PA compensation in 2025: 12 notes

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Total physician assistant compensation has risen by about 5% in the last year, growing from $142,000 in 2024 to $149,000 in 2025, according to Medscape’s “Behind the Salary Trends: Medscape Physician Assistant Compensation Report 2025,” published June 6. 

Here are 11 additional things to know about PA compensation in 2025: 

  1. Base pay for PAs in 2025 reached $135,000, with total pay reaching $149,000 after bonuses and productivity incentives. 
  2. The majority of PAs (55%) expected their end-of-year compensation to rise by between 1% and 10%, while 30% expected it to remain the same. 
  3. Around 77% of PAs found compensation either important or very important when deciding to become a PA. 
  4. Over half of PAs (56%) believe they are fairly compensated. 
  5. There is a pay gap of nearly $20,000 between male and female PAs, with women earning an average of $143,000 in 2025, and men earning $161,000. 
  6. PAs over 55 earn the highest yearly compensation, at $159,000. 
  7. PAs working in the hospital critical care setting earn an average of $175,000, with private industry PAs earning $171,000 and operating room/surgery PAs ranking third at $165,000. 
  8. PAs employed by hospital systems earn more than those employed by medical groups, at $155,000 and $144,000, respectively. 
  9. PAs working in the western region earn the most of any other region, at $160,000. 
  10. Exactly half of PAs are eligible for bonuses, with the average bonus totaling $8,000. 
  11. PAs in urban and rural areas earn roughly the same compensation.
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