Physician Assistants Salary
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations · 162K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$135,880
Median hourly
$65
Average annual
$141,280
Typical range
$99,380–$190,280
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Physician Assistants is $135,880 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $65 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients.
Most earn between $99,380 and $190,280 a year. There are roughly 162K people employed as physician assistants in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Physician Assistants.
- Hourly
- $65.33
- Daily
- $523
- Weekly
- $2,613
- Bi-weekly
- $5,226
- Monthly
- $11,323
- Annual
- $135,880
$135,880 a year is around the 50th percentile for Physician Assistantss. The median is $135,880.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1New Jersey$165,690
- 2California$165,650
- 3Washington$164,360
- 4Hawaii$164,050
- 5New York$160,880
- 6Oregon$155,780
- 7New Hampshire$150,960
- 8Alaska$150,700
- 9Vermont$150,490
- 10Massachusetts$142,410
- 11Montana$141,470
- 12Minnesota$141,190
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$223,640
- 2Bakersfield-Delano, CA$198,070
- 3San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$184,380
- 4Yuba City, CA$183,460
- 5Vallejo, CA$179,520
- 6Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$172,750
- 7Napa, CA$172,170
- 8Salinas, CA$170,180
- 9Urban Honolulu, HI$170,060
- 10Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA$168,080
- 11New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$167,650
- 12Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$167,290
Related job titles
Employers advertise Physician Assistants roles under these titles.
- Anesthesia Assistant
- Anesthesia Technician
- Anesthesia Technologist
- Anesthesiologist Assistant
- Anesthesiologists' Assistant
- Anesthetic Assistant
- Cardiology Physician Assistant
- Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Technician
- Certified Anesthesia Technician
- Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant
- Certified Physician Assistant (PA-C)
- Certified Physician's Assistant (PA-C)
- Family Physician Assistant
- Family Practice Physician Assistant
- Gynecological Assistant
- Neurosurgery PA (Neurosurgery Physician Assistant)
Related occupations
What a Physician Assistants does
- Verify availability of operating room supplies, medications, and gases.
- Pretest and calibrate anesthesia delivery systems and monitors.
- Participate in seminars, workshops, or other professional activities to keep abreast of developments in anesthesiology.
- Provide airway management interventions including tracheal intubation, fiber optics, or ventilary support.
- Respond to emergency situations by providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), basic cardiac life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), or pediatric advanced life support (PALS).
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Physician Assistants make?
- The median annual wage for Physician Assistants is $135,880 ($65 per hour). Pay ranges from about $99,380 at the 10th percentile to $190,280 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Physician Assistants?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $141,280, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Physician Assistantss the most?
- New Jersey has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $165,690.
- Is Physician Assistants a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 162K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Physician Assistants do?
- Verify availability of operating room supplies, medications, and gases.; Pretest and calibrate anesthesia delivery systems and monitors.; Participate in seminars, workshops, or other professional activities to keep abreast of developments in anesthesiology..