How Much Money Do Physician Assistants (PAs) Make?

Physician Assistant/Associate Salary and Compensation

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill

How Much Do PAs Make in 2026?

According to the Latest (2025) AAPA Salary Report — the most comprehensive PA compensation survey available, with 8,811 respondents — the national median base compensation for full-time PAs is $130,000 per year, with a median total compensation of $134,000 per year when bonuses and productivity pay are included. The median hourly wage is $75.00/hour.

A base salary of $130,000 per year equates to an average physician assistant pay of $10,833/month, $2,500/week, and an hourly wage of $62.50/hr (annualized). This is approximately 234% of the US median salary.

According to the latest NCCPA Statistical Profile, the average income of certified PAs is $123,490 per year, with a median of $115,000 per year. The NCCPA figure tends to be lower because it captures total income from all PA positions, including part-time and newly certified practitioners.

The highest-paid PAs (per AAPA 2025) work in cardiovascular/cardiothoracic surgery, with a median base compensation of $162,914 per year. Dermatology PAs have the most extraordinary earning upside, with a median bonus of $21,000 and a 90th-percentile base salary of $290,000 — making top-earning derm PAs among the highest-compensated advanced practice providers in medicine.

According to AAPA data, 56.7% of full-time PAs received a bonus, with a median bonus of $7,500. The vast majority of PAs (81.3%) are paid an annual salary, 14.0% receive hourly wages, and 4.7% receive productivity-based pay.

On average, family medicine PAs make $125,000 per year, emergency medicine PAs make $146,000 per year, and an orthopedic surgery PA can expect to make $135,000 per year (all figures: AAPA 2025, median base compensation).

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the median salary for PAs at $133,260/year or $64.07 per hour (May 2024) ($130,020 in 2023), with the top 10% earning $182,200/year or more. Employment of physician assistants is projected to grow 20 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations, with approximately 12,000 openings projected each year.

As of February 2026, the average annual pay for a physician assistant in the United States, according to data from ZipRecruiter, is $120,212 a year or approximately $58 per hour. Most PA salaries currently range between $100,000 (25th percentile) and $135,500 (75th percentile) across the United States.

The median salary for recently certified, new-graduate PAs is approximately $118,000 per year (AAPA 2025, PAs with 0–1 years of experience). PAs who receive an hourly wage earn a median of $72/hour (part-time) to $75/hour (full-time).

Only 10% of PAs work part-time (fewer than 32 hours per week). PAs who work in emergency medicine, urgent care, or as independent contractors are more likely to receive an hourly wage.

Physician Assistant/Associate (PA) Pay for all 50 States Adjusted by Cost of Living

You can view the full (expanded) table here:

Most PAs Receive Additional Non-Salary Benefits:

In addition to their base salary, most PAs receive additional non-salary benefits:

• 56.7% of full-time PAs receive a bonus, with a median bonus of $7,500 (25th percentile: $3,000; 75th percentile: $15,000; 90th percentile: $34,000). Note: A persistent gender pay gap in bonuses continues to exist — female PAs, on average, receive lower bonuses than their male counterparts.
• Almost all (87%) PAs receive some professional development compensation from their primary employer. This includes DEA license reimbursement, CME expense coverage, reimbursement of state license fees, etc.
• Most full-time PAs continue to have individual health, dental, and liability insurance included as a covered benefit.
• The majority of employers match between 3–7% of 401K contributions.

PA salaries and the buying power of those salaries vary significantly by region. While PAs in California have the highest nominal hourly wages at $90.00/hour median (AAPA 2025), when adjusted for cost of living, states like Oklahoma, Missouri, Alabama, West Virginia, and Texas offer the highest cost-adjusted wages in the nation.

What is the Best PA Salary Report?

Multiple organizations report the salary of physician assistants; however, each PA salary report varies with how the data is gathered and what salary data is included.

The AAPA 2025 Salary Report (8,811 respondents, 200+ pages) and the NCCPA Statistical Report (the majority of all certified PAs) are the most reliable. The AAPA report wins on depth and detail — specialty, region, setting, experience, and benefits — while the NCCPA report wins on sample size and is free to everyone.

The median projected pay for PAs in 2026, according to four of the most reliable PA salary reports:

• AAPA 2025 Salary Report: Median base compensation $130,000/yr; median total compensation $134,000/yr; median hourly $75.00/hr (2024 data, N=8,811) ($127,000/yr. in 2023, $120,000/yr. in 2022, $115,000/yr. in 2021, $111,000/yr. in 2020)
• NCCPA Statistical Report: $123,490 per year average (2023 data) ($120,204 in 2022)
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): $133,260/year or $64.07/hour median (May 2024) ($130,020 in 2023)
• ZipRecruiter: $120,212/year or ~$58/hour (February 2026)

*Consider the earning potential of locum tenens / travel PA positions, which typically pay 20–30% more than permanent positions, along with housing and travel stipends. Also see current inflation rates when projecting future salary growth.

Like a fine wine, PA salaries also get better with age

Years of experience matter significantly, with salary peaking for PAs with 15–19 years of experience at a median of $146,000 (AAPA 2025). PAs with 20 or more years of experience earn a median of $150,000 per year — more than $32,000 above what a new graduate earns. PAs with management responsibilities often earn an additional $10,000–$20,000 beyond clinical-only roles.

According to the AAPA 2025 Salary Report, median base compensation by years of experience is:

PA compensation has grown significantly year over year. The AAPA 2025 report shows a 5.5% increase in total median compensation from 2023 to 2024, consistent with a multi-year trend of salary growth exceeding inflation. The BLS projects 20% job growth for PAs from 2024 to 2034 — one of the fastest-growing occupations in the U.S.

Top paying states for Physician Assistants — Median Hourly Wage (AAPA)

Best value states — Top COL-adjusted PA wages (AAPA 2025): Oklahoma ranks #1 in the nation for cost-of-living adjusted PA wages ($88.06/hr adjusted), followed by Missouri (#2, $85.45), Alabama (#3, $82.93), West Virginia (#4, $82.40), and Texas (#5, $81.78). These states offer outstanding real purchasing power for PAs looking to maximize their quality of life.

Best-Paying Cities for Physician Assistants (BLS)

The metropolitan areas that pay the highest salaries in the physician assistant profession are dominated by California, with Salinas leading by a remarkable margin. Are you looking to relocate? Here are the ten best cities for PAs in 2026.

Physician Assistant Earnings by Part-time and Full-time Status (AAPA 2025)

PA Median Base Compensation by Specialty (AAPA)

The following table uses exact median base compensation figures from the AAPA 2025 Salary Report (Table 9), reflecting 2024 data from 7,866 full-time PA respondents. Base compensation includes salary, annualized hourly wages, and productivity pay from the primary employer.

PA Median Base Compensation by State (AAPA, Table 8)

Living Wages in All 50 States

Know Your Worth

The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Statistical Reports

• Includes the vast majority of all certified PAs in the U.S.
• FREE for everyone — the most accessible data source available

AAPA 2025 Salary and Compensation Report

• 8,811 PA respondents; 200+ pages of salary, benefits, and compensation data
• FREE to AAPA fellows, students, and retired members; $200 to non-members

Included in the AAPA annual report are the following:

• Median Base Salary and Bonus from Primary Employer by Work Setting and Years of Experience
• Professional Expenses Paid (DEA, NCCPA fees, AAPA membership, CME)
• Insurance Benefits and Retirement Benefits Provided by Primary Employer
• Paid Days Off; Call Status; Hours per Month on Call
• PA Compensation by Wage Type (annual salary, hourly, productivity pay)
• Median PA Salary by Region (West, Northwest, South, Midwest)
• Median Base Salary by Work Setting, Employer Type, and Major Specialty Area
• Cost-of-living adjusted median salary by state

Additional resources:

• Salary to hourly calculator
• Percentage increase calculator
• Inflation rate calculator
• AAPA 2025 Salary Report
• NCCPA Statistical Reports (free)
• BLS Physician Assistant Wage Data (free)

Recommended Reading:

Stephen Pasquini PA-C Physician Assistant

Stephen has been a family practice PA since 2004 and is the creator of The PA Life, Smarty PANCE Board Review, and PASchoolfinder websites. A National Health Service Corps Scholar and a graduate of The University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ (Rutgers) PA Program and the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. Stephen's goal is to provide one-of-a-kind online resources for those interested in or practicing in the PA profession, to promote better access to healthcare for all, and to foster universal recognition/awareness of the PA profession. Read more about Stephen.

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