
Picking up extra shifts is usually an option for PAs. Medical facilities are notoriously short-staffed, so it’s likely you’ll have your pick of hours and units.
6. Become a locum tenens provider.
“Locum tenens” is the industry’s name for traveling physician assistants who step in for regular medical staff members who’ve been temporarily sidelined for one reason or another. The facility where you’re working will frequently subsidize your housing and malpractice insurance expenses in addition to providing you with a generous salary. This is a great way to explore unfamiliar places and investigate new professional specialties.
7. Start a business:
Physician assistants have successfully operated a number of businesses with a healthcare angle, including senior assisted living residences, healthcare staffing agencies, yoga studios, and acupuncture centers. Starting your own business requires a large initial investment and a great deal of perseverance, but the potential payoff can be huge.
8. Buy an existing healthcare-related franchise:
If you’d rather reduce the uncertainty associated with a new business venture, become involved with an existing healthcare franchise. Franchise models exist for senior homecare agencies, urgent care centers, medical spas, free-standing laboratories, staffing agencies, health food groceries, and more.
9. Invest wisely:
The compensation package you earn from your PA job is not the only way to make money. Use your knowledge of innovations within the healthcare realm to choose investments that will generate a dependable passive income stream. That way your money will work for you instead of the other way around.
10. Relocate:
As noted throughout this article, the state in which you practice can have a huge effect on your PA salary. Location can also affect other aspects of your physician assistant career since some states offer more favorable practice regulations and more autonomy than others.
Physician Assistant Salary Growth Trends
Last 5 Years Salary Growth For Physician Assistants
Physician assistant salaries increased every year between 2016 and 2019 thanks to the high demand for members of this profession. Salary growth rates in the year 2020 dipped slightly, however. This dip probably reflects the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic:
Throughout 2020, visits to ambulatory care practices declined by nearly 60 percent, and this decline decreased the revenues available for operational expenditures such as employee salary hikes.
Year | Salary | Growth |
Number | % |
2016 | $102,090 | +$2,820 | +2.84% |
2017 | $104,760 | +$2,670 | +2.62% |
2018 | $108,430 | +$3,670 | +3.50% |
2019 | $112,410 | +$3,980 | +3.67% |
2020 | $116,080 | +$3,670 | +3.26% |
Last 5 Years Overall Salary Growth | +$16,810 | +16.93% |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Next 5 Years Projected Salary Growth For Physician Assistants
Physician assistant salary is expected to keep climbing. PA salaries for 2025 are projected to be 18 percent higher than 2021 PA salaries and 34 percent higher than 2016 PA salaries.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment prospects for physician assistants are projected to grow by 31 percent between 2020 and 2030.
Year | Salary | Growth |
Number | % |
2021 | $120,330 | +$4,250 | +3.66% |
2022 | $124,200 | +$3,870 | +3.22% |
2023 | $127,670 | +$3,470 | +2.79% |
2024 | $132,620 | +$4,950 | +3.88% |
2025 | $137,200 | +$4,580 | +3.45% |
Next 5 Years Overall Projected Salary Growth | +$21,120 | +18.19% |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
5 Reasons Contributing to the Strong Salary Growth for Physician Assistants
Physician assistants typically earn a master’s degree in order to practice. But they consistently earn higher salaries than other healthcare professionals such as physical therapists (
$89,349) and occupational therapists (
$92,159) whose education is also at the master’s degree level. There are a number of reasons for this:
Increasingly, physician assistants are filling in the gaps left by doctor shortages, particularly in the field of primary healthcare.
The trend in state legislatures is toward broader scopes of practice for physician assistants that allow PAs to perform more clinical functions with less physician oversight. For example: Thirty-nine states now allow PAs to write prescriptions without requiring a physician countersignature.
The Affordable Care Act led to a rise in Medicaid enrollments. An increasing number of states are enrolling PAs as Medicaid providers.
As the Baby Boomer generation ages, Medicare is becoming an increasingly important source of medical insurance payments. High-performing private practices and clinics may bill Medicare for services provided by physician assistants at 85 percent of the physician fee.
Research confirms that physician assistants provide the same or better patient outcomes as physicians at a far lower cost, making them cost-effective substitutes for physicians.
Physician Assistant Salary Comparison
Physician Assistant Salary VS. All Other Occupations
On average, the salary of a physician assistant is more than twice as much as the average salary for all occupations throughout the U.S. That wage disparity doesn’t stop with physician assistants, though.
According to a 2012 report from the Brookings Institution, even employees without specific healthcare expertise like janitors and cafeteria workers are paid more when they work for healthcare facilities.
Physician Assistant Average Annual Salary | All Occupations Average Annual Salary | Difference |
Number | % |
$116,080 | $56,310 | +$59,770 | +106.14% |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Physician Assistant Salary VS. Similar Healthcare Jobs
Physician assistants make higher salaries than any other group of healthcare professionals for whom a master’s is the terminal professional degree. (The sole exception to that is nurse anesthetists.) But PA salaries are not as high as the salaries of healthcare professionals like dentists, podiatrists, pharmacists, and optometrists. This may reflect the fact that these professionals hold doctoral degrees.
Physician assistants are compensated at a considerably higher rate than ancillary healthcare professionals like physical therapists, occupational therapists, and audiologists. It’s likely this reflects the fact that PAs focus on diagnosis and medical treatment while these other healthcare professionals focus on rehabilitation.
Rank | Job Title | Average Annual Salary | Difference |
Number | % |
1 | Physician | $218,850 | -$102,770 | -46.96% |
2 | Nurse Anesthetist | $189,190 | -$73,110 | -38.64% |
3 | Dentist | $186,300 | -$70,220 | -37.69% |
4 | Podiatrist | $151,110 | -$35,030 | -23.18% |
5 | Pharmacist | $125,460 | -$9,380 | -7.48% |
6 | Optometrist | $125,440 | -$9,360 | -7.46% |
7 | Physician Assistant | $116,080 | $0 | 0.00% |
8 | Nurse Midwife | $115,540 | +$540 | +0.47% |
9 | Nurse Practitioner | $114,510 | +$1,570 | +1.37% |
10 | Veterinarian | $108,350 | +$7,730 | +7.13% |
11 | Physical Therapist | $91,680 | +$24,400 | +26.61% |
12 | Audiologist | $89,230 | +$26,850 | +30.09% |
13 | Occupational Therapist | $87,480 | +$28,600 | +32.69% |
14 | Chiropractor | $83,830 | +$32,250 | +38.47% |
15 | Speech-Language Pathologist | $83,240 | +$32,840 | +39.45% |
16 | Registered Nurse | $80,010 | +$36,070 | +45.08% |
17 | EMT and Paramedic | $40,370 | +$75,710 | +187.54% |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Physician Assistant Salary by Workplace
Outpatient care centers are the highest-paying practice settings for physician assistants. That’s because
ambulatory surgery centers, outsourced emergency rooms, urgent care clinics and retail clinics are becoming increasingly gainful profit centers for the medical corporations that own them. Patients tend to pay out-of-pocket for outpatient care center services, so an efficient PA can really make a difference to the bottom line here. Such PAs are rewarded with significantly higher pay. The average annual salary for PAs working in outpatient care centers is $128,820.
Academic practice settings such as colleges and universities pay the lowest PA salaries on average, $108,010 a year. But this figure is deceptive: Colleges and universities often offer far better benefits packages than other PA practice settings, so a PA’s overall compensation package may be higher.
Private physician practices probably pay PAs the least in real terms. Physician assistants working in private physician offices earn $115,120 annually. That’s because
overheads in a private physician practice can easily run as high as 70 percent, and the MDs who own these practices don’t have access to the same economies of scale that medical corporations have. Such practices may attempt to economize by paying PAs and other employees lower salaries.
Workplace | Entry-Level | 1-4 Years of Experience | 5-9 Years of Experience | 10-19 Years of Experience | 20 Years or More Experience | Average Annual Salary |
Offices of Physicians | $77,540 | $94,480 | $113,460 | $133,430 | $160,380 | $115,120 |
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $83,370 | $99,450 | $118,680 | $137,400 | $162,100 | $117,320 |
Outpatient Care Centers | $85,720 | $104,110 | $124,610 | $153,500 | $187,940 | $128,820 |
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $59,160 | $87,730 | $110,730 | $128,800 | $153,300 | $108,010 |
Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $47,500 | $88,250 | $112,200 | $138,030 | $168,880 | $111,140 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Physician Assistant Salary by Specialty
There’s considerable variation in physician assistant salaries across the range of PA specialties. The highest-paid physician assistants are those that specialize in cardiology. Cardiology PAs average $131,780 annually, which is 34 percent more than the lowest-paying PA specialty, internal medicine ($106,410 a year). One factor influencing this differential is that cardiac PAs are specialists while internal medicine PAs are generalists. In the realm of healthcare, specialists are always paid more than generalists.
But there’s another factor that comes into play here, too: Cardiac medicine is highly procedural. Cardiac catheterizations, intra-aortic balloon pump insertions and other forms of angioplasty are routinely done by cardiac PAs. In contrast, internal medicine is comparatively non-procedural, meaning that effective treatment relies more upon critical thinking and problem solving than it does upon clinical intervention. Payment models that rely upon fees for services rendered are almost always more profitable than those that depend upon flat fees. Hence cardiac PAs earn more than internal medicine PAs.
Specialty | Average Annual Salary |
Addiction Medicine PA | $113,290 |
Allergy & Immunology PA | $113,950 |
Anesthesiology PA | $124,370 |
Bariatric Surgery PA | $123,930 |
Cardiology PA | $131,780 |
Cardiothoracic Surgery PA | $126,120 |
Colorectal Surgery PA | $118,230 |
Critical Care PA | $117,710 |
Dermatology PA | $128,680 |
Emergency Medicine PA | $110,040 |
Endocrinology PA | $113,480 |
Family Medicine PA | $112,890 |
Gastroenterology PA | $125,590 |
General Surgery PA | $123,920 |
Genetics PA | $112,340 |
Geriatric PA | $113,190 |
Hematology Oncology PA | $119,130 |
Hospice & Palliative Care PA | $106,640 |
Hospital Medicine PA | $113,020 |
Infectious Disease PA | $113,660 |
Internal Medicine PA | $106,410 |
Nephrology PA | $115,100 |
Neurology PA | $114,670 |
Neurosurgery PA | $129,790 |
Nuclear Medicine PA | $123,190 |
OB/GYN PA | $116,520 |
Occupational Medicine PA | $114,660 |
Ophthalmology PA | $117,500 |
Orthopedic Surgery PA | $115,510 |
Otolaryngology PA | $120,370 |
Pain Management PA | $110,850 |
Pathology PA | $116,230 |
Pediatric Cardiology PA | $115,090 |
Pediatric Emergency Medicine PA | $113,290 |
Pediatric Neurology PA | $119,300 |
Pediatric Neurosurgery PA | $128,120 |
Pediatric Oncology PA | $113,800 |
Pediatric Orthopedic PA | $109,500 |
Pediatric PA | $113,000 |
Pediatric Surgery PA | $116,010 |
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation PA | $115,380 |
Plastic Surgery PA | $123,920 |
Preventive Medicine PA | $111,390 |
Psychiatry PA | $114,820 |
Public Health PA | $112,060 |
Pulmonology PA | $115,380 |
Radiation Oncology PA | $125,160 |
Radiology PA | $124,960 |
Rheumatology PA | $106,550 |
Surgical Oncology PA | $122,790 |
Thoracic Surgery PA | $127,930 |
Transplant Surgery PA | $112,750 |
Trauma Surgery PA | $119,370 |
Urgent Care PA | $117,610 |
Urology PA | $124,670 |
Vascular Surgery PA | $126,010 |
Physician Assistant Salary by State – Highest to Lowest Paying
Based on physician assistant salary by state figures from the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, we have ranked the following states in the order of highest to lowest paying.
1. Alaska
Currently Employed PAs:
430
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
30
10-Year Job Outlook:
+6.82%
Annual Salary Range:
$100,890 - >$208,000
Top Paying Cities:
Anchorage & Fairbanks
PAs in Alaska earn $150,430 on average, making the Last Frontier State one of the highest paying states for physician assistants. But Alaska is also the state with the lowest projected growth rate for PAs over the next 10 years.
Most PAs in the Last Frontier State work in family practice settings. Alaska is one of the most liberal states for physician assistants in terms of scope of practice; with authorization from a collaborating physician, certified PAs can do any task for which they’ve been appropriately trained so long as that task does not exceed the authorizing physician’s scope of practice.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $48.50 | $100,890 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $55.79 | $116,050 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $64.21 | $133,550 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $78.90 | $164,120 |
20 Years or More Experience | > $100.00 | >$208,000 |
Average Salary | $72.32 | $150,430 |
2. Connecticut
Currently Employed PAs:
2,310
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
210
10-Year Job Outlook:
+23.53%
Annual Salary Range:
$105,120 - $201,110
Top Paying Cities:
Waterbury, Norwich, & New London
Only 2 percent of the nation’s physician assistants work in Connecticut, but they earn the second highest salary of PAs in any of the 50 states. PAs in the Nutmeg State can practice to the full extent of their training and experience, and
Public Act 19-144, passed in 2019, clarified that physician assistants have a “collaborative” rather than a “dependent” relationship with their supervising physicians. The average salary of a physician assistant in Connecticut is $146,110 annually. New Haven-based physician assistants earn salaries that are 2 percent more than the state average.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $50.54 | $105,120 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $56.83 | $118,200 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $67.47 | $140,340 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $79.25 | $164,840 |
20 Years or More Experience | $96.69 | $201,110 |
Average Salary | $70.25 | $146,110 |
3. Rhode Island
Currently Employed PAs:
220
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
30
10-Year Job Outlook:
+21.43%
Annual Salary Range:
$88,730 - $176,620
Top Paying Cities:
Providence & Warwick
Rhode Island’s accommodating attitudes toward physician assistant scope of practice make it an excellent state for PA practice. Rhode Island is one of only eight states in which physician assistants have their own independent regulatory board. Most PAs in the Ocean State are employed in the Greater Metropolitan Providence Area where the average salary is 3 percent less than the state average of $135,800, though 13 percent higher than the national average of $116,080.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $42.66 | $88,730 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $51.38 | $106,870 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $59.55 | $123,860 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $69.99 | $145,570 |
20 Years or More Experience | $84.91 | $176,620 |
Average Salary | $65.29 | $135,800 |
4. California
Currently Employed PAs:
11,490
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
1,190
10-Year Job Outlook:
+34.19%
Annual Salary Range:
$88,730 - $197,090
Top Paying Cities:
Salinas, Yuba City, & Santa Rosa
Nine percent of the nation’s physician assistants are employed in California. While PAs in California have their own separate regulatory body at the state level, the Golden State is not particularly liberal when it comes to PA scope of practice:
Every PA must be supervised by at least one physician, and that physician must be available for consultations at all times. The average physician assistant salary in California is $135,180. PA salaries in the affluent SF Bay Area are 6 percent higher than the state average and 24 percent higher than the national average. Physician assistant salaries in the Central Coast city of Salinas are even higher: 24 percent higher than the state average, and 45 percent higher than the national average.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $42.66 | $88,730 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $53.07 | $110,390 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $62.48 | $129,950 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $77.97 | $162,180 |
20 Years or More Experience | $94.75 | $197,090 |
Average Salary | $64.99 | $135,180 |
5. Nevada
Currently Employed PAs:
880
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
20
10-Year Job Outlook:
+38.89%
Annual Salary Range:
$96,030 - $180,190
Top Paying Cities:
Las Vegas, Henderson, & Paradise
Nevada is the worst state in the nation when it comes to primary healthcare provider coverage, and the Silver State’s laws are comparatively restrictive when it comes to physician assistants. While a supervising physician doesn’t have to be physically present in order for PAs to examine, diagnose and initiate treatment, that
PA must meet physically with the supervising physician at least once every month. Nevada PAs average $134,710 annually. PAs in the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise Metropolitan Area earn salaries that are 2 percent higher than the state average while physician assistants in the Reno area earn salaries that are 5 percent lower.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $46.17 | $96,030 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $55.53 | $115,510 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $64.48 | $134,120 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $77.25 | $160,690 |
20 Years or More Experience | $86.63 | $180,190 |
Average Salary | $64.76 | $134,710 |
6. New Jersey
Currently Employed PAs:
2,350
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
290
10-Year Job Outlook:
+32.19%
Annual Salary Range:
$39,820 - $192,450
Top Paying Cities:
Trenton, Atlantic City, & Hammonton
New Jersey’s physician assistant laws are comparatively restrictive. In outpatient settings, the supervising physician does not need to be physically present; however,
for inpatient settings where procedures that require intravenous or intra-arterial injection of contrast materials, endoscopic biopsy of tissues or elective endotracheal intubation are being performed, the supervising physician needs to be continuously onsite. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these restrictions were temporarily lifted by an executive order. The average salary of a physician assistant in New Jersey is $131,210. PA salaries in cities like Jersey City and Newark that are technically part of the NYC Metropolitan Area are marginally higher than the state average.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $19.14 | $39,820 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $51.47 | $107,060 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $65.94 | $137,160 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $80.09 | $166,590 |
20 Years or More Experience | $92.52 | $192,450 |
Average Salary | $63.08 | $131,210 |
7. Washington
Currently Employed PAs:
2,780
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
370
10-Year Job Outlook:
+31.49%
Annual Salary Range:
$92,510 - $169,790
Top Paying Cities:
Yakima, Seattle, & Tacoma
In Washington State, physician assistants can practice to the full extent of their training and experience so long as they don’t practice beyond their supervising physician’s own scope of expertise. On average, physician assistant salary in Washington is $129,910. PAs in the Seattle-Tacoma Metropolitan Area earn salaries that are 3 percent higher than the state average while physician assistants in Spokane and other parts of eastern Washington earn salaries that are 8 percent lower. PAs in the Evergreen State are allowed to prescribe medical marijuana.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $44.48 | $92,510 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $53.02 | $110,290 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $61.97 | $128,890 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $73.80 | $153,510 |
20 Years or More Experience | $81.63 | $169,790 |
Average Salary | $62.46 | $129,910 |
8. Vermont
Currently Employed PAs:
260
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
30
10-Year Job Outlook:
+20.00%
Annual Salary Range:
$90,700 - $164,740
Top Paying Cities:
Burlington & South Burlington
Vermont is among the highest paying states for physician assistants. That’s because physician assistants are in high demand in the Green Mountain State, particularly among the state’s many rural, underserved areas.
In 2020, Vermont’s governor signed legislation that broadened the scope of practice for PAs considerably, replacing the designation “supervision” with “collaboration” in respect to PA/physician practice agreements, allowing PAs to accept direct payments and permitting PAs to work within the full scope of their training and experience.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $43.61 | $90,700 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $49.81 | $103,610 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $58.18 | $121,020 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $67.01 | $139,390 |
20 Years or More Experience | $79.20 | $164,740 |
Average Salary | $61.56 | $128,050 |
9. New York
Currently Employed PAs:
13,760
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
1,480
10-Year Job Outlook:
+41.53%
Annual Salary Range:
$92,350 - $165,750
Top Paying Cities:
Utica, Rome, & New York City
Eleven percent of the nation’s physician assistants are employed in New York.
A single physician can supervise no more than four physician assistants at a time, and supervising physicians can delegate any task to a PA that’s within the physician’s own scope of practice so long as the PA has the education, training and experience to perform that task. The average physician assistant salary in New York is $126,370 a year. Physician assistant salaries are highest in New York City and the surrounding areas; PAs there earn salaries that are 4 percent higher than the state average. PAs in upstate cities like Rochester, on the other hand, earn salaries that are 10 percent lower than the state average.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $44.40 | $92,350 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $51.61 | $107,340 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $59.95 | $124,690 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $69.75 | $145,080 |
20 Years or More Experience | $79.69 | $165,750 |
Average Salary | $60.75 | $126,370 |
10. New Hampshire
Currently Employed PAs:
620
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
70
10-Year Job Outlook:
+32.88%
Annual Salary Range:
$89,550 - $161,240
Top Paying Cities:
Portsmouth, Manchester, & Dover
In 2021, the New Hampshire Board of Medicine amended its physician assistant regulations. These new amendments eliminated physician/PA supervisory ratios as well as guidelines that required PAs in the Granite State to have both a supervising physician and an alternate supervising physician. A physician assistant’s scope of practice in New Hampshire is still defined by the written agreement that PA has with his or her supervising physician. Average physician assistant earnings of $124,080 a year put the Granite State among the highest paying states for physician assistants. PAs in the Manchester area—technically a part of the Greater Boston Metropolitan Area—earn salaries that are 7 percent less than the state average.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $43.05 | $89,550 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $50.01 | $104,020 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $57.27 | $119,120 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $64.67 | $134,510 |
20 Years or More Experience | $77.52 | $161,240 |
Average Salary | $59.65 | $124,080 |
11. New Mexico
Currently Employed PAs:
720
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
70
10-Year Job Outlook:
+25.68%
Annual Salary Range:
$91,040 - $162,450
Top Paying Cities:
Farmington, Albuquerque, & Las Cruces
In New Mexico, physicians don’t assume legal responsibility for the care that’s rendered by the PAs with whom they collaborate. A physician assistant in the Land of Enchantment is only required to collaborate with a physician if he or she has less than three years of experience or is practicing in a clinical specialty. The average PA salary throughout New Mexico is $123,620 annually. Physician assistants in Albuquerque, the state’s largest city, earn 1 percent less than the average PA salary throughout all parts of the state.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $43.77 | $91,040 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $51.60 | $107,330 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $58.84 | $122,390 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $67.06 | $139,490 |
20 Years or More Experience | $78.10 | $162,450 |
Average Salary | $59.43 | $123,620 |
12. Minnesota
Currently Employed PAs:
2,570
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
190
10-Year Job Outlook:
+28.22%
Annual Salary Range:
$93,860 - $154,630
Top Paying Cities:
Rochester, Minneapolis, & St. Paul
When it comes to physician assistant scope of practice, Minnesota is a very liberal state. PAs in the Land of Lakes can practice to the full extent of their education training and experience in accordance with the policies of the facilities at which they are employed. Minnesota PAs also have full prescriptive authority. The average physician assistant salary in Minnesota is $122,280 a year. PAs in the Greater Metropolitan Minneapolis/St. Paul Area make salaries that are fractionally higher than the state average.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $45.13 | $93,860 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $52.79 | $109,800 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $59.32 | $123,390 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $65.90 | $137,080 |
20 Years or More Experience | $74.34 | $154,630 |
Average Salary | $58.79 | $122,280 |
13. North Dakota
Currently Employed PAs:
250
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
30
10-Year Job Outlook:
+28.57%
Annual Salary Range:
$90,650 - $151,860
Top Paying Cities:
Fargo
North Dakota is not only one of the highest paying states for physician assistants, it’s also one of the states where PAs have the most autonomy. Scope of practice is determined by the regulations of the facility at which a PA is employed as well as by the PA’s own education, training, and experience. There are no ratios for physician/PA collaborations though physicians must be continuously available for contact through telephone or electronic means. Most PAs in the Peace Garden State practice in rural areas.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $43.58 | $90,650 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $49.15 | $102,230 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $56.20 | $116,890 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $63.23 | $131,510 |
20 Years or More Experience | $73.01 | $151,860 |
Average Salary | $57.34 | $119,270 |
14. Oregon
Currently Employed PAs:
1,550
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
170
10-Year Job Outlook:
+36.75%
Annual Salary Range:
$86,110 - $159,440
Top Paying Cities:
Eugene, Grants Pass, & Medford
Physician assistants in Oregon exercise autonomy in medical decision-making within the constraints of a collaborative agreement with a licensed physician. No physician can supervise more than four PAs without the express approval of the Oregon Medical Board. PAs in the Beaver State practice in both rural and urban areas. The average salary of a physician assistant in Oregon is $119,050 annually. Physician assistant salaries in the Greater Portland Metropolitan Area (which includes Vancouver, Washington) are 1 percent less than the average state salary.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $41.40 | $86,110 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $47.83 | $99,490 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $56.28 | $117,070 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $64.14 | $133,410 |
20 Years or More Experience | $76.65 | $159,440 |
Average Salary | $57.24 | $119,050 |
15. Oklahoma
Currently Employed PAs:
1,510
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
130
10-Year Job Outlook:
+23.23%
Annual Salary Range:
$87,600 - $161,640
Top Paying Cities:
Oklahoma City & Tulsa
In Oklahoma, physicians can supervise no more than six physician assistants at a time.
Physicians are legally responsible for all the services and procedures PAs provide, but the actual physical presence of the supervising physician is not required so long as that physician can be easily contacted through telecommunications. The average salary for physician assistants in Oklahoma is $118,130 annually. Physician assistants in Oklahoma City make 5 percent more than the average PA salary throughout the state, but PAs in Tulsa make 1 percent less.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $42.12 | $87,600 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $47.86 | $99,550 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $56.91 | $118,370 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $67.83 | $141,080 |
20 Years or More Experience | $77.71 | $161,640 |
Average Salary | $56.79 | $118,130 |
16. Idaho
Currently Employed PAs:
790
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
20
10-Year Job Outlook:
+28.95%
Annual Salary Range:
$83,730 - $169,000
Top Paying Cities:
Coeur d'Alene, Boise City, & Pocatello
In Idaho, physician assistants can own their own practices and even employ physicians so long as those PAs aren’t supervised by those physicians. In other respects, however, laws in the Gem State pertaining to physician assistant scope of practice are comparatively rigorous. At least once a month, physicians must visit the sites where the PAs they’re overseeing are practicing. Additionally, physicians must routinely review a representative sample of patient records, chosen at random. Most PAs in the Gem State practice in one of the state’s many rural, medically underserved areas.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $40.25 | $83,730 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $45.24 | $94,100 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $53.64 | $111,570 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $63.62 | $132,330 |
20 Years or More Experience | $81.25 | $169,000 |
Average Salary | $56.71 | $117,960 |
17. Massachusetts
Currently Employed PAs:
3,650
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
360
10-Year Job Outlook:
+19.63%
Annual Salary Range:
$72,640 - $165,220
Top Paying Cities:
Leominster, Gardner, & Worcester
The average physician assistant salary in Massachusetts is $117,830 annually. PAs in the Bay State practice in both urban and rural areas. PAs practicing in the Greater Boston Metropolitan Area earn 2 percent less than the state average. In Massachusetts, the physician assistant scope of practice is comparatively liberal. The Bay State is one of the few states in which PAs are answerable to their own board, dubbed the Board of Registration of Physician Assistants.
PAs performing major invasive procedures must follow specific written protocols, and prescription guidelines must be developed in conjunction with supervising physicians.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $34.92 | $72,640 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $47.04 | $97,840 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $57.05 | $118,660 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $67.05 | $139,470 |
20 Years or More Experience | $79.43 | $165,220 |
Average Salary | $56.65 | $117,830 |
18. Iowa
Currently Employed PAs:
940
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
90
10-Year Job Outlook:
+33.33%
Annual Salary Range:
$85,380 - $160,270
Top Paying Cities:
Cedar Rapids, Davenport, & Iowa City
While physicians who supervise PAs in Iowa need not be physically present at the PA’s practice site, such physicians retain ultimate legal responsibility for all patient care.
In 2020, Iowa’s Governor signed legislation that liberalized many of the constraints on PA scope of practice in the Hawkeye State. A PA’s scope of practice is now determined at his or her practice site as well as by that PA’s own education, training, and experience. Iowa’s PAs average $117,770 a year. Physician assistants practicing in the Iowa City area earn fractionally more than the national average, but PAs practicing around Des Moines earn 6 percent less.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $41.05 | $85,380 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $47.21 | $98,200 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $55.91 | $116,300 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $64.67 | $134,510 |
20 Years or More Experience | $77.05 | $160,270 |
Average Salary | $56.62 | $117,770 |
19. Wyoming
Currently Employed PAs:
250
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
20
10-Year Job Outlook:
+31.82%
Annual Salary Range:
$87,110 - $161,860
Top Paying Cities:
Cheyenne & Casper
As of January 1, 2022, PAs employed in Wyoming no longer have to maintain a specific relationship with a physician or other provider in order to practice. Physician assistants in the Cowboy State are free to practice to the full extent of their education, training, and experience. Most PAs in Wyoming practice in rural areas that the federal government has designated as medically underserved. PAs in the Cowboy State average $117,660 a year, which is 1 percent higher than the national average.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $41.88 | $87,110 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $47.43 | $98,650 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $56.41 | $117,340 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $67.92 | $141,270 |
20 Years or More Experience | $77.82 | $161,860 |
Average Salary | $56.57 | $117,660 |
20. Maine
Currently Employed PAs:
830
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
60
10-Year Job Outlook:
+22.67%
Annual Salary Range:
$91,020 - $152,680
Top Paying Cities:
Lewiston, Auburn, & Bangor
PAs in Maine earn average salaries of $117,180 annually.
In 2020, the Pine Tree State passed legislation allowing physician assistants with more than 4,000 hours of experience to practice without a written agreement with a physician. A physician will still need to be available for consultations, however. Thanks to this new legislation, Maine-based PAs will also be able to accept direct payments from Medicaid, Medicare, and other insurance providers.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $43.76 | $91,020 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $48.70 | $101,300 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $55.69 | $115,840 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $62.94 | $130,920 |
20 Years or More Experience | $73.40 | $152,680 |
Average Salary | $56.34 | $117,180 |
21. Montana
Currently Employed PAs:
650
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
60
10-Year Job Outlook:
+28.36%
Annual Salary Range:
$89,590 - $150,110
Top Paying Cities:
Great Falls, Billings, & Missoula
Montana enforces a 1:1 ratio between practicing physician assistants and their supervising physicians.
Though a supervising physician isn’t required to be onsite, PAs must meet in person with supervising physicians at least once a month for training and discussions of patient care. Additionally, prescriptive authority (including Schedules II-V drugs) is determined by the supervising physician. Physician assistants in the Big Sky State earn $117,100 a year on average.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $43.07 | $89,590 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $49.50 | $102,950 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $57.10 | $118,760 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $64.07 | $133,260 |
20 Years or More Experience | $72.17 | $150,110 |
Average Salary | $56.30 | $117,100 |
22. Hawaii
Currently Employed PAs:
300
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
30
10-Year Job Outlook:
+27.27%
Annual Salary Range:
$58,700 - $180,830
Top Paying Cities:
Urban Honolulu, Kahului, & Wailuku
PAs in Hawaii make $115,710 a year on average. Physicians can only supervise two physician assistants at a time, and
supervising physicians determine the scope of PA practice through guidelines set forth in a written document developed at the site where a PA is working. Supervising physicians also determine a physician assistant’s prescriptive authority with respect to drugs, devices, and Schedules III-V controlled substances.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $28.22 | $58,700 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $43.56 | $90,610 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $55.35 | $115,120 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $68.97 | $143,450 |
20 Years or More Experience | $86.94 | $180,830 |
Average Salary | $55.63 | $115,710 |
23. Maryland
Currently Employed PAs:
2,930
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
340
10-Year Job Outlook:
+39.35%
Annual Salary Range:
$75,080 - $163,660
Top Paying Cities:
Salisbury, Baltimore, & Columbia
The average physician assistant salary in Maryland is $114,970 a year, which is 1 percent less than the national average. PAs in the Maryland suburbs outside the District of Columbia earn 2 percent more than the state average, while PAs in Baltimore, the Old Line State’s largest city, earn 3 percent less.
Maryland requires PAs to be supervised by physicians at all times, whether in person or through written instructions, electronic communication, or even the assignment of an alternative supervising physician. The written agreement that describes the relationship between a PA and a supervisory physician must specify the medical acts that the physician is delegating to the PA.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $36.10 | $75,080 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $45.71 | $95,080 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $55.88 | $116,220 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $65.62 | $136,480 |
20 Years or More Experience | $78.68 | $163,660 |
Average Salary | $55.27 | $114,970 |
24. Arizona
Currently Employed PAs:
2,510
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
100
10-Year Job Outlook:
+52.56%
Annual Salary Range:
$88,180 - $144,900
Top Paying Cities:
Yuma, Tucson, & Flagstaff
Arizona has its own independent Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants, which is charged with overseeing PA licensure, investigation, and discipline.
Arizona allows PAs to provide patient care in all modernized practice environments, including physician offices, clinics, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, patient homes, nursing homes, and other healthcare institutions. The average physician assistant salary in Arizona is $113,850 annually. PAs in Tucson make 3 percent more than this while PAs in Phoenix make 2 percent less.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $42.39 | $88,180 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $47.54 | $98,890 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $55.75 | $115,970 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $63.10 | $131,250 |
20 Years or More Experience | $69.66 | $144,900 |
Average Salary | $54.74 | $113,850 |
25. Wisconsin
Currently Employed PAs:
2,580
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
180
10-Year Job Outlook:
+25.87%
Annual Salary Range:
$86,230 - $144,670
Top Paying Cities:
Wausau, Janesville, & Beloit
In Wisconsin, PAs work as members of physician-led teams. But physician assistants' scope of practice is not restricted to a supervising physician’s scope of practice.
In Wisconsin, PAs practice under their own license in primary care as well as in all medical and surgical subspecialties. PAs in the Badger State have had full prescriptive authority since 1998. The average physician assistant salary in Wisconsin is $113,830 a year. In Madison, the state capital, PA salaries are 3 percent higher than the state average while in Milwaukee, the state’s largest city, they are 2 percent lower than the state average.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $41.46 | $86,230 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $50.54 | $105,120 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $56.85 | $118,240 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $62.66 | $130,330 |
20 Years or More Experience | $69.55 | $144,670 |
Average Salary | $54.73 | $113,830 |
26. West Virginia
Currently Employed PAs:
920
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
70
10-Year Job Outlook:
+25.32%
Annual Salary Range:
$85,170 - $148,790
Top Paying Cities:
Beckley, Wheeling, & Parkersburg
Legislation passed in May, 2021, greatly liberalized physician assistant scope of practice in West Virginia. PAs are now allowed to provide services to the full extent of their education, training, and experience. PAs must also be reimbursed by health insurers, including Medicare and Medicaid, at rates that are commensurate with other healthcare providers offering the same service. On average, physician assistants in the Mountain State earn $113,770 a year.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $40.95 | $85,170 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $44.57 | $92,700 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $50.36 | $104,750 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $59.57 | $123,900 |
20 Years or More Experience | $71.53 | $148,790 |
Average Salary | $54.70 | $113,770 |
27. Nebraska
Currently Employed PAs:
1,150
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
120
10-Year Job Outlook:
+29.77%
Annual Salary Range:
$85,390 - $144,170
Top Paying Cities:
Lincoln, Omaha, & Council Bluffs
Nebraska has some of the most restrictive PA scope of practice laws in the U.S.
The Cornhusker State still adheres to a practice model in which supervising physicians delegate medical services to a PA. Physician assistants must have at least one supervising physician for each employer, and if the employer is a multi-specialty practice, that PA is required to have a supervising physician for each specialty practice area in which he or she performs medical services. The average annual salary for physician assistants in Nebraska is $113,240. Average physician assistant salaries in Lincoln, Nebraska’s capital, are 1 percent more than that while average physician assistant salaries in Omaha, the largest city in the state, are 3 percent less.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $41.05 | $85,390 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $45.87 | $95,400 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $52.94 | $110,120 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $60.83 | $126,520 |
20 Years or More Experience | $69.31 | $144,170 |
Average Salary | $54.44 | $113,240 |
28. North Carolina
Currently Employed PAs:
6,140
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
500
10-Year Job Outlook:
+32.74%
Annual Salary Range:
$86,200 - $148,380
Top Paying Cities:
New Bern, Hickory, & Lenoir
Scope of practice for North Carolina physician assistants is determined by the agreement between that PA and his or her supervising physician. A PAs scope of practice can never exceed the training and experience of the supervising physician. Prescriptive authority is restricted to the terms of the supervisory agreement between a physician assistant and a supervising physician. The average physician assistant salary in North Carolina is $112,510 a year, which is 3 percent less than the national average. In Charlotte, the Tar Heel State’s largest city, PA salaries are 2 percent less than the state average.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $41.44 | $86,200 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $46.01 | $95,700 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $53.43 | $111,140 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $62.13 | $129,230 |
20 Years or More Experience | $71.34 | $148,380 |
Average Salary | $54.09 | $112,510 |
29. Texas
Currently Employed PAs:
8,990
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
850
10-Year Job Outlook:
+37.30%
Annual Salary Range:
$51,110 - $159,790
Top Paying Cities:
Houston, The Woodlands, & Sugar Land
The average physician assistant salary in Texas is $112,200 a year. PA salaries throughout the state vary considerably from a high of $133,190 a year in Houston (19 percent more than the state average) to a low of $92,330 in San Antonio (18 percent less than the state average).
In order to practice in the Lone Star State, PAs must enter into a written, signed, and dated agreement with a supervising physician. Any service a Texas PA performs must be delegated by a supervising physician. Seven percent of the nation’s PAs practice in the Lone Star State.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $24.57 | $51,110 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $43.97 | $91,460 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $54.53 | $113,420 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $63.88 | $132,870 |
20 Years or More Experience | $76.82 | $159,790 |
Average Salary | $53.94 | $112,200 |
30. Delaware
Currently Employed PAs:
440
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
50
10-Year Job Outlook:
+33.33%
Annual Salary Range:
$87,220 - $145,960
Top Paying Cities:
Dover
In Delaware, a physician assistant’s scope of practice is determined by the collaborative agreement he or she maintains with a supervising physician. The supervising physician need not be physically present at the site where the PA is practicing, but the supervising physician must make sure he or she is readily available for consultation. Physician assistants in the First State earn $112,020 a year on average.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $41.93 | $87,220 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $46.09 | $95,870 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $52.34 | $108,870 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $60.06 | $124,930 |
20 Years or More Experience | $70.17 | $145,960 |
Average Salary | $53.86 | $112,020 |
31. Michigan
Currently Employed PAs:
4,350
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
360
10-Year Job Outlook:
+18.02%
Annual Salary Range:
$86,700 - $140,110
Top Paying Cities:
Flint, Lansing, & East Lansing
Michigan was one of the first states to relax restrictive PA scope of practice. In 2016, the Wolverine State passed legislation that recognized physician assistants as full prescribers; in 2017, Michigan nixed the statutory language that described the working relationship between a physician and a PA as “supervisory”. PAs now collaborate with physicians, and the terms of that collaboration must be described in a written agreement. The average physician assistant salary in Michigan is $111,050 a year, but average PA salaries in Detroit are 3 percent higher.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $41.68 | $86,700 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $46.52 | $96,770 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $53.65 | $111,600 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $60.82 | $126,510 |
20 Years or More Experience | $67.36 | $140,110 |
Average Salary | $53.39 | $111,050 |
32. Colorado
Currently Employed PAs:
3,080
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
390
10-Year Job Outlook:
+48.33%
Annual Salary Range:
$74,710 - $154,290
Top Paying Cities:
Pueblo, Fort Collins, & Denver
Licensed physicians in Colorado can supervise up to eight PAs at a time.
Any PA who’s practiced in the Centennial State for three or more years is legally liable for negligent care unless that care was rendered through carrying out a supervising physician’s direct order. If not physically onsite, supervising physicians must make themselves available to PAs by telephone, radio, pager, or other telecommunication devices. The average physician assistant salary in Colorado is $110,370, which is fractionally more than what physician assistants earn in Denver, the state’s largest city.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $35.92 | $74,710 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $44.53 | $92,620 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $52.55 | $109,310 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $63.41 | $131,890 |
20 Years or More Experience | $74.18 | $154,290 |
Average Salary | $53.06 | $110,370 |
33. Illinois
Currently Employed PAs:
3,160
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
360
10-Year Job Outlook:
+30.18%
Annual Salary Range:
$82,670 - $143,130
Top Paying Cities:
Champaign, Urbana, & Rockford
The average physician assistant salary in Illinois is $110,190 a year, though, in Chicago, the state’s largest metropolis, PAs earn fractionally more than that.
In the Prairie State, a physician assistant’s scope of practice is determined by the written supervision agreement between a PA and his or her supervising physician. That written agreement delineates the services a physician assistant can render when he or she is alone as well as those that can only be performed in the physical presence of the supervising physician.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $39.75 | $82,670 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $44.78 | $93,150 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $51.94 | $108,040 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $60.93 | $126,740 |
20 Years or More Experience | $68.81 | $143,130 |
Average Salary | $52.98 | $110,190 |
34. Kansas
Currently Employed PAs:
1,030
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
90
10-Year Job Outlook:
+20.54%
Annual Salary Range:
$82,200 - $143,700
Top Paying Cities:
Topeka, Manhattan, & Wichita
In Kansas, the supervisory relationship between a physician and a physician’s assistant is determined by the State Medical Board on the basis of factors like practice setting; the PA’s own education, training, and experience; and the medical needs of the geographic location where the PA and the supervising physician are practicing. Prescriptive authority is determined in a written agreement between a supervising physician and a physician assistant. PAs in the Sunflower State average $109,640 a year.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $39.52 | $82,200 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $44.29 | $92,130 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $51.02 | $106,120 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $60.16 | $125,140 |
20 Years or More Experience | $69.09 | $143,700 |
Average Salary | $52.71 | $109,640 |
35. South Dakota
Currently Employed PAs:
510
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
50
10-Year Job Outlook:
+27.78%
Annual Salary Range:
$86,400 - $136,440
Top Paying Cities:
Sioux Falls & Rapid City
Guidelines for a PA’s specific scope of practice in South Dakota are incorporated into the practice agreement a physician assistant makes with his or her supervising physician. A single physician in South Dakota can supervise up to four full-time physician assistants. PAs may prescribe drugs, including Schedules II-V controlled substances, if prescriptive authority is part of their practice agreement, and they are provided with supervision. Physician assistants in the Mount Rushmore State average $109,290 a year.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $41.54 | $86,400 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $45.88 | $95,430 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $51.89 | $107,940 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $59.74 | $124,250 |
20 Years or More Experience | $65.60 | $136,440 |
Average Salary | $52.54 | $109,290 |
36. Florida
Currently Employed PAs:
7,310
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
710
10-Year Job Outlook:
+43.08%
Annual Salary Range:
$64,170 - $155,540
Top Paying Cities:
Homosassa Springs, Sebastian, & Vero Beach
Six percent of the nation’s physician assistants are employed in Florida. The average physician assistant salary in Florida is $108,820 a year, which is 6 percent less than the national average. Salaries vary in different locations throughout the state, however. In Orlando, PA salaries are 12 percent greater than the state average (and 5 percent higher than the national average) while in Miami, PA salaries are 6 percent less than the state average (and 12 percent less than the national average.) Supervising physicians cannot delegate any responsibilities to physician assistants that are not within the physician’s own scope of practice, and
the supervising physician must be “easily available” to the monitored physician assistant at all times.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $30.85 | $64,170 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $43.15 | $89,750 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $52.99 | $110,210 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $63.16 | $131,380 |
20 Years or More Experience | $74.78 | $155,540 |
Average Salary | $52.32 | $108,820 |
37. Utah
Currently Employed PAs:
1,100
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
130
10-Year Job Outlook:
+35.71%
Annual Salary Range:
$72,880 - $152,570
Top Paying Cities:
Logan, St. George, & Ogden
In Utah, physician assistant practice is regulated by the Utah Physician Assistant Licensing Board. The average salary for physician assistants in Utah is $108,620 a year, but in Salt Lake City, the state’s capital and most populous city, PA salaries are 1 percent lower.
Any PA with less than 10,000 hours of experience is subject to the practice policies set out in the agreement he or she has made with a supervising physician. Otherwise, PAs may provide medical services to the extent of their education, training, and experience.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $35.04 | $72,880 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $44.08 | $91,690 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $51.61 | $107,340 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $62.00 | $128,960 |
20 Years or More Experience | $73.35 | $152,570 |
Average Salary | $52.22 | $108,620 |
38. Virginia
Currently Employed PAs:
2,490
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
250
10-Year Job Outlook:
+32.68%
Annual Salary Range:
$63,630 - $143,560
Top Paying Cities:
Charlottesville, Winchester, & Richmond
Physician assistants can’t practice in Virginia without a supervision practice arrangement with a physician. Practice agreements must include the delegation of such medical tasks as are appropriate to the PA's level of competence as well as an evaluation process for the PA's performance.
PAs may also prescribe drugs, devices and controlled substances if authorized to do so in a practice agreement. The average physician assistant salary in Virginia is $108,040. PAs in Richmond, the state capital, make salaries that are 3 percent higher while PAs employed in the District of Columbia’s Virginian suburbs make salaries that are 9 percent higher.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $30.59 | $63,630 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $43.21 | $89,870 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $52.05 | $108,260 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $60.85 | $126,570 |
20 Years or More Experience | $69.02 | $143,560 |
Average Salary | $51.94 | $108,040 |
39. Ohio
Currently Employed PAs:
4,440
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
410
10-Year Job Outlook:
+27.56%
Annual Salary Range:
$77,900 - $141,120
Top Paying Cities:
Toledo, Cleveland, & Elyria
The average physician assistant salary in Ohio is $107,600 annually. PA salaries throughout the Buckeye State show some variation: In Cincinnati, PA salaries are 7 percent less than the state average while in Toledo, PA salaries are 6 percent higher. PAs and physicians must enter into a formal supervision agreement before they can practice together.
The medical services a physician assistant performs must be delegated by the supervising physician and must be part of that physician’s normal course of practice.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $37.45 | $77,900 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $44.46 | $92,480 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $52.50 | $109,190 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $60.60 | $126,050 |
20 Years or More Experience | $67.85 | $141,120 |
Average Salary | $51.73 | $107,600 |
40. Pennsylvania
Currently Employed PAs:
7,300
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
640
10-Year Job Outlook:
+30.93%
Annual Salary Range:
$73,930 - $144,020
Top Paying Cities:
Philadelphia, York-Hanover, & Johnstown
The Keystone State is one of the more restrictive states in the U.S. when it comes to physician assistant scope of practice.
Pennsylvania requires physician assistants and supervising physicians to enter into a written agreement. That agreement must then be approved by the Pennsylvania State Medical Board. Supervising physicians are expected to review enough of a PA’s work to determine that the physician’s directions are being implemented;
this typically entails regular review within 10 days by the supervising physician of the patient records upon which entries are made by the PA. The average physician assistant salary in Pennsylvania is $107,520; in Philadelphia, the state’s most populous city, PAs earn 9 percent more than that.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $35.54 | $73,930 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $43.35 | $90,170 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $51.35 | $106,810 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $60.13 | $125,060 |
20 Years or More Experience | $69.24 | $144,020 |
Average Salary | $51.69 | $107,520 |
41. Georgia
Currently Employed PAs:
5,080
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
400
10-Year Job Outlook:
+43.91%
Annual Salary Range:
$56,160 - $162,390
Top Paying Cities:
Albany, Atlanta, & Sandy Springs
The average physician assistant salary in Georgia is $104,230 a year. In Atlanta, the Peach State’s largest city, PA salaries are 12 percent higher, but in the Greater Augusta-Richmond Metropolitan Area, they are 20 percent lower. A PA’s scope of practice in the Peach State is determined entirely by the written agreement that PA enters into with a supervising physician. The agreement must be approved by the State Medical Board, and
all activities delegated to the physician assistant must be within the supervising physician’s scope of practice.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $27.00 | $56,160 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $33.48 | $69,630 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $50.04 | $104,090 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $62.56 | $130,130 |
20 Years or More Experience | $78.07 | $162,390 |
Average Salary | $50.11 | $104,230 |
42. South Carolina
Currently Employed PAs:
1,530
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
140
10-Year Job Outlook:
+32.41%
Annual Salary Range:
$40,050 - $139,110
Top Paying Cities:
Greenville, Anderson, & Mauldin
South Carolina’s practice laws for PAs are comparatively restrictive.
In the Palmetto State, for the first six months of a relationship with a supervising physician, a physician assistant must practice at the same site as the physician. Thereafter, the physician assistant can only work at a site that’s within 60 miles of the site where the supervising physician works. The average salary of a physician assistant in South Carolina is $103,150 annually, which is 13 percent less than the average PA salary throughout all parts of the nation.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $19.25 | $40,050 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $41.28 | $85,860 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $47.99 | $99,820 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $56.80 | $118,140 |
20 Years or More Experience | $66.88 | $139,110 |
Average Salary | $49.59 | $103,150 |
43. Indiana
Currently Employed PAs:
1,650
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
160
10-Year Job Outlook:
+34.16%
Annual Salary Range:
$54,830 - $149,080
Top Paying Cities:
Columbus, Terre Haute, & South Bend
In Indiana, the supervisory agreement between a physician assistant and a physician must be a written document. This document must contain a comprehensive list of all the tasks the physician will be delegating to the PA, and it must specify the exact protocols PAs must follow when prescribing medications. The average salary of a physician assistant in Indiana is $10,030. In Indianapolis, PA salaries are 4 percent higher than the average salary across other parts of the Hoosier State; in Fort Wayne, PA salaries are fractionally lower.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $26.36 | $54,830 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $39.95 | $83,100 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $50.74 | $105,540 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $61.20 | $127,290 |
20 Years or More Experience | $71.67 | $149,080 |
Average Salary | $49.05 | $102,030 |
44. Arkansas
Currently Employed PAs:
580
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
50
10-Year Job Outlook:
+33.33%
Annual Salary Range:
$36,690 - $154,090
Top Paying Cities:
Fort Smith, Fayetteville, & Springdale
Arkansas-based physician assistants earn $101,740 a year on average, which is 12 percent less than the national average. In Little Rock, the Natural State’s largest city, PA salaries are 6 percent less than the state average and 18 percent less than the national average. In Arkansas, a physician assistant’s scope of practice is restricted to medical services delegated by a supervising physician that are also within the supervising physician’s scope of practice.
Physicians do not have to be in the same physical location as the PAs they supervise, but it cannot take them more than an hour to travel to that site.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $17.64 | $36,690 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $36.96 | $76,870 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $50.41 | $104,850 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $61.19 | $127,270 |
20 Years or More Experience | $74.08 | $154,090 |
Average Salary | $48.91 | $101,740 |
45. Tennessee
Currently Employed PAs:
2,080
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
240
10-Year Job Outlook:
+44.81%
Annual Salary Range:
$73,400 - $131,600
Top Paying Cities:
Chattanooga, Clarksville, & Memphis
In Tennessee, supervising physicians are required to personally review at least 20 percent of charts monitored or written by a physician assistant working under them every 30 days. The range of services a physician assistant can provide must be stipulated in a written protocol. A PA can’t provide any service that isn’t within the supervising physician’s own scope of practice. The salary of a physician assistant in Tennessee is $101,640 a year on average. In Memphis, PAs make 8 percent more than the state average while in Nashville, they make 2 percent less.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $35.29 | $73,400 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $42.75 | $88,910 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $48.43 | $100,740 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $55.66 | $115,780 |
20 Years or More Experience | $63.27 | $131,600 |
Average Salary | $48.87 | $101,640 |
46. Missouri
Currently Employed PAs:
1,240
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
110
10-Year Job Outlook:
+30.97%
Annual Salary Range:
$31,800 - $133,070
Top Paying Cities:
Kansas City, Columbia, & Springfield
The average salary for physician assistants in Missouri is $94,020 annually. Physician assistants in Kansas City, Missouri average salaries that are 21 percent higher, while physician assistants in St. Louis average salaries that are 5 percent lower.
PAs and supervising physicians must negotiate a written agreement, and unless the agreement states otherwise, supervising physicians must be physically present at the site where a PA is practicing at least 66 percent of the time. When a supervising physician is not at the site where a PA is working, he or she can be no more than 30 miles away from the PA’s site.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $15.29 | $31,800 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $39.45 | $82,050 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $48.64 | $101,180 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $57.27 | $119,130 |
20 Years or More Experience | $63.98 | $133,070 |
Average Salary | $45.20 | $94,020 |
47. Louisiana
Currently Employed PAs:
1,070
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
20
10-Year Job Outlook:
+14.81%
Annual Salary Range:
$37,730 - $135,150
Top Paying Cities:
Houma, Thibodaux, & Lafayette
Supervising physicians in the Bayou State assume legal responsibility for all medical services rendered by the PAs they supervise.
Physician assistants in Louisiana can perform tasks within their education, training and experience so long as those tasks have been expressly delegated by a supervising physician. Prescriptive authority is delegated by the supervising physician. In the Bayou State, physician assistants earn $93,770 a year on average. In New Orleans, PAs earn 5 percent less than the state average.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $18.14 | $37,730 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $36.12 | $75,130 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $46.36 | $96,420 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $55.44 | $115,310 |
20 Years or More Experience | $64.98 | $135,150 |
Average Salary | $45.08 | $93,770 |
48. Alabama
Currently Employed PAs:
680
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
80
10-Year Job Outlook:
+33.33%
Annual Salary Range:
$31,630 - $128,320
Top Paying Cities:
Huntsville, Mobile, & Birmingham
In the Cotton State, physician assistants can expect to earn $88,500 a year on average. This amount is 24 percent lower than the average salary physician assistants earn throughout all parts of the U.S. Alabama’s PA scope of practice laws are comparatively restrictive. For example:
Supervising physicians must co-sign stipulated PA orders, and a PA’s scope of practice is ultimately determined by the Alabama State Medical Board.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $15.21 | $31,630 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $37.51 | $78,030 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $44.53 | $92,620 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $49.90 | $103,800 |
20 Years or More Experience | $61.69 | $128,320 |
Average Salary | $42.55 | $88,500 |
49. Mississippi
Currently Employed PAs:
290
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
0
10-Year Job Outlook:
+11.76%
Annual Salary Range:
$41,120 - $131,110
Top Paying Cities:
Gulfport, Biloxi, & Pascagoula
Mississippi is the state where the scope of practice for physician assistants is most restrictive.
PAs can only practice at locations that are no more than 30 miles away from the office, hospital, clinic or other healthcare facility where the supervising physician is practicing. All supervision agreements must be approved by the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure. Physician assistants in the Magnolia State earn $85,380 a year on average, which is 26 percent lower than the national average for physician assistant salaries.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $19.77 | $41,120 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $24.57 | $51,110 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $40.96 | $85,200 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $49.77 | $103,520 |
20 Years or More Experience | $63.03 | $131,110 |
Average Salary | $41.05 | $85,380 |
50. Kentucky
Currently Employed PAs:
1,070
Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement):
100
10-Year Job Outlook:
+23.42%
Annual Salary Range:
$32,390 - $127,240
Top Paying Cities:
Lexington, Fayette, & Elizabethtown
Physician assistants in Kentucky are the lowest-paid physician assistants in the U.S. On average, PAs in the Bluegrass State earn $79,390 a year. In Louisville, however, physician assistants earn 10 percent more than the state average.
PAs in the Bluegrass State can only perform services off-site from a supervising physician if that supervising physician is continuously available via telecommunication.
Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
Entry-Level | $15.57 | $32,390 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $17.98 | $37,400 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $42.64 | $88,700 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $50.24 | $104,500 |
20 Years or More Experience | $61.17 | $127,240 |
Average Salary | $38.17 | $79,390 |
Physician Assistant Salary in Your State vs. National Physical Assistant Salary
In 21 states, physician assistants earn salaries that are higher than $116,080, the average PA salary throughout all states; in 29 states, physician assistants earn salaries that are lower. Average statewide salaries for physician assistants span a range of $70,000, from a high of $150,430 in Alaska (30 percent higher than average PA salary throughout the nation) to a low of $79,390 in Kentucky (32 percent lower than the national average.)
Physician assistants earn their highest salaries in northeastern states like Connecticut ($146,110), Rhode Island ($135,800) and New Jersey ($131,210) as well as in western and Pacific Ocean-facing states like California ($135,180), Washington ($129,910) and Nevada ($134,710).
Many (though not all) of the top-paying states are locations where PAs exercise the most liberal scope of practice.
That’s because compensation, to a great extent, depends upon the amount of revenue a facility is able to generate, and physician assistants who practice more autonomously are able to generate more billable hours. These PAs also incur fewer operational costs because they require less management.
PAs in southeastern states like Alabama ($88,500), Kentucky ($79,390) and Mississippi ($85,380) earn salaries that can be 10 to 20 percent below the national average. Much of this pay differential has to do with the fact that the cost of living throughout the South is appreciably lower than it is in the rest of the nation.
State | Average Annual Salary | VS. National Salary |
Number | % |
Alabama | $88,500 | -$27,580 | -23.76% |
Alaska | $150,430 | +$34,350 | +29.59% |
Arizona | $113,850 | -$2,230 | -1.92% |
Arkansas | $101,740 | -$14,340 | -12.35% |
California | $135,180 | +$19,100 | +16.45% |
Colorado | $110,370 | -$5,710 | -4.92% |
Connecticut | $146,110 | +$30,030 | +25.87% |
Delaware | $112,020 | -$4,060 | -3.50% |
Florida | $108,820 | -$7,260 | -6.25% |
Georgia | $104,230 | -$11,850 | -10.21% |
Hawaii | $115,710 | -$370 | -0.32% |
Idaho | $117,960 | +$1,880 | +1.62% |
Illinois | $110,190 | -$5,890 | -5.07% |
Indiana | $102,030 | -$14,050 | -12.10% |
Iowa | $117,770 | +$1,690 | +1.46% |
Kansas | $109,640 | -$6,440 | -5.55% |
Kentucky | $79,390 | -$36,690 | -31.61% |
Louisiana | $93,770 | -$22,310 | -19.22% |
Maine | $117,180 | +$1,100 | +0.95% |
Maryland | $114,970 | -$1,110 | -0.96% |
Massachusetts | $117,830 | +$1,750 | +1.51% |
Michigan | $111,050 | -$5,030 | -4.33% |
Minnesota | $122,280 | +$6,200 | +5.34% |
Mississippi | $85,380 | -$30,700 | -26.45% |
Missouri | $94,020 | -$22,060 | -19.00% |
Montana | $117,100 | +$1,020 | +0.88% |
Nebraska | $113,240 | -$2,840 | -2.45% |
Nevada | $134,710 | +$18,630 | +16.05% |
New Hampshire | $124,080 | +$8,000 | +6.89% |
New Jersey | $131,210 | +$15,130 | +13.03% |
New Mexico | $123,620 | +$7,540 | +6.50% |
New-York | $126,370 | +$10,290 | +8.86% |
North Carolina | $112,510 | -$3,570 | -3.08% |
North Dakota | $119,270 | +$3,190 | +2.75% |
Ohio | $107,600 | -$8,480 | -7.31% |
Oklahoma | $118,130 | +$2,050 | +1.77% |
Oregon | $119,050 | +$2,970 | +2.56% |
Pennsylvania | $107,520 | -$8,560 | -7.37% |
Rhode Island | $135,800 | +$19,720 | +16.99% |
South Carolina | $103,150 | -$12,930 | -11.14% |
South Dakota | $109,290 | -$6,790 | -5.85% |
Tennessee | $101,640 | -$14,440 | -12.44% |
Texas | $112,200 | -$3,880 | -3.34% |
Utah | $108,620 | -$7,460 | -6.43% |
Vermont | $128,050 | +$11,970 | +10.31% |
Virginia | $108,040 | -$8,040 | -6.93% |
Washington | $129,910 | +$13,830 | +11.91% |
West Virginia | $113,770 | -$2,310 | -1.99% |
Wisconsin | $113,830 | -$2,250 | -1.94% |
Wyoming | $117,660 | +$1,580 | +1.36% |
U.S. | $116,080 | $0 | 0.00% |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Physician Assistant Salary by Metro
Physician assistant salaries can vary widely from city to city in the same state just as they vary widely from state to state. In Memphis, Tennessee, for example, PAs make $109,680 a year, which is 8 percent more than the state average while in Nashville, Tennessee, they make $99,280 a year, which is 2 percent less. In New York City, PAs earn $131,370 a year, which is 4 percent more than the state average while in the upstate New York cities of Albany ($115,680), Rochester ($113,860), and Buffalo ($108,920), they earn respectively 8 percent, 10 percent, and 14 percent less.
As a rule of thumb, PA salaries are typically much higher in larger cities than they are in smaller cities or in rural areas. This is because the cost of living is typically higher in larger cities, and the more densely populated an area is, the higher the demand for services.
Urban populations also have a higher percentage of people carrying private insurance, which pays more for services than Medicaid and Medicare pay, and this translates into higher salaries for the PAs and the other healthcare professionals who practice in cities.
Metro | Employment | Average Annual Salary | VS. National Salary |
Number | % |
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 760 | $115,680 | -$400 | -0.34% |
Albuquerque, NM | 380 | $121,860 | +$5,780 | +4.98% |
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 430 | $103,670 | -$12,410 | -10.69% |
Altoona, PA | 130 | $100,030 | -$16,050 | -13.83% |
Anchorage, AK | 290 | $149,910 | +$33,830 | +29.14% |
Ann Arbor, MI | 560 | $109,140 | -$6,940 | -5.98% |
Asheville, NC | 470 | $107,520 | -$8,560 | -7.37% |
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 2,990 | $117,140 | +$1,060 | +0.91% |
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 840 | $73,380 | -$42,700 | -36.78% |
Austin-Round Rock, TX | 640 | $110,820 | -$5,260 | -4.53% |
Bakersfield, CA | 190 | $124,700 | +$8,620 | +7.43% |
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 1,720 | $112,210 | -$3,870 | -3.33% |
Bangor, ME | 140 | $118,600 | +$2,520 | +2.17% |
Baton Rouge, LA | 230 | $94,800 | -$21,280 | -18.33% |
Bend-Redmond, OR | 140 | $112,190 | -$3,890 | -3.35% |
Billings, MT | 130 | $114,130 | -$1,950 | -1.68% |
Birmingham-Hoover, AL | 340 | $78,870 | -$37,210 | -32.06% |
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA | 180 | $106,970 | -$9,110 | -7.85% |
Boise City, ID | 380 | $121,170 | +$5,090 | +4.38% |
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH | 2,850 | $115,410 | -$670 | -0.58% |
Boulder, CO | 330 | $109,780 | -$6,300 | -5.43% |
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | 350 | $144,360 | +$28,280 | +24.36% |
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY | 710 | $108,920 | -$7,160 | -6.17% |
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 300 | $100,080 | -$16,000 | -13.78% |
Charleston, WV | 150 | $109,860 | -$6,220 | -5.36% |
Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 400 | $84,470 | -$31,610 | -27.23% |
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 1,360 | $110,490 | -$5,590 | -4.82% |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 2,370 | $110,550 | -$5,530 | -4.76% |
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 590 | $100,480 | -$15,600 | -13.44% |
Cleveland-Elyria, OH | 1,920 | $111,020 | -$5,060 | -4.36% |
Colorado Springs, CO | 270 | $108,190 | -$7,890 | -6.80% |
Columbia, SC | 320 | $105,780 | -$10,300 | -8.87% |
Columbus, OH | 660 | $103,180 | -$12,900 | -11.11% |
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 3,430 | $106,570 | -$9,510 | -8.19% |
Danbury, CT | 160 | $145,480 | +$29,400 | +25.33% |
Dayton, OH | 380 | $110,650 | -$5,430 | -4.68% |
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 210 | $117,530 | +$1,450 | +1.25% |
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 1,790 | $110,170 | -$5,910 | -5.09% |
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 170 | $109,180 | -$6,900 | -5.94% |
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 1,580 | $114,050 | -$2,030 | -1.75% |
Duluth, MN-WI | 170 | $113,780 | -$2,300 | -1.98% |
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 750 | $109,420 | -$6,660 | -5.74% |
El Paso, TX | 320 | $97,470 | -$18,610 | -16.03% |
Eugene, OR | 160 | $133,770 | +$17,690 | +15.24% |
Fargo, ND-MN | 150 | $116,850 | +$770 | +0.66% |
Fayetteville, NC | 340 | $115,350 | -$730 | -0.63% |
Flint, MI | 210 | $117,260 | +$1,180 | +1.02% |
Fort Collins, CO | 260 | $113,810 | -$2,270 | -1.96% |
Fort Wayne, IN | 130 | $101,680 | -$14,400 | -12.41% |
Fresno, CA | 330 | $131,380 | +$15,300 | +13.18% |
Gainesville, FL | 250 | $102,940 | -$13,140 | -11.32% |
Gainesville, GA | 130 | $94,890 | -$21,190 | -18.25% |
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | 720 | $107,150 | -$8,930 | -7.69% |
Green Bay, WI | 170 | $112,220 | -$3,860 | -3.33% |
Greensboro-High Point, NC | 310 | $109,780 | -$6,300 | -5.43% |
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC | 340 | $129,780 | +$13,700 | +11.80% |
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | 330 | $110,600 | -$5,480 | -4.72% |
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 900 | $142,030 | +$25,950 | +22.36% |
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 190 | $122,190 | +$6,110 | +5.26% |
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 2,030 | $133,190 | +$17,110 | +14.74% |
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | 710 | $106,320 | -$9,760 | -8.41% |
Iowa City, IA | 230 | $116,340 | +$260 | +0.22% |
Jacksonville, FL | 640 | $109,230 | -$6,850 | -5.90% |
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 230 | $106,270 | -$9,810 | -8.45% |
Kansas City, MO-KS | 500 | $113,650 | -$2,430 | -2.09% |
Killeen-Temple, TX | 230 | $117,800 | +$1,720 | +1.48% |
Knoxville, TN | 430 | $106,810 | -$9,270 | -7.99% |
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 260 | $89,810 | -$26,270 | -22.63% |
Lancaster, PA | 240 | $105,280 | -$10,800 | -9.30% |
Lansing-East Lansing, MI | 200 | $116,340 | +$260 | +0.22% |
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 610 | $136,930 | +$20,850 | +17.96% |
Lincoln, NE | 190 | $114,190 | -$1,890 | -1.63% |
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | 330 | $95,350 | -$20,730 | -17.86% |
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3,880 | $130,450 | +$14,370 | +12.38% |
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 320 | $87,420 | -$28,660 | -24.69% |
Lynchburg, VA | 170 | $90,120 | -$25,960 | -22.36% |
Macon, GA | 140 | $66,700 | -$49,380 | -42.54% |
Madison, WI | 410 | $117,160 | +$1,080 | +0.93% |
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 220 | $124,880 | +$8,800 | +7.58% |
Medford, OR | 140 | $126,310 | +$10,230 | +8.81% |
Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 180 | $109,680 | -$6,400 | -5.51% |
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 2,080 | $102,320 | -$13,760 | -11.85% |
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI | 1,150 | $109,060 | -$7,020 | -6.05% |
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 1,530 | $122,860 | +$6,780 | +5.84% |
Modesto, CA | 140 | $139,890 | +$23,810 | +20.51% |
Morgantown, WV | 130 | $106,300 | -$9,780 | -8.43% |
Muncie, IN | 200 | $59,370 | -$56,710 | -48.85% |
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC | 140 | $103,590 | -$12,490 | -10.76% |
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 780 | $99,280 | -$16,800 | -14.47% |
New Haven, CT | 530 | $148,520 | +$32,440 | +27.95% |
New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 390 | $89,310 | -$26,770 | -23.06% |
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 11,440 | $131,370 | +$15,290 | +13.17% |
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL | 360 | $128,530 | +$12,450 | +10.73% |
Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI | 140 | $148,720 | +$32,640 | +28.12% |
Ocala, FL | 210 | $116,960 | +$880 | +0.76% |
Ogden-Clearfield, UT | 180 | $122,470 | +$6,390 | +5.50% |
Oklahoma City, OK | 810 | $122,410 | +$6,330 | +5.45% |
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA | 490 | $109,930 | -$6,150 | -5.30% |
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 650 | $121,340 | +$5,260 | +4.53% |
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 220 | $131,810 | +$15,730 | +13.55% |
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 250 | $112,860 | -$3,220 | -2.77% |
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | 180 | $99,200 | -$16,880 | -14.54% |
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 3,240 | $117,360 | +$1,280 | +1.10% |
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | 2,020 | $111,840 | -$4,240 | -3.65% |
Pittsburgh, PA | 1,550 | $99,510 | -$16,570 | -14.27% |
Portland-South Portland, ME | 360 | $113,050 | -$3,030 | -2.61% |
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 780 | $118,260 | +$2,180 | +1.88% |
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 310 | $131,460 | +$15,380 | +13.25% |
Provo-Orem, UT | 190 | $93,210 | -$22,870 | -19.70% |
Raleigh, NC | 780 | $112,640 | -$3,440 | -2.96% |
Reading, PA | 240 | $107,340 | -$8,740 | -7.53% |
Reno, NV | 190 | $128,220 | +$12,140 | +10.46% |
Richmond, VA | 390 | $111,800 | -$4,280 | -3.69% |
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,190 | $139,230 | +$23,150 | +19.94% |
Roanoke, VA | 220 | $103,790 | -$12,290 | -10.59% |
Rochester, NY | 960 | $113,860 | -$2,220 | -1.91% |
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA | 820 | $139,190 | +$23,110 | +19.91% |
Salem, OR | 140 | $106,140 | -$9,940 | -8.56% |
Salisbury, MD-DE | 180 | $115,950 | -$130 | -0.11% |
Salt Lake City, UT | 520 | $107,140 | -$8,940 | -7.70% |
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 630 | $92,330 | -$23,750 | -20.46% |
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 1,380 | $127,280 | +$11,200 | +9.65% |
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | 1,430 | $143,840 | +$27,760 | +23.91% |
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 510 | $151,500 | +$35,420 | +30.51% |
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 160 | $144,110 | +$28,030 | +24.15% |
Savannah, GA | 190 | $92,820 | -$23,260 | -20.04% |
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA | 300 | $104,080 | -$12,000 | -10.34% |
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,650 | $134,020 | +$17,940 | +15.45% |
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 140 | $92,850 | -$23,230 | -20.01% |
Sioux Falls, SD | 200 | $108,910 | -$7,170 | -6.18% |
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 270 | $119,390 | +$3,310 | +2.85% |
Springfield, IL | 170 | $85,520 | -$30,560 | -26.33% |
Springfield, MA-CT | 340 | $129,540 | +$13,460 | +11.60% |
Springfield, MO | 180 | $97,290 | -$18,790 | -16.19% |
St. Louis, MO-IL | 760 | $89,090 | -$26,990 | -23.25% |
Syracuse, NY | 480 | $116,930 | +$850 | +0.73% |
Tallahassee, FL | 180 | $127,640 | +$11,560 | +9.96% |
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 1,070 | $109,930 | -$6,150 | -5.30% |
Toledo, OH | 150 | $114,030 | -$2,050 | -1.77% |
Tucson, AZ | 220 | $117,700 | +$1,620 | +1.40% |
Tulsa, OK | 290 | $114,630 | -$1,450 | -1.25% |
Urban Honolulu, HI | 210 | $118,450 | +$2,370 | +2.04% |
Utica-Rome, NY | 150 | $134,640 | +$18,560 | +15.99% |
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 570 | $103,350 | -$12,730 | -10.97% |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 2,020 | $118,120 | +$2,040 | +1.76% |
Wichita, KS | 310 | $104,390 | -$11,690 | -10.07% |
Wilmington, NC | 270 | $113,570 | -$2,510 | -2.16% |
Winston-Salem, NC | 580 | $114,030 | -$2,050 | -1.77% |
Worcester, MA-CT | 300 | $130,960 | +$14,880 | +12.82% |
York-Hanover, PA | 190 | $115,260 | -$820 | -0.71% |
U.S. | 125,280 | $116,080 | $0 | 0.00% |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Highest Paid Physician Assistants
What Are The Highest Paying Workplaces For Physician Assistants?
The highest-paid physician assistants are those involved in the personal care service sector; these PAs earn $144,260 a year, which is 24 percent more than the national average. Other highly paid PA practice settings include outpatient care centers ($128,820 or 11 percent more than the national average), scientific research facilities ($124,400 or 7 percent more than the national average), and employment services ($120,400 or 4 percent more than the national average).
Rank | Workplace | Average Annual Salary | VS. National Salary |
Number | % |
1 | Personal Care Services | $144,260 | +$28,180 | +24.28% |
2 | Outpatient Care Centers | $128,820 | +$12,740 | +10.98% |
3 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $124,400 | +$8,320 | +7.17% |
4 | Employment Services | $120,400 | +$4,320 | +3.72% |
5 | Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities | $119,970 | +$3,890 | +3.35% |
What Are The Highest Paying Specialties For Physician Assistants?
As noted above, procedural specialties are the highest-paying specialties for physician assistants. The highest-paid physician assistants on average are those that specialize in cardiology; these physician assistants earn $131,780 a year or 14 percent more than the national average. Other highly paid PA specialties include neurosurgery ($129,790 or 12 percent more than the national average), dermatology ($128,120 or 11 percent more than the national average), and pediatric neurosurgery ($128,120 or 10 percent more than the national average).
Rank | Specialty | Average Annual Salary | VS. National Salary |
Number | % |
1 | Cardiology PA | $131,780 | +$15,700 | +13.53% |
2 | Neurosurgery PA | $129,790 | +$13,710 | +11.81% |
3 | Dermatology PA | $128,680 | +$12,600 | +10.85% |
4 | Pediatric Neurosurgery PA | $128,120 | +$12,040 | +10.37% |
5 | Thoracic Surgery PA | $127,930 | +$11,850 | +10.21% |
6 | Cardiothoracic Surgery PA | $126,120 | +$10,040 | +8.65% |
7 | Vascular Surgery PA | $126,010 | +$9,930 | +8.55% |
8 | Gastroenterology PA | $125,590 | +$9,510 | +8.19% |
9 | Radiation Oncology PA | $125,160 | +$9,080 | +7.82% |
10 | Radiology PA | $124,960 | +$8,880 | +7.65% |
What Are The Highest Paying States For Physician Assistants?
The highest paying states for physician assistants include Alaska ($150,430 or 30 percent more than the national average), Connecticut ($146,110 or 26 percent more than the national average), Rhode Island (17 percent more than the national average), and California ($135,180 or 16 percent more than the national average).
Rank | State | Average Annual Salary | VS. National Salary |
Number | % |
1 | Alaska | $150,430 | +$34,350 | +29.59% |
2 | Connecticut | $146,110 | +$30,030 | +25.87% |
3 | Rhode Island | $135,800 | +$19,720 | +16.99% |
4 | California | $135,180 | +$19,100 | +16.45% |
5 | Nevada | $134,710 | +$18,630 | +16.05% |
6 | New Jersey | $131,210 | +$15,130 | +13.03% |
7 | Washington | $129,910 | +$13,830 | +11.91% |
8 | Vermont | $128,050 | +$11,970 | +10.31% |
9 | New York | $126,370 | +$10,290 | +8.86% |
10 | New Hampshire | $124,080 | +$8,000 | +6.89% |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
What Are The Highest Paying Metros For Physician Assistants?
Unsurprisingly, the cities that pay PAs the highest salaries are located in the highest paying states for physician assistants. In some of these cities, PA salaries are considerably higher than the state average.
For example: The highest-paid physician assistants in the U.S. work in Salinas, California. Salinas-based PAs make $168,220 annually, a salary that is 45 percent higher than the national average ($116,080) and 12 percent higher than the average PA salary in Alaska ($150,430), which is the state where PAs are compensated most highly. This doesn’t seem to correlate with comparative costs of living, either:
The cost of living in Salinas is actually 11 percent less than the cost of living in California as a whole. It may have more to do with the fact that Salinas is a medically underserved area and PAs, classified as frontline primary care providers, are in very high demand there.
Rank | Metro | Average Annual Salary | VS. National Salary |
Number | % |
1 | Salinas, CA | $168,220 | +$52,140 | +44.92% |
2 | Waterbury, CT | $165,230 | +$49,150 | +42.34% |
3 | Portsmouth, NH-ME | $158,020 | +$41,940 | +36.13% |
4 | Yuba City, CA | $155,830 | +$39,750 | +34.24% |
5 | Santa Rosa, CA | $153,660 | +$37,580 | +32.37% |
6 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $151,500 | +$35,420 | +30.51% |
7 | Anchorage, AK | $149,910 | +$33,830 | +29.14% |
8 | Yakima, WA | $149,900 | +$33,820 | +29.14% |
9 | Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI | $148,720 | +$32,640 | +28.12% |
10 | New Haven, CT | $148,520 | +$32,440 | +27.95% |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Physician Assistant Employment + Annual Job Openings + Job Outlook
How Many Physician Assistants Are Currently Employed In The United States?
Nearly two-thirds of the 125,280 physician assistants currently employed in the U.S. are female. Forty-four percent of PAs in the U.S. can be classified as primary care providers: 24 percent specialize in family medicine while 17 percent specialize in internal medicine. Twenty-three percent of PAs specialize in surgical procedures of some kind while 10 percent specialize in some type of emergency medicine.
125,280 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
What States Employ The Highest Number Of Physician Assistants?
New York and California are the states where the largest number of physician assistants are employed. Eleven percent of all American PAs are employed in the Empire State while 9 percent are employed in the Golden State. Rhode Island is one of the states where the fewest numbers of PAs work but demand for PA services is high in the Ocean State as evidenced by the high salaries that Rhode Island physician assistants earn there.
Rank | State | Employment | Rank | State | Employment |
1 | New York | 13,760 | 26 | Missouri | 1,240 |
2 | California | 11,490 | 27 | Nebraska | 1,150 |
3 | Texas | 8,990 | 28 | Utah | 1,100 |
4 | Florida | 7,310 | 29 | Kentucky | 1,070 |
5 | Pennsylvania | 7,300 | 30 | Louisiana | 1,070 |
6 | North Carolina | 6,140 | 31 | Kansas | 1,030 |
7 | Georgia | 5,080 | 32 | Iowa | 940 |
8 | Ohio | 4,440 | 33 | West Virginia | 920 |
9 | Michigan | 4,350 | 34 | Nevada | 880 |
10 | Massachusetts | 3,650 | 35 | Maine | 830 |
11 | Illinois | 3,160 | 36 | Idaho | 790 |
12 | Colorado | 3,080 | 37 | New Mexico | 720 |
13 | Maryland | 2,930 | 38 | Alabama | 680 |
14 | Washington | 2,780 | 39 | Montana | 650 |
15 | Wisconsin | 2,580 | 40 | New Hampshire | 620 |
16 | Minnesota | 2,570 | 41 | Arkansas | 580 |
17 | Arizona | 2,510 | 42 | South Dakota | 510 |
18 | Virginia | 2,490 | 43 | Delaware | 440 |
19 | New Jersey | 2,350 | 44 | Alaska | 430 |
20 | Connecticut | 2,310 | 45 | Hawaii | 300 |
21 | Tennessee | 2,080 | 46 | Mississippi | 290 |
22 | Indiana | 1,650 | 47 | Vermont | 260 |
23 | Oregon | 1,550 | 48 | North Dakota | 250 |
24 | South Carolina | 1,530 | 49 | Wyoming | 250 |
25 | Oklahoma | 1,510 | 50 | Rhode Island | 220 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
How Many Annual Job Openings Are There For Physician Assistants In The United States?
Every year, 12,200 new job openings are created for physician assistants throughout the U.S. Only around one-third of these represent new job openings. The other two-thirds are vacancies left when physician assistants retired, moved, or left their positions for some other reason.
New Jobs | Replacement Jobs | Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement) |
4,010 | 8,190 | 12,200 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
What States Have The Highest Annual Job Openings For Physician Assistants?
New York, California, Texas and Florida have the highest number of annual job openings for physician assistants. Many of the states with the highest number of annual job openings for physician assistants are also states with the highest number of ACA enrollees.
Florida, California, Texas, North Carolina and Georgia account for 51 percent of all ACA enrollment. After all, the use of physician assistants in primary care is far more cost-effective than the use of primary care physicians, and the ACA is designed to incentivize the cost-effective delivery of healthcare.
Rank | State | Annual Job Openings | Rank | State | Annual Job Openings |
1 | New York | 1,480 | 26 | Nebraska | 120 |
2 | California | 1,190 | 27 | Missouri | 110 |
3 | Texas | 850 | 28 | Arizona | 100 |
4 | Florida | 710 | 29 | Kentucky | 100 |
5 | Pennsylvania | 640 | 30 | Iowa | 90 |
6 | North Carolina | 500 | 31 | Kansas | 90 |
7 | Ohio | 410 | 32 | Alabama | 80 |
8 | Georgia | 400 | 33 | New Hampshire | 70 |
9 | Colorado | 390 | 34 | New Mexico | 70 |
10 | Washington | 370 | 35 | West Virginia | 70 |
11 | Illinois | 360 | 36 | Maine | 60 |
12 | Massachusetts | 360 | 37 | Montana | 60 |
13 | Michigan | 360 | 38 | Arkansas | 50 |
14 | Maryland | 340 | 39 | Delaware | 50 |
15 | New Jersey | 290 | 40 | South Dakota | 50 |
16 | Virginia | 250 | 41 | Alaska | 30 |
17 | Tennessee | 240 | 42 | Hawaii | 30 |
18 | Connecticut | 210 | 43 | North Dakota | 30 |
19 | Minnesota | 190 | 44 | Rhode Island | 30 |
20 | Wisconsin | 180 | 45 | Vermont | 30 |
21 | Oregon | 170 | 46 | Idaho | 20 |
22 | Indiana | 160 | 47 | Louisiana | 20 |
23 | South Carolina | 140 | 48 | Nevada | 20 |
24 | Oklahoma | 130 | 49 | Wyoming | 20 |
25 | Utah | 130 | 50 | Mississippi | N/A |
(Source: careeronestop.org) |
What Is The Job Outlook For Physician Assistants In The United States?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the PA field will grow by a whopping 31 percent between 2020 and 2030, adding an additional 40,100 jobs. Factors driving this exploding growth include the mounting shortage of primary healthcare providers, the desire for more cost-effective healthcare delivery, and the greying of the Baby Boomer generation.
Employment in 2020 | Projected Employment in 2030 | Employment Growth (2020-2030) |
Number | % |
129,400 | 169,500 | +40,100 | +30.99% |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
What States Have The Highest Job Outlook For Physician Assistants?
The demand for physician assistants is strong in every one of the 50 states, but it’s particularly strong in Arizona, Colorado, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and New York. PA job openings in these six states are projected to increase more than 40 percent over the next ten years.
Rank | State | Job Outlook | Rank | State | Job Outlook |
1 | Arizona | +52.56% | 26 | Pennsylvania | +30.93% |
2 | Colorado | +48.33% | 27 | Illinois | +30.18% |
3 | Tennessee | +44.81% | 28 | Nebraska | +29.77% |
4 | Georgia | +43.91% | 29 | Idaho | +28.95% |
5 | Florida | +43.08% | 30 | North Dakota | +28.57% |
6 | New York | +41.53% | 31 | Montana | +28.36% |
7 | Maryland | +39.35% | 32 | Minnesota | +28.22% |
8 | Nevada | +38.89% | 33 | South Dakota | +27.78% |
9 | Texas | +37.30% | 34 | Ohio | +27.56% |
10 | Oregon | +36.75% | 35 | Hawaii | +27.27% |
11 | Utah | +35.71% | 36 | Wisconsin | +25.87% |
12 | California | +34.19% | 37 | New Mexico | +25.68% |
13 | Indiana | +34.16% | 38 | West Virginia | +25.32% |
14 | Alabama | +33.33% | 39 | Connecticut | +23.53% |
15 | Arkansas | +33.33% | 40 | Kentucky | +23.42% |
16 | Delaware | +33.33% | 41 | Oklahoma | +23.23% |
17 | Iowa | +33.33% | 42 | Maine | +22.67% |
18 | New Hampshire | +32.88% | 43 | Rhode Island | +21.43% |
19 | North Carolina | +32.74% | 44 | Kansas | +20.54% |
20 | Virginia | +32.68% | 45 | Vermont | +20.00% |
21 | South Carolina | +32.41% | 46 | Massachusetts | +19.63% |
22 | New Jersey | +32.19% | 47 | Michigan | +18.02% |
23 | Wyoming | +31.82% | 48 | Louisiana | +14.81% |
24 | Washington | +31.49% | 49 | Mississippi | +11.76% |
25 | Missouri | +30.97% | 50 | Alaska | +6.82% |
(Source: careeronestop.org) |
Summing It Up
How much does a physician assistant make? This article has been a deep dive into the answers to that question. But physician assistant salary in 2024 is only one of several reasons to consider this profession. If you’re interested in medicine but unwilling to commit the next 6 to 10 years of your life to medical school, an internship and a residency, this could be the career path for you. As a physician assistant, you’ll be performing many of the same tasks and procedures a physician performs. True, you won’t be paid as much, and it’s likely you’ll have to practice under the supervision and direction of a physician to some extent. Still, you’ll have job security, the flexibility to choose among many different healthcare specialties and as you’ve learned by reading this article, the salary you earn will be well above average.
Frequently Asked Questions Answered by Our Expert
1. What Is The PA Starting Salary?
The starting physician assistant salary is $36.88 an hour, $6,390 a month, or $76,700 annually.
Hourly | $36.88 |
Monthly | $6,390 |
Annual | $76,700 |
2. How Much Does A PA Make An Hour?
Physician assistants earn $55.81 an hour on average. Though this figure is a useful gauge of payment, it’s not an accurate metric since most physician assistants employed in the U.S. are salaried rather than hourly employees. Salaried employees are exempt from the protections of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
3. How Much Does A PA Make A Week?
On average, physician assistants earn $2,232 a week.
4. How Much Money Does A PA Make Monthly?
On average, physician assistants earn $9,670 a month.
5. Are Physician Assistants Satisfied With Their Salaries?
A
study published in the June 2021, issue of
The Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants found that 83 percent of physician assistants are satisfied with their jobs. This research indicated that salary was one of the factors contributing to job satisfaction.
6. What Is The Typical Work Schedule For Physician Assistants?
Most PAs work 40 hours a week. Physician assistants affiliated with physicians’ practices and academia work day shifts primarily, but physician assistants employed by hospitals and outpatient care centers may be required to work nights, weekends, and an occasional holiday.
7. In What Workplaces Do Majority Of The Physician Assistants Work?
Fifty-two percent of physician assistants in the U.S. are affiliated with physician practices. Twenty-four percent are employed by hospitals and medical centers while 8 percent work for outpatient care centers.
Rank | Workplace | Employment |
1 | Offices of Physicians | 67,870 |
2 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 30,860 |
3 | Outpatient Care Centers | 10,190 |
4 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 4,930 |
5 | Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 2,070 |
8. Is It Hard To Become A Physician Assistant?
Becoming a physician assistant is difficult, but it is less difficult than becoming a physician. In order to become a PA, you must complete a four-year undergraduate degree and then pursue an accredited physician assistant master’s degree program. Most PA programs take approximately 25 months to finish. Following your graduation from this program, you’ll be expected to complete a one-year clinical rotation. Then you’ll need to pass the
Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination and pursue licensure in the state in which you hope to work.
9. Is Physician Assistant A Stressful Job?
Physician assistant jobs can be stressful.
Research published in December 2021, issue of The Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants found that more than one-third of all employed PAs meet the criteria for burnout.
10. Is Physician Assistant A Good Career?
The physician assistant field is an excellent career choice.
U.S. News & World Report has dubbed it the second-best job in the healthcare realm.
11. What State Has The Highest Demand For Physician Assistants?
Arizona has the highest demand for physician assistants. The demand for PAs in the Grand Canyon State is projected to grow by more than 50 percent within the next few years. This is likely connected to the rapid expansion of that portion of Arizona’s population that’s over the age of 65:
Between 2010 and 2020, the Grand Canyon State’s elderly population rose by 48 percent. PAs provide cost-effective primary care for senior citizens.
12. What State Has The Highest Job Openings For Physician Assistants?
At present, the largest number of PA employment opportunities can be found in New York. The Empire State has 1,480 open positions for physician assistants.
13. What State Has The Highest Paid Physician Assistants?
PAs make their highest salaries in Alaska where they can expect to earn $72.32 an hour, $12,540 a month, or $150,430 a year on average.
Alaska |
Hourly | $72.32 |
Monthly | $12,540 |
Annual | $150,430 |
14. What City Has The Highest Paid Physician Assistants?
In Salinas, California, PAs make $80.88 an hour, $14,020 a month, or $168,220 a year. This is the highest pay rate for PAs out of all the cities in the U.S.
Salinas, CA |
Hourly | $80.88 |
Monthly | $14,020 |
Annual | $168,220 |
15. How Much Does A Travelling Physician Assistant Make?
Traveling physician assistants earn $61.39 an hour, $2,456 a week, $10,640 a month, or $127,690 annually on average.
Hourly | $61.39 |
Weekly | $2,456 |
Monthly | $10,640 |
Annual | $127,690 |
16. How Has Covid Impacted The Salaries For Physician Assistants?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many PAs reported salary reductions, but a significant number reported no changes in their salaries while a few actually reported salary increases.
17. What Is The Highest Paid Physician Assistant Specialty?
Cardiology is the highest-paying PA specialty. Physician assistants who specialize in cardiology earn $63.36 an hour, $10,980 a month, or $131,780 a year.
Cardiology PA |
Hourly | $63.36 |
Monthly | $10,980 |
Annual | $131,780 |
18. How Much Money Does A Surgical Physician Assistant Make An Hour?
The average hourly pay rate for surgical physician assistants is $60.08.
19. How Much Does A Dermatology PA Make Per Hour?
The average hourly pay rate for dermatology physician assistants is $61.87.
20. Can A Physician Assistant Make $200,000?
It’s very possible to earn $200,000 a year as a physician assistant. Factors that influence PA salary include specialty, the number of years you’re employed and the location where you’re employed.
PAs who specialize in cardiology, for example, earn a physician assistant salary that is 14 percent higher than average. And the longer you work as a PA, the better your salary prospects will be: PAs with 20 or more years of experience typically earn salaries that are 40 percent more than average. Thus, the salaries of PAs in Alaska and Connecticut who have two decades or more of experience easily top $200,000 annually.
21. Can You Practice As A Physician Assistant Without Certification?
No. In order to be licensed so that you can practice as a physician assistant, you must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination.
22. Can You Move Up As A Physician Assistant?
Career advancement for physician assistants often involves going to medical school.
Some medical schools offer accelerated MD programs for students who’ve already completed a physician assistant degree program. For PAs who don’t want to pursue further education, the best advancement opportunities involve moving into management positions in the physician practices or medical centers at which they work.
23. Do Physician Assistants Make More Money Than A Registered Nurse?
Physician assistants earn salaries that are 45 percent higher than registered nurse salaries on average.
PA Average Annual Salary | RN Average Annual Salary | Difference |
Number | % |
$116,080 | $80,010 | +$36,070 | +45.08% |
24. Do Physician Assistants Make More Money Than A Nurse Practitioner?
Physician assistants earn salaries that are around 1 percent higher than nurse practitioner salaries on average.
PA Average Annual Salary | RN Average Annual Salary | Difference |
Number | % |
$116,080 | $114,510 | +$1,570 | +1.37% |
25. Can Physician Assistants Work In Telemedicine?
According to the American Academy of PAs, an increasing number of physician assistants are integrating telemedicine into their healthcare practice.
26. How Much Do Telehealth Physician Assistants Make?
Telemedicine physician assistants earn $58.35 an hour, $10,110 a month or $121,360 annually.
Hourly | $58.35 |
Monthly | $10,110 |
Annual | $121,360 |
27. Can A Physician Assistant Work As An Independent Contractor?
Yes, physician assistants can work as independent contractors. Typically, this involves working through a staffing agency or at a retail outpatient care center. Remember, however, that even when they are working as independent contractors, PAs can only work with some type of physician supervision.
Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
Pattie Trumble is a nurse who worked in both California and New York for many years as an emergency room nurse. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an Associate Degree in Nursing from the Samuel Merritt Hospital School of Nursing. After 10 years of providing direct care, she went back to school and earned concurrent Master’s degrees in both public policy and public health from the University of California, Berkeley. Thereafter, she worked for various public health agencies in California at both the community and state levels providing economic and legislative analysis.