Physician Assistants Career, Salary and Skills
Physician Assistants have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $135,880 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 162,150. Wage data is published for 399 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
29-1071.00
Job zone
5
Typical education
Master's Degree
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$135,880
Hourly median
$65.33
Employment
162,150
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 4.12 | 4.62 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.12 | 4.75 |
| Service Orientation | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Writing | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Speaking | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Monitoring | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Active Learning | 3.88 | 4.12 |
Typical tasks
- Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
- Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal.
- Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval.
- Obtain, compile, and record patient medical data, including health history, progress notes, and results of physical examination.
- Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition.
- Administer or order diagnostic tests, such as x-ray, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests.
- Instruct and counsel patients about prescribed therapeutic regimens, normal growth and development, family planning, emotional problems of daily living, and health maintenance.
- Perform therapeutic procedures, such as injections, immunizations, suturing and wound care, and infection management.
Technology
- ChartWare EMR
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Epic Systems
- Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
- Medical condition coding software
- Medical procedure coding software
- MEDITECH software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
- Patient management software
- Patient records software for personal digital assistants PDAs
Physician Assistants salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Physician Assistants Salary in NYMedian $160,880 · Employment 19,140
- Physician Assistants Salary in New York, NYMedian $167,650 · Employment 16,800
- Physician Assistants Salary in CAMedian $165,650 · Employment 13,600
- Physician Assistants Salary in TXMedian $134,550 · Employment 10,110
- Physician Assistants Salary in FLMedian $129,620 · Employment 9,310
- Physician Assistants Salary in PAMedian $127,070 · Employment 9,020
- Physician Assistants Salary in NCMedian $129,360 · Employment 7,490
- Physician Assistants Salary in MIMedian $131,510 · Employment 6,310
- Physician Assistants Salary in GAMedian $115,390 · Employment 5,610
- Physician Assistants Salary in OHMedian $132,090 · Employment 4,900
- Physician Assistants Salary in NJMedian $165,690 · Employment 4,790
- Physician Assistants Salary in MAMedian $142,410 · Employment 4,470
Related careers
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric NursesNational median $97,550
- ParamedicsNational median $60,600
- Acute Care NursesNational median $97,550
- Registered NursesNational median $97,550
- NeurologistsNational median $248,560
- Medical AssistantsNational median $45,690
- UrologistsNational median $265,930
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation PhysiciansNational median $265,930
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.