21.9% higher than the US national median ($135,886)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Physician Assistants salary in California in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$99K
P25$137K
P50$166K
P75$207K
P90$225K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
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Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- health care job openings are running at 5.4% (JOLTS, August 2026), a tight market. Candidates have leverage, so a competitive offer sits at or above the median; below-median offers often will not close.
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Merit budget: Wages in health care are rising about 3.6% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 3.2-3.7% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $165,651 to $207,002 (market median to the 75th percentile). Lean toward the top of the range for senior or hard-to-fill roles.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Physician Assistants pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 2.0% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.6% wage growth of Health Care & Social Assistance (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · HOT
Health Care & Social Assistance is running a 5.4% job-openings rate with quits at 2.0% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted down from 5.9% to 5.4% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 1.9 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.
What changed recently
Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: sector openings fell to 5.4% (down 115K; July revised up to 5.8%), still the tightest major sector. Quits held at 2.0%.
Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: sector openings rose to 5.7% (up 54K; June revised to 5.5%), retaking the tightest-market spot. Quits steady at 1.9%.
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings fell from 5.9% to 5.3% (down 147K), the sharpest monthly cooling this year, though still the second-tightest market.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS August 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Physician Assistants in California is $165,651 per year ($79.64/hr). This is 21.9% higher than the national median of $135,886.
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.
Wage Percentiles: California
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$47.78
$99,382
+0.0%
P25
$65.73
$136,718
+13.3%
P50MEDIAN
$79.64
$165,651
+21.9%
P75
$99.52
$207,002
+26.2%
P90Top earners
$108.27
$225,202
+18.4%
How California compares for Physician Assistants
Computed from this state's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Physician Assistants in California is in line with national (0.0%) at entry but above national (+18.4%) at the top, so local pay sits relatively higher toward the senior end of the range.
An offer at the national median of $135,886 would sit at about the 25th percentile in California.
The top of the range earns 2.27 times the bottom here against 1.91 times nationally, so pay for this role varies more between entry and senior levels in California.
California employs 13,600 people in this role, 8.4% of the national total.
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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Physician Assistants
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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 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
87K
$132,000
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
41K
$141,090
See the complete picture
Full percentile breakdown · JOLTS market signals · Geographic comparison · AI analyst briefs
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median physician assistants salary in California?
The median (P50) annual salary for Physician Assistants in California is approximately $165,651, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 21.9% higher than the national median of $135,886. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 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.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
