Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Master's degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Physician assistants are advanced healthcare professionals who diagnose, treat, and support patients as part of medical teams. This career offers a strong combination of high national employment, with 163,000 jobs, and substantial projected growth of 20.4%. Nationally, the median annual salary is $133,260, and several states and metro areas offer higher median pay. There are an estimated 12,000 annual openings, indicating ongoing hiring needs across the country. The role draws on multiple strengths, including science, critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and decision making, and strong interpersonal and communication abilities. It can be a good fit for people who are detail oriented, adaptable, and comfortable working with computers and information technology. For students, career changers, and experienced professionals, the combination of graduate-level preparation, strong labor demand, and a broad skill profile makes physician assistant an appealing option to explore within the healthcare field.
Physician assistants have a national median annual salary of $133,260, indicating strong earning potential. Pay can vary meaningfully by location. Among the top states for this career, median salaries range from $134,540 in Colorado to $165,650 in California, with New York and Washington also above $160,000 and Massachusetts at $142,410. At the metro level, differences are even more pronounced. The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA area reports a median salary of $223,640, the highest among the listed metros, followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $184,380 and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at $167,650. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH also exceed the national median. These figures suggest that geographic choices can significantly influence income for physician assistants, with some urban areas and certain states offering notably higher median pay.
The employment outlook for physician assistants is strong based on the available data. National employment stands at 163,000, and projected employment growth is 20.4%. This growth rate applies consistently across the listed states and metro areas, indicating broad-based expansion rather than growth limited to one region. With an estimated 12,000 annual openings, there appear to be recurring opportunities for new graduates, career changers, and experienced professionals seeking new roles. The combination of sizeable current employment and substantial projected growth suggests that this occupation is not only well-established but also expanding. For individuals considering long-term career planning, these indicators point to a field with ongoing demand. While the data does not specify the reasons for this growth, the numbers alone highlight a labor market where physician assistants are likely to continue to be needed across multiple regions and practice settings.
Location choices can meaningfully shape a physician assistant’s experience in terms of salary, employment concentration, and overall opportunity score. Among states, California stands out with a median salary of $165,650, employment of 13,600, and a CareerGPS opportunity score of 67.38, the highest in the state list. New York has the largest employment at 19,140 and a high median salary of $160,880, with an opportunity score of 65.78. Massachusetts combines a median salary of $142,410 with an opportunity score of 65.87, while Colorado and Washington also show solid opportunity scores above 56 and median salaries above $130,000. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ranks highest by opportunity score at 77.42 and offers a median salary of $223,640. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ closely follows with an opportunity score of 77.27 and employment of 16,800. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH also provide strong combinations of salary, employment, and opportunity scores.
Becoming a physician assistant typically requires a master’s degree. This graduate-level expectation means prospective PAs should be prepared for advanced academic work, particularly in areas related to science and critical and analytical thinking. The role also relies on problem solving and decision making, detail orientation, and strong skills in writing and reading. Because physician assistants regularly interact with patients and colleagues, interpersonal skills, speaking and listening, and customer service abilities are important. Modern healthcare environments also depend on computers and information technology, so comfort with these tools is valuable. Adaptability is another key strength, supporting work across different settings and situations. Together, these skills form a broad profile that blends scientific knowledge, analytical ability, communication, and people-centered competencies. Students and career changers considering this path should look for master’s programs that help them build these capabilities in an integrated way to meet the profession’s expectations.
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