Physician Assistant salary
What physician assistants earn across the U.S., in every state and in the top-paying metro areas.
Median pay$135,880$65.33 per hour
Average pay$141,280$67.92 per hour
Middle half earn$120,670 – $163,980Top 10%: $190,280+
Jobs162,150Employed nationwide
Physician Assistant salary by state
Click a column to sort. Select a state for its cities.
| State | Median | Hourly | Jobs | Per 1,000 jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $104,960 | $50.46 | 930 | 0.44 |
| Alaska | $150,700 | $72.45 | 700 | 2.15 |
| Arizona | $134,650 | $64.73 | 3,750 | 1.16 |
| Arkansas | $118,430 | $56.94 | 850 | 0.65 |
| California | $165,650 | $79.64 | 13,600 | 0.75 |
| Colorado | $134,540 | $64.68 | 3,270 | 1.14 |
| Connecticut | $139,860 | $67.24 | 3,570 | 2.11 |
| Delaware | $139,350 | $67.00 | 860 | 1.77 |
| Florida | $129,620 | $62.32 | 9,310 | 0.94 |
| Georgia | $115,390 | $55.48 | 5,610 | 1.15 |
| Hawaii | $164,050 | $78.87 | 530 | 0.85 |
| Idaho | $133,790 | $64.32 | 1,320 | 1.54 |
| Illinois | $131,950 | $63.44 | 3,790 | 0.62 |
| Indiana | $132,050 | $63.49 | 2,110 | 0.66 |
| Iowa | $134,770 | $64.79 | 1,200 | 0.77 |
| Kansas | $125,640 | $60.41 | 890 | 0.62 |
| Kentucky | $120,760 | $58.06 | 1,360 | 0.68 |
| Louisiana | $128,870 | $61.96 | 1,360 | 0.71 |
| Maine | $131,170 | $63.06 | 1,030 | 1.61 |
| Maryland | $137,560 | $66.13 | 2,950 | 1.07 |
| Massachusetts | $142,410 | $68.47 | 4,470 | 1.23 |
| Michigan | $131,510 | $63.23 | 6,310 | 1.43 |
| Minnesota | $141,190 | $67.88 | 3,660 | 1.24 |
| Mississippi | $105,920 | $50.92 | 320 | 0.27 |
| Missouri | $135,130 | $64.96 | 2,300 | 0.78 |
| Montana | $141,470 | $68.02 | 600 | 1.18 |
| Nebraska | $133,040 | $63.96 | 1,330 | 1.3 |
| Nevada | $134,660 | $64.74 | 1,090 | 0.7 |
| New Hampshire | $150,960 | $72.58 | 1,060 | 1.55 |
| New Jersey | $165,690 | $79.66 | 4,790 | 1.12 |
| New Mexico | $139,920 | $67.27 | 700 | 0.81 |
| New York | $160,880 | $77.35 | 19,140 | 1.98 |
| North Carolina | $129,360 | $62.19 | 7,490 | 1.52 |
| North Dakota | $133,450 | $64.16 | 510 | 1.2 |
| Ohio | $132,090 | $63.51 | 4,900 | 0.88 |
| Oklahoma | $136,550 | $65.65 | 1,770 | 1.04 |
| Oregon | $155,780 | $74.89 | 2,250 | 1.14 |
| Pennsylvania | $127,070 | $61.09 | 9,020 | 1.49 |
| Rhode Island | $139,930 | $67.27 | 810 | 1.62 |
| South Carolina | $122,490 | $58.89 | 2,250 | 0.98 |
| South Dakota | $133,200 | $64.04 | 680 | 1.49 |
| Tennessee | $118,240 | $56.85 | 2,240 | 0.68 |
| Texas | $134,550 | $64.69 | 10,110 | 0.72 |
| Utah | $134,740 | $64.78 | 1,610 | 0.93 |
| Vermont | $150,490 | $72.35 | 410 | 1.36 |
| Virginia | $135,940 | $65.36 | 4,340 | 1.06 |
| Washington | $164,360 | $79.02 | 3,540 | 1.0 |
| West Virginia | $128,610 | $61.83 | 1,080 | 1.54 |
| Wisconsin | $133,950 | $64.40 | 3,580 | 1.22 |
| Wyoming | $136,080 | $65.42 | 330 | 1.17 |
Top-paying metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $223,640 | 1,030 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $198,070 | 350 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $184,380 | 1,830 |
| Vallejo, CA | $179,520 | 150 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $172,750 | 140 |
| Napa, CA | $172,170 | 50 |
| Salinas, CA | $170,180 | 130 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $170,060 | 390 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $168,080 | 60 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $167,650 | 16,800 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $167,290 | 1,920 |
| Visalia, CA | $166,510 | 100 |
| Modesto, CA | $165,730 | 210 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $165,490 | 1,020 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $165,160 | 1,370 |
Metro areas with the most physician assistants
| Metro area | Jobs | Median |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 16,800 | $167,650 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 3,970 | $111,810 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3,890 | $161,890 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 3,550 | $142,410 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 3,390 | $135,640 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 3,230 | $134,900 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 3,050 | $127,940 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 3,050 | $134,650 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 3,020 | $148,200 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 2,560 | $125,230 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 2,400 | $131,830 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 2,390 | $137,240 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 2,340 | $145,030 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 2,190 | $132,360 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,920 | $167,290 |
Related jobs
Questions
How much does a physician assistant make?
The median pay for physician assistants in the U.S. was $135,880 a year ($65.33 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $120,670 and $163,980.
Which states pay physician assistants the most?
The highest pay was in New Jersey ($165,690), California ($165,650), Washington ($164,360), Hawaii ($164,050), New York ($160,880). The lowest was in Alabama ($104,960), Mississippi ($105,920), Georgia ($115,390).
How many physician assistants are there in the U.S.?
About 162,150 people were employed as physician assistants in May 2025.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, all industries. Metro areas with fewer than 50 jobs in this occupation are left out. All healthcare salaries.