Physician Assistant salary in the U.S.
Physician Assistants in the U.S. earn a median of $135,880 a year ($65.33 an hour), based on BLS data for 162,150 workers.
Pay ranges from $99,380 for the lowest-paid 10% to $190,280 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $141,280, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for physician assistants in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $99,380 | $47.78 |
| 25th percentile | $120,670 | $58.02 |
| Median | $135,880 | $65.33 |
| 75th percentile | $163,980 | $78.84 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $190,280 | $91.48 |
| Average (mean) | $141,280 | $67.92 |
Half of physician assistants earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $11,323.33 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $5,661.67 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $5,226.15 |
| Weekly | $2,613.08 |
| Hourly | $65.33 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Physician Assistant salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $165,690 | 4,790 |
| California | $165,650 | 13,600 |
| Washington | $164,360 | 3,540 |
| Hawaii | $164,050 | 530 |
| New York | $160,880 | 19,140 |
| Oregon | $155,780 | 2,250 |
| New Hampshire | $150,960 | 1,060 |
| Alaska | $150,700 | 700 |
| Vermont | $150,490 | 410 |
| Massachusetts | $142,410 | 4,470 |
| Montana | $141,470 | 600 |
| Minnesota | $141,190 | 3,660 |
| Rhode Island | $139,930 | 810 |
| New Mexico | $139,920 | 700 |
| Connecticut | $139,860 | 3,570 |
| Delaware | $139,350 | 860 |
| Maryland | $137,560 | 2,950 |
| Oklahoma | $136,550 | 1,770 |
| Wyoming | $136,080 | 330 |
| Virginia | $135,940 | 4,340 |
| District of Columbia | $135,140 | 470 |
| Missouri | $135,130 | 2,300 |
| Iowa | $134,770 | 1,200 |
| Utah | $134,740 | 1,610 |
| Nevada | $134,660 | 1,090 |
| Arizona | $134,650 | 3,750 |
| Texas | $134,550 | 10,110 |
| Colorado | $134,540 | 3,270 |
| Wisconsin | $133,950 | 3,580 |
| Idaho | $133,790 | 1,320 |
| North Dakota | $133,450 | 510 |
| South Dakota | $133,200 | 680 |
| Nebraska | $133,040 | 1,330 |
| Ohio | $132,090 | 4,900 |
| Indiana | $132,050 | 2,110 |
| Illinois | $131,950 | 3,790 |
| Michigan | $131,510 | 6,310 |
| Maine | $131,170 | 1,030 |
| Florida | $129,620 | 9,310 |
| North Carolina | $129,360 | 7,490 |
| Louisiana | $128,870 | 1,360 |
| West Virginia | $128,610 | 1,080 |
| Pennsylvania | $127,070 | 9,020 |
| Kansas | $125,640 | 890 |
| South Carolina | $122,490 | 2,250 |
| Kentucky | $120,760 | 1,360 |
| Arkansas | $118,430 | 850 |
| Tennessee | $118,240 | 2,240 |
| Georgia | $115,390 | 5,610 |
| Mississippi | $105,920 | 320 |
| Alabama | $104,960 | 930 |
Best-paying metro areas for physician assistants
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $223,640 | 1,030 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $198,070 | 350 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $184,380 | 1,830 |
| Yuba City, CA | $183,460 | 40 |
| Vallejo, CA | $179,520 | 150 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $172,750 | 140 |
| Napa, CA | $172,170 | 50 |
| Salinas, CA | $170,180 | 130 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $170,060 | 390 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $168,080 | 60 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $167,650 | 16,800 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $167,290 | 1,920 |
| Visalia, CA | $166,510 | 100 |
| Modesto, CA | $165,730 | 210 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $165,490 | 1,020 |
Metro areas with the most physician assistants
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 16,800 | $167,650 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 3,970 | $111,810 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3,890 | $161,890 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 3,550 | $142,410 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 3,390 | $135,640 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 3,230 | $134,900 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 3,050 | $127,940 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 3,050 | $134,650 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 3,020 | $148,200 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 2,560 | $125,230 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 2,400 | $131,830 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 2,390 | $137,240 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 2,340 | $145,030 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 2,190 | $132,360 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,920 | $167,290 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse | $97,550 | $46.90 |
| Physicians, All Other | $265,930 | $127.85 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $132,300 | $63.61 |
| Pharmacist | $140,910 | $67.75 |
| Physical Therapist | $102,760 | $49.40 |
| Dental Hygienist | $98,100 | $47.16 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | $97,870 | $47.05 |
| Occupational Therapist | $100,330 | $48.24 |
| Respiratory Therapist | $82,280 | $39.56 |
| Dentists, General | $170,950 | $82.19 |
| Family Medicine Physician | $244,180 | $117.39 |
| Veterinarian | $130,100 | $62.55 |
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | $76,400 | $36.73 |
| General Internal Medicine Physician | $256,560 | $123.35 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 29-1071. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a physician assistant make in the U.S.?
The median salary for physician assistants in the U.S. is $135,880 a year, or $65.33 an hour. Pay ranges from $99,380 for the lowest-paid 10% to $190,280 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid physician assistants make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of physician assistants in the U.S. earn at least $190,280 a year. The top 25% earn $163,980 or more.
What is the starting pay for physician assistants in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $99,380 a year, and a quarter of physician assistants earn $120,670 or less.
How many physician assistants work in the U.S.?
About 162,150 physician assistants are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.