Physician assistants salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $99,380 | $47.78 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $135,880 | $65.33 |
| Mean (average) | $141,280 | $67.92 |
| 90th percentile | $190,280 | $91.48 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Physician assistants pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 51 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $104,960 | $83,020 | $145,100 | 930 | 0.42 |
| Alaska | $150,700 | $106,060 | $201,270 | 700 | 2.07 |
| Arizona | $134,650 | $106,030 | $174,420 | 3,750 | 1.11 |
| Arkansas | $118,430 | $88,160 | $159,080 | 850 | 0.62 |
| California | $165,650 | $99,380 | $225,190 | 13,600 | 0.72 |
| Colorado | $134,540 | $104,590 | $174,090 | 3,270 | 1.09 |
| Connecticut | $139,860 | $106,380 | $180,900 | 3,570 | 2.02 |
| Delaware | $139,350 | $108,560 | $175,970 | 860 | 1.69 |
| District of Columbia | $135,140 | $84,520 | $213,560 | 470 | 0.64 |
| Florida | $129,620 | $98,530 | $181,610 | 9,310 | 0.9 |
| Georgia | $115,390 | $62,230 | $172,050 | 5,610 | 1.1 |
| Hawaii | $164,050 | $79,280 | $178,110 | 530 | 0.81 |
| Idaho | $133,790 | $100,590 | $160,120 | 1,320 | 1.48 |
| Illinois | $131,950 | $105,160 | $162,330 | 3,790 | 0.6 |
| Indiana | $132,050 | $105,810 | $196,280 | 2,110 | 0.63 |
| Iowa | $134,770 | $102,330 | $182,940 | 1,200 | 0.74 |
| Kansas | $125,640 | $98,280 | $168,480 | 890 | 0.59 |
| Kentucky | $120,760 | $79,550 | $161,820 | 1,360 | 0.65 |
| Louisiana | $128,870 | $100,920 | $162,200 | 1,360 | 0.68 |
| Maine | $131,170 | $107,630 | $169,250 | 1,030 | 1.54 |
| Maryland | $137,560 | $110,190 | $174,280 | 2,950 | 1.02 |
| Massachusetts | $142,410 | $65,220 | $204,140 | 4,470 | 1.18 |
| Michigan | $131,510 | $104,000 | $162,570 | 6,310 | 1.37 |
| Minnesota | $141,190 | $112,390 | $183,320 | 3,660 | 1.19 |
| Mississippi | $105,920 | $44,030 | $165,630 | 320 | 0.26 |
| Missouri | $135,130 | $82,690 | $169,650 | 2,300 | 0.75 |
| Montana | $141,470 | $112,200 | $165,560 | 600 | 1.13 |
| Nebraska | $133,040 | $103,720 | $165,540 | 1,330 | 1.24 |
| Nevada | $134,660 | $60,040 | $175,300 | 1,090 | 0.67 |
| New Hampshire | $150,960 | $119,540 | $175,380 | 1,060 | 1.49 |
| New Jersey | $165,690 | $117,860 | $207,000 | 4,790 | 1.07 |
| New Mexico | $139,920 | $70,010 | $172,900 | 700 | 0.78 |
| New York | $160,880 | $106,440 | $201,410 | 19,140 | 1.9 |
| North Carolina | $129,360 | $101,100 | $164,770 | 7,490 | 1.45 |
| North Dakota | $133,450 | $77,300 | $173,860 | 510 | 1.15 |
| Ohio | $132,090 | $96,460 | $210,350 | 4,900 | 0.85 |
| Oklahoma | $136,550 | $102,890 | $173,010 | 1,770 | 0.99 |
| Oregon | $155,780 | $123,100 | $198,490 | 2,250 | 1.09 |
| Pennsylvania | $127,070 | $99,050 | $158,690 | 9,020 | 1.43 |
| Rhode Island | $139,930 | $98,760 | $200,030 | 810 | 1.56 |
| South Carolina | $122,490 | $77,620 | $158,860 | 2,250 | 0.94 |
| South Dakota | $133,200 | $104,660 | $158,020 | 680 | 1.43 |
| Tennessee | $118,240 | $93,380 | $141,670 | 2,240 | 0.65 |
| Texas | $134,550 | $102,650 | $169,000 | 10,110 | 0.69 |
| Utah | $134,740 | $82,910 | $171,430 | 1,610 | 0.89 |
| Vermont | $150,490 | $112,460 | $186,960 | 410 | 1.3 |
| Virginia | $135,940 | $98,330 | $213,010 | 4,340 | 1.01 |
| Washington | $164,360 | $125,580 | $218,150 | 3,540 | 0.96 |
| West Virginia | $128,610 | $98,200 | $160,890 | 1,080 | 1.47 |
| Wisconsin | $133,950 | $102,420 | $169,150 | 3,580 | 1.17 |
| Wyoming | $136,080 | $102,320 | $177,900 | 330 | 1.12 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for physician assistants
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 11,500. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 1.4%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for physician assistants
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Physician Assistant CIP 51.0912
- Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program, General CIP 60.0901
- Combined Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0902
- Acute Care Medicine Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0903
- Acute Care Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0904
- Cardiology Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0905
- Cardiothoracic Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0906
- Critical Care Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0907
- Critical Care and Trauma Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0908
- Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0909
- ENT Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0910
- Family Medicine Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0911
- Geriatrics Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0912
- Hematology-Oncology Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0913
- Hepatobiliary Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0914
- Hospitalist Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0915
- Neurosurgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0916
- Orthopedic Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0917
- Pediatric Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0918
- Transplant Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0919
- Urology Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0920
- Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program, Other CIP 60.0999
Licenses and certifications
Physician Assistant License (Connecticut)
Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations
Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination
National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)
Requirements for regulated professions are set by each state. Always confirm with the state regulator.
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
- Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal.
- Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval.
- Obtain, compile, and record patient medical data, including health history, progress notes, and results of physical examination.
- Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition.
- Administer or order diagnostic tests, such as x-ray, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests.
- Instruct and counsel patients about prescribed therapeutic regimens, normal growth and development, family planning, emotional problems of daily living, and health maintenance.
- Perform therapeutic procedures, such as injections, immunizations, suturing and wound care, and infection management.
Technology skills
- Epic Systems (in demand)
- MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- ChartWare EMR
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
- Medical condition coding software
- Medical procedure coding software
- Patient management software
- Patient records software for personal digital assistants PDAs
- Teleconferencing software
- Teleradiology systems
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving, Coordination, Persuasion.
Common job titles: Cardiology Physician Assistant, Certified Physician Assistant (PA-C), Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant (Emergency Medicine PA), Family Practice Physician Assistant, Orthopaedic Physician Assistant, Orthopedic Physician Assistant, Physician Assistant (PA), Physician's Assistant, Surgical Critical Care Physician Assistant (Surgical Critical Care PA), Surgical Physician Assistant (Surgical PA).
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do physician assistants make?
The national median annual wage for physician assistants was $135,880 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $99,380 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $190,280. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do physician assistants need?
BLS lists master's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is physician assistants a growing career?
BLS projects employment of physician assistants to change +21.1% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 11,500 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay physician assistants the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were New Jersey ($165,690), California ($165,650), Washington ($164,360). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.