Physician Assistants: Career Overview
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.
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The Daily Work of Physician Assistants Perform?
Typical responsibilities of physician assistants include:
- 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.
What Physician Assistants Need to Know
Top physician assistants draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Advanced Practice Provider (AAP)
- Anesthetic Assistant
- Cardiology Physician Assistant
- Certified Physician Assistant (PA-C)
- Certified Physician's Assistant (PA-C)
- Doctor Assistant
- Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant (Emergency Medicine PA)
- Family Medicine PA (Family Medicine Physician Assistant)
Employment and Demand
There are about 2,442,559 physician assistants working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +6.7% over the projection horizon.
Physician Assistants Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $77,320 |
| Hourly median | $37.17 |
| 10th percentile | $46,802 |
| 25th percentile | $62,061 |
| 75th percentile | $92,578 |
| 90th percentile | $107,837 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $163,020 |
| California | $161,080 |
| Washington | $156,990 |
| New York | $152,650 |
| Oregon | $149,130 |
| Rhode Island | $141,600 |
| New Jersey | $140,490 |
| New Mexico | $139,990 |
| Minnesota | $139,300 |
| Missouri | $139,200 |
| Delaware | $138,720 |
| Vermont | $138,610 |
| Connecticut | $138,440 |
| Massachusetts | $138,090 |
| New Hampshire | $137,330 |
| Alaska | $136,350 |
| Virginia | $135,490 |
| Arizona | $135,240 |
| Utah | $134,390 |
| Maryland | $134,100 |
| Nevada | $133,450 |
| Iowa | $133,400 |
| Wyoming | $133,330 |
| Montana | $132,980 |
| Wisconsin | $132,820 |
| Texas | $132,810 |
| Indiana | $132,200 |
| Michigan | $131,980 |
| Colorado | $131,910 |
| Maine | $131,250 |
| District of Columbia | $131,070 |
| Oklahoma | $130,750 |
| Louisiana | $129,610 |
| Idaho | $129,000 |
| North Carolina | $128,540 |
| Nebraska | $128,240 |
| South Dakota | $128,130 |
| Florida | $127,200 |
| Ohio | $126,760 |
| North Dakota | $126,180 |
| Pennsylvania | $124,880 |
| Kansas | $124,440 |
| Illinois | $122,990 |
| West Virginia | $122,970 |
| South Carolina | $119,190 |
| Tennessee | $113,990 |
| Kentucky | $110,300 |
| Georgia | $109,990 |
| Mississippi | $104,570 |
| Arkansas | $103,550 |
| Alabama | $101,620 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for physician assistants differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $157,044 | 13.6% | 0.84 |
| Middle Atlantic | $143,124 | 21.7% | 1.62 |
| New England | $137,767 | 7.1% | 1.57 |
| Plains States | $134,318 | 6.5% | 1.04 |
| Southwest | $133,406 | 10.3% | 0.84 |
| Rocky Mountains | $132,190 | 4.5% | 1.14 |
| Great Lakes | $129,056 | 12.3% | 0.92 |
| Southeast | $123,075 | 24.1% | 1.10 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $215,600 | |
| Napa, CA | CA | $183,930 | |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $180,540 | 130 |
| Modesto, CA | CA | $178,520 | 200 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $167,090 | 1,980 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | CA | $166,730 | 1,160 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | HI | $163,940 | 330 |
| Salinas, CA | CA | $163,700 | 170 |
Which Industries Hire Physician Assistants
Most physician assistants are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 143,290 | $132,820 |
| Educational Services | 3,820 | $127,900 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2,140 | $157,590 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 450 | $127,870 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 380 | $117,220 |
| Finance and Insurance | 40 | $134,840 |
Below are examples of industries where physician assistants work:
Software Physician Assistants Use
- Medical software: eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Medical software: Epic Systems (hot technology)
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for physician assistants reflects the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Telephone Conversations
How to Become Physician Assistants
Most physician assistants positions require a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Anesthesiologist Assistants (Primary-Long)
- Registered Nurses (Supplemental)
- Acute Care Nurses (Supplemental)
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses (Supplemental)
- Clinical Nurse Specialists (Primary-Long)
- Nurse Practitioners (Primary-Short)
- Anesthesiologists (Supplemental)
- Cardiologists (Primary-Short)
Degree Programs
Future physician assistants often complete programs in:
21 programs across 1 majors
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-1071.00 (Physician Assistants).
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