PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT SALARIES
PA salaries by specialty and state in the US
The American Academy of PAs (AAPA) releases an annual salary report analyzing salary data of physician assistants across the country. The salary report surveyed over 13,000 PAs and tracks trends in salaries overall, salaries based on location, salaries based on the work setting, salaries based on PA specialty, and more! According to U.S. News, the PA profession ranked #1 in 100 Best Jobs, #1 in Best STEM Jobs, and #1 in Best Health Care Jobs. This profession is on the rise, and the salary is as well.
HOW MUCH DO PAS MAKE?
According to U.S. News, the median salary of a PA in 2019 was $112,260. The top-paid 25% made $130,530 and the lowest-paid 25% made $92,800. The average hourly wage for PAs in 2019 was $54.04. The salary trend for PAs is consistently trending upwards, with a 15% increase in pay over the last six years. In 2010, the median salary was reported at $87,140. In 2014, the median salary rose to $97,280, and most recently, in 2019, the median salary continued with an upward trend reaching $112,260. U.S. News projects the PA field to grow 31% between 2019 and 2029 with a 39,000+ increase in jobs. Comparing these salary stats to other healthcare professions, the PA profession falls in the middle. In 2019, the average physician made $203,450, average nurse anesthetist made $191,040, nurse practitioner made $111,840, and registered nurse made $77,460.
Source: U.S. News & World Report
BEST-PAYING STATES FOR PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS
The best-paying states for physician assistants are as follows: Connecticut with a mean salary of $137,060, Washington with a mean salary of $129,520, New Jersey with a mean salary of $129,440, Alaska with a mean salary of $128,530 and California with a mean salary of $127,520. However, these numbers are not adjusted to the cost of living per state. The states with the highest cost-adjusted median salaries for PAs in the U.S. are Kentucky, Iowa, and Mississippi.
Source: U.S. News & World Report
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BEST-PAYING CITIES FOR PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS
The best-paying cities for PAs lay in metropolitan areas. The top city, with a PA salary of $161,370, is Salinas, California. Following that, with a salary of $156,250 in Leominster, Massachusetts. The next three top-paying cities for PAs are Waterbury, Connecticut ($154,550), Danbury, Connecticut ($147,500, and New Bern, North Carolina ($146,880). In addition, the following 10 cities were ranked in a list of the top 10 best cities for PAs to live in right now. These cities are ranked by more than just salary, but also by job availability, median home price and median annual rent. The list includes New York, NY, Orlando, FL, Baltimore, MD, Riverside, CA, Philadelphia, PA, Charlotte, NC, Raleigh, NC, Pittsburgh, PA, Durham, NC, and Hartford, CT. These cities have a great balance between average salaries offered to PAs and the average cost of living.
Source: U.S. News & World Report, The PA LifePHYSICIAN ASSISTANT SALARIES BY SPECIALTY AND THE HIGHEST
PAYING PA SPECIALTIES
PAs can specialize in various fields of medicine. The average salary for PAs ranges depending on specialty, with some specialties offering significantly higher pay than others. Aside from the choice of specialty, the main influences on the salary of a PA include experience, facility and geographical areas. The top-paying PA specialties are as follows:
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Dermatology- average salary $126,084
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Critical Care- average salary $122,927
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Emergency Medicine- average salary $123,006
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General Surgery- average salary $112,396
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Hospital Medicine- average salary $112,426
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Pathology- average salary $111,000
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Radiology- average salary $110,556
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Pain Management- average salary $109,273
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Addiction Medicine- average salary $108,685
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Occupational Medicine- average salary $107,897
Source: Link PAs
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT SALARIES BASED ON WORK SETTING
PAs who are self-employed or work under an independent contractor earned the highest salary amongst all other work settings, with a salary of $144,000. The following top three work settings for PAs were HMO, medical device manufacturer, and medical staffing agency with respective salaries of $136,620, $130,000 and $126,275. Following these work settings, PAs earned anywhere between $119,000 and $112,000 working in other healthcare-related corporations, convenient care (including retail clinics), non-healthcare-related corporation, certified rural health clinics, government, community health clinics, hospitals (including academic medical center) and physician practice: multispecialty. All of the above work settings had a PA salary above the national total of $111,000. Below this salary, PAs salaries ranged from $104,000-$108,160 in settings such as physician practice: single-specialty group, research organization, college or university, federally qualified health center, and physician practice: solo practice.
FAQ
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What determines how much a PA is paid?
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The determination of a salary offered to a PA has many factors. First, if you are a new graduate, you should not expect to be offered as much as a PA working for many years. Experience is valuable! It also depends on how many hours per week you work, the facility and work setting of the job, and the overall adjusted cost of living in the geographical location.
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What is the difference in salary and job outlook between PAs and Nurse Practitioners (NPs)?
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Once again, the salary comparison of PAs and NPs depends on multiple factors, including specialty. The median salary for PAs is $112,260 while the median salary for NPs is $107,510. Both professions require the completion of a master’s degree. The current number of jobs for PAs is 125,500 with an unemployment rate of 0.7%, while the number of jobs for NPs is 263,400 with an unemployment rate of 1.2%. Job satisfaction was surveyed in three categories: upward mobility (opportunities for advancements and salary), stress level (work environment and complexities of the job’s responsibilities) and flexibility (alternative working schedule and work-life balance). PAs ranked average for upward motility, above average for stress level, and above average for flexibility. NPs ranked average for upward motility, above average for stress level, and below average for flexibility. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a 31% rate of job growth over the next 10 years for PAs and a 45% rate of job growth over the next 10 years for NPs. The national average for job growth is only 4%, so both of these profession’s job outlook is much greater than average.
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WHAT ARE THE LOWEST PAYING PA SPECIALTIES?
While there is more emphasis on the highest-paid PA specialties, it is also important to consider lower-paying PA specialties. Aside from specialty, one must also take into account experience, the facility and the geographical area when comparing salaries of PAs. Also, “low” is very relative in this case. The median salary reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for a person with an advanced degree is $81,068. The “lowest” paying PA specialty offers $95,000 per year, ultimately still falling $14,000 higher than BLS average salary of a person with an advanced degree. The lowest paying PA specialties are as follows:
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Obstetrics and Gynecology- average salary $96,244
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Public Health- average salary $95,323
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Pediatrics- average salary $92,194
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Adolescent Medicine- average salary $90,588
Source: Link PAs
IN CONCLUSION
Regardless of the specialty, PAs still make a significant amount more than others who have obtained an advanced degree. Some specialties start with a higher salary than others, but many factors play into this, including hours worked, experience, the facility hiring, and geographical location. The salary of a PA in a specific specialty in one state may vary widely compared to a PA salary in the same specialty but different location. It is important to consider this, but also be aware of what PAs nearby are being paid when it comes time to negotiate a fair salary. Many new grads or PAs switching jobs/specialties use the annual AAPA Salary Report to research fair wages and have a better idea of their value. AAPA defines the Salary Report as “the most comprehensive PA salary resource on the market. No other report provides this level of detail about PA compensation including base salary, hourly wages, productivity pay, and bonuses.”
