Physician assistants in California earn more than PAs in other states at an average salary of $161,980 per year and an average hourly wage of $77.88.
Indiana has the highest hourly mean wage for the profession when considering the cost-of-living index.
Here are the mean annual and hourly wages for physician assistants in 49 states and Washington, D.C., adjusted for cost of living. Becker’s calculated these figures using May 2024 salary data from BLS and 2024 cost-of-living index data from the World Population Review.
Note: Compensation data for physician assistants was not available for Colorado.
| State | Annual wage | Hourly wage | Cost of Living Index (2024) | Hourly wage, adjusted by cost of living |
| Alabama | $105,970 | $50.95 | 88.8 | $57.38 |
| Alaska | $139,590 | $67.11 | 124.4 | $53.95 |
| Arizona | $143,160 | $68.83 | 107.2 | $64.21 |
| Arkansas | $93,880 | $45.14 | 90.3 | $49.99 |
| California | $161,980 | $77.88 | 134.5 | $57.90 |
| Colorado | N/A | N/A | 105.5 | N/A |
| Connecticut | $144,060 | $69.26 | 113.1 | $61.24 |
| Delaware | $140,450 | $67.53 | 102.6 | $65.82 |
| District of Columbia | $144,260 | $69.35 | 148.7 | $46.64 |
| Florida | $127,920 | $61.50 | 102.3 | $60.12 |
| Georgia | $108,270 | $52.05 | 91 | $57.20 |
| Hawaii | $143,000 | $68.75 | 179 | $38.41 |
| Idaho | $129,210 | $62.12 | 106.1 | $58.55 |
| Illinois | $124,560 | $59.89 | 90.8 | $65.96 |
| Indiana | $144,210 | $69.33 | 91.5 | $75.77 |
| Iowa | $135,450 | $65.12 | 89.7 | $72.60 |
| Kansas | $125,990 | $60.57 | 87.7 | $69.06 |
| Kentucky | $110,150 | $52.96 | 93.8 | $56.46 |
| Louisiana | $124,380 | $59.80 | 92 | $65.00 |
| Maine | $131,360 | $63.15 | 111.5 | $56.64 |
| Maryland | $134,580 | $64.70 | 119.5 | $54.14 |
| Massachusetts | $137,400 | $66.06 | 148.4 | $44.51 |
| Michigan | $129,290 | $62.16 | 92.7 | $67.06 |
| Minnesota | $144,940 | $69.68 | 94.1 | $74.05 |
| Mississippi | $98,270 | $47.25 | 85.3 | $55.39 |
| Missouri | $136,810 | $65.78 | 88.4 | $74.41 |
| Montana | $132,220 | $63.57 | 103.7 | $61.30 |
| Nebraska | $129,120 | $62.08 | 90.1 | $68.90 |
| Nevada | $139,960 | $67.29 | 101.3 | $66.43 |
| New Hampshire | $141,810 | $68.18 | 115 | $59.29 |
| New Jersey | $149,160 | $71.71 | 114.1 | $62.85 |
| New Mexico | $144,080 | $69.27 | 94.2 | $73.54 |
| New York | $151,280 | $72.73 | 125.1 | $58.14 |
| North Carolina | $127,820 | $61.45 | 96.1 | $63.94 |
| North Dakota | $118,300 | $56.88 | 94.6 | $60.13 |
| Ohio | $128,250 | $61.66 | 94 | $65.60 |
| Oklahoma | $127,670 | $61.38 | 86 | $71.37 |
| Oregon | $152,160 | $73.16 | 115.1 | $63.56 |
| Pennsylvania | $122,850 | $59.06 | 99 | $59.66 |
| Rhode Island | $148,290 | $71.29 | 110.5 | $64.52 |
| South Carolina | $116,880 | $56.19 | 96.5 | $58.23 |
| South Dakota | $128,300 | $61.68 | 93.8 | $65.76 |
| Tennessee | $114,510 | $55.06 | 90.4 | $60.91 |
| Texas | $137,050 | $65.89 | 93 | $70.85 |
| Utah | $128,370 | $61.72 | 101.5 | $60.81 |
| Vermont | $141,000 | $67.79 | 114.9 | $59.00 |
| Virginia | $138,840 | $66.75 | 103.1 | $64.74 |
| Washington | $156,060 | $75.03 | 115.1 | $65.19 |
| West Virginia | $121,130 | $58.24 | 90.3 | $64.50 |
| Wisconsin | $133,390 | $64.13 | 95 | $67.51 |
| Wyoming | $134,790 | $64.80 | 92.8 | $69.83 |
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