Physician assistant compensation varies widely by state, specialty and practice setting, which are some important considerations for health systems and ASCs to consider.
Here are ten statistics to know about compensation for physician assistants:
- Physician assistants bring in an average of $136,900 across the U.S., according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Physician assistants earn a mean annual wage of $161,980 in California, the highest of any state, according to BLS.
- In Arkansas, PAs have an average yearly salary of $93,880, the lowest out of every state.
- According to a report from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, PAs in California earn $143,074.
- The same report found that Alabama was the state where physician assistants earned the least, with an average income of $113,212.
- From 2023 to 2024, physician assistants in Virginia experienced a compensation increase of more than $18,000, the highest jump of any state.
- Physician assistants have the highest annual mean wage in the employment services industry, with an average salary of $158,340, according to BLS.
- Salinas, Calif., is the metropolitan area where PAs can earn the most, with an average of $206,750.
- Cardiovascular surgery is the highest-paying speciality for PAs, bringing in $166,250 on average, according to SullivanCotter’s “2025 Advanced Practice Provider Compensation and Productivity Survey.”
- The same report found that there are 17 physician assistant specialities with an average annual salary of more than $150,000.
