Physician Assistants: salary, outlook & degrees
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.
Middle half $120,670–$163,980. 162,150 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
95% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $117,541.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 11,500 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Extensive preparation (usually a graduate degree).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 28% | Biology |
| Treatment Therapy Professions | 8% | Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences |
| Psychology | 7% | Psychology |
| General Medical And Health Services | 7% | Health Sciences |
| Physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure | 6% | Kinesiology / Exercise Science · Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies |
| Medical Assisting Services | 4% | Dental Support Services and Allied Professions |
| Physiology | 2% | Physiology |
| Nursing | 2% | Nursing |
| Biochemical Sciences | 2% | Biochemistry |
| Multi-Disciplinary Or General Science | 2% | Biological and Physical Sciences |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $165,690 |
| California | $165,650 |
| Washington | $164,360 |
| Hawaii | $164,050 |
| New York | $160,880 |
| Oregon | $155,780 |
| New Hampshire | $150,960 |
| Alaska | $150,700 |
| Vermont | $150,490 |
| Massachusetts | $142,410 |
| Montana | $141,470 |
| Minnesota | $141,190 |
| Rhode Island | $139,930 |
| New Mexico | $139,920 |
| Connecticut | $139,860 |
| Delaware | $139,350 |
| Maryland | $137,560 |
| Oklahoma | $136,550 |
| Wyoming | $136,080 |
| Virginia | $135,940 |
| District of Columbia | $135,140 |
| Missouri | $135,130 |
| Iowa | $134,770 |
| Utah | $134,740 |
| Nevada | $134,660 |
| Arizona | $134,650 |
| Texas | $134,550 |
| Colorado | $134,540 |
| Wisconsin | $133,950 |
| Idaho | $133,790 |
| North Dakota | $133,450 |
| South Dakota | $133,200 |
| Nebraska | $133,040 |
| Ohio | $132,090 |
| Indiana | $132,050 |
| Illinois | $131,950 |
| Michigan | $131,510 |
| Maine | $131,170 |
| Florida | $129,620 |
| North Carolina | $129,360 |
| Louisiana | $128,870 |
| West Virginia | $128,610 |
| Pennsylvania | $127,070 |
| Kansas | $125,640 |
| South Carolina | $122,490 |
| Kentucky | $120,760 |
| Arkansas | $118,430 |
| Tennessee | $118,240 |
| Georgia | $115,390 |
| Mississippi | $105,920 |
| Alabama | $104,960 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$132,360
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$127,820
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$127,200
- Jacksonville$132,350
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$142,510
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$131,700
- Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach$126,900
- Gainesville$129,150
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$148,200
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$126,430
- Richmond$126,810
- Roanoke$135,940
- Charlottesville$133,540
- Kingsport-Bristol$117,490
- Lynchburg$122,800
- Winchester$126,080
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$161,890
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$184,380
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$165,160
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$161,470
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$223,640
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$165,490
- Fresno$155,440
- Bakersfield-Delano$198,070
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
Knowledge used
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Biology
- English Language
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Cautiousness
- Cooperation
People in this job tend to have Social (helping), Investigative (analytical), Conventional (organizing) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Physician Assistants: questions
How much do physician Assistants make?
Physician Assistants earn a U.S. median $135,880 a year; the middle half earn $120,670 to $163,980 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $116,188 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is physician Assistants a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 21.1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 11,500 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a physician Assistant?
BLS lists the typical entry education as master's degree. In O*NET's survey, 100% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is biology (28%).
How much do physician Assistants make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $129,620 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $135,880 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 29-1071. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Physician Assistants: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/physician-assistants.