SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. May, in some cases, prescribe medication. Must graduate from an accredited educational program for physician assistants. Excludes “Registered Nurses” (29-1141), “Nurse Anesthetists” (29-1151), “Nurse Midwives” (29-1161), “Nurse Practitioners” (29-1171), “Emergency Medical Technicians” (29-2042), “Paramedics” (29-2043), “Surgical Assistants” (29-9093), and “Medical Assistants” (31-9092).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 29-1071.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $99,380 | $8,282 | $1,911 | $47.78 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $120,670 | $10,056 | $2,321 | $58.02 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $135,880 | $11,323 | $2,613 | $65.33 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $163,980 | $13,665 | $3,153 | $78.84 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $190,280 | $15,857 | $3,659 | $91.48 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Physician Assistants is $135,880, which is 167% higher. Among the 71 occupations of the field Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks number 28 by median pay. With 162,150 jobs, it makes up about 10 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Physician Assistants pay by state
The highest median pay was in New Jersey ($165,690), California ($165,650) and Washington ($164,360). The lowest was in Alabama ($104,960), Mississippi ($105,920) and Georgia ($115,390). The most jobs were in New York (19,140), California (13,600) and Texas (10,110). The occupation is most concentrated in Alaska, where its share of all jobs is 2.1 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 4,790 | $165,690 | $162,100 | $79.66 |
| California | 13,600 | $165,650 | $169,110 | $79.64 |
| Washington | 3,540 | $164,360 | $164,430 | $79.02 |
| Hawaii | 530 | $164,050 | $146,780 | $78.87 |
| New York | 19,140 | $160,880 | $155,150 | $77.35 |
| Oregon | 2,250 | $155,780 | $155,300 | $74.89 |
| New Hampshire | 1,060 | $150,960 | $150,150 | $72.58 |
| Alaska | 700 | $150,700 | $148,080 | $72.45 |
| Vermont | 410 | $150,490 | $152,520 | $72.35 |
| Massachusetts | 4,470 | $142,410 | $146,480 | $68.47 |
| Montana | 600 | $141,470 | $140,800 | $68.02 |
| Minnesota | 3,660 | $141,190 | $147,630 | $67.88 |
| Rhode Island | 810 | $139,930 | $146,630 | $67.27 |
| New Mexico | 700 | $139,920 | $134,670 | $67.27 |
| Connecticut | 3,570 | $139,860 | $146,930 | $67.24 |
| Delaware | 860 | $139,350 | $143,840 | $67.00 |
| Maryland | 2,950 | $137,560 | $139,740 | $66.13 |
| Oklahoma | 1,770 | $136,550 | $138,700 | $65.65 |
| Wyoming | 330 | $136,080 | $137,320 | $65.42 |
| Virginia | 4,340 | $135,940 | $142,630 | $65.36 |
| District of Columbia | 470 | $135,140 | $146,230 | $64.97 |
| Missouri | 2,300 | $135,130 | $137,710 | $64.96 |
| Iowa | 1,200 | $134,770 | $139,870 | $64.79 |
| Utah | 1,610 | $134,740 | $132,530 | $64.78 |
| Nevada | 1,090 | $134,660 | $135,790 | $64.74 |
| Arizona | 3,750 | $134,650 | $140,850 | $64.73 |
| Texas | 10,110 | $134,550 | $135,850 | $64.69 |
| Colorado | 3,270 | $134,540 | $139,580 | $64.68 |
| Wisconsin | 3,580 | $133,950 | $136,750 | $64.40 |
| Idaho | 1,320 | $133,790 | $132,540 | $64.32 |
| North Dakota | 510 | $133,450 | $130,930 | $64.16 |
| South Dakota | 680 | $133,200 | $131,910 | $64.04 |
| Nebraska | 1,330 | $133,040 | $132,810 | $63.96 |
| Ohio | 4,900 | $132,090 | $136,560 | $63.51 |
| Indiana | 2,110 | $132,050 | $144,260 | $63.49 |
| Illinois | 3,790 | $131,950 | $131,880 | $63.44 |
| Michigan | 6,310 | $131,510 | $132,140 | $63.23 |
| Maine | 1,030 | $131,170 | $134,690 | $63.06 |
| Florida | 9,310 | $129,620 | $134,470 | $62.32 |
| North Carolina | 7,490 | $129,360 | $130,030 | $62.19 |
| Louisiana | 1,360 | $128,870 | $130,290 | $61.96 |
| West Virginia | 1,080 | $128,610 | $128,830 | $61.83 |
| Pennsylvania | 9,020 | $127,070 | $125,160 | $61.09 |
| Kansas | 890 | $125,640 | $127,240 | $60.41 |
| South Carolina | 2,250 | $122,490 | $120,720 | $58.89 |
| Kentucky | 1,360 | $120,760 | $119,990 | $58.06 |
| Arkansas | 850 | $118,430 | $118,430 | $56.94 |
| Tennessee | 2,240 | $118,240 | $117,300 | $56.85 |
| Georgia | 5,610 | $115,390 | $112,090 | $55.48 |
| Mississippi | 320 | $105,920 | $106,820 | $50.92 |
| Alabama | 930 | $104,960 | $110,860 | $50.46 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Medical Dosimetrists$147,470 a year
- Pharmacists$140,910 a year
- Optometrists$136,570 a year
- Nurse Midwives$134,040 a year
- Nurse Practitioners$132,300 a year
- Veterinarians$130,100 a year
Common questions
How much do Physician Assistants earn in the United States?
The median pay was $135,880 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $99,380 and the highest-paid 10% more than $190,280.
How many people work as Physician Assistants?
About 162,150 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.
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