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The national median salary for Physician Assistants is $133,266 per year ($64.07/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $113,776 and $160,160 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $182,208 per year. There are approximately 155,540 physician assistants employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. May, in some cases, prescribe medication. Must graduate from an accredited educational program for physician assistants.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+20.4%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
12K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
163K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
28% from new growth72% from people leaving the role
Mixed: openings come from both new growth and people exiting the role.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Master's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
82K
$129,640
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
39K
$136,600
Outpatient Care Centers
NAICS 621400
14K
$147,650
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
NAICS 621300
4K
$133,440
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
4K
$127,900
Wage range across top 5 industries: $127,900 to $147,650 (15% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$45.79
$95,243
P25
$54.70
$113,776
P50MEDIAN
$64.07
$133,266
P75
$77.00
$160,160
P90
$87.60
$182,208
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.4%
Quits Rate
1.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance openings rebounded to 1.36M (+87K) in March with rate at 5.4%. Hires rose to 700K (+75K). The sector remains structurally tight; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average physician assistants salary?
The national median salary for Physician Assistants is $133,266 per year ($64.07/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $113,776 and $160,160 annually.
How much do top-earning physician assistants make?
The 90th percentile salary for Physician Assistants is $182,208 per year ($87.60/hr). The 75th percentile is $160,160 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for physician assistants?
Entry-level Physician Assistants (10th percentile) earn approximately $95,243 per year ($45.79/hr). The 25th percentile is $113,776 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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