Physician Assistants Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for physician assistantss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $141,280 ≈ $68/hr
National median salary $135,880
Total employment 162,150 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +20.4%
Much faster than average
Annual openings 12,000 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 162,700 → 195,800 (+33,200)
Typical entry education Master's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$169,110
- Washington$164,430
- New Jersey$162,100
- Oregon$155,300
- New York$155,150
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$106,820
- Alabama$110,860
- Georgia$112,090
- Tennessee$117,300
- Arkansas$118,430
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $169,110 | $165,650 | $81 | +19.7% | 13,600 |
| 2 | Washington | $164,430 | $164,360 | $79 | +16.4% | 3,540 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $162,100 | $165,690 | $78 | +14.7% | 4,790 |
| 4 | Oregon | $155,300 | $155,780 | $75 | +9.9% | 2,250 |
| 5 | New York | $155,150 | $160,880 | $75 | +9.8% | 19,140 |
| 6 | Vermont | $152,520 | $150,490 | $73 | +8% | 410 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $150,150 | $150,960 | $72 | +6.3% | 1,060 |
| 8 | Alaska | $148,080 | $150,700 | $71 | +4.8% | 700 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $147,630 | $141,190 | $71 | +4.5% | 3,660 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $146,930 | $139,860 | $71 | +4% | 3,570 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $146,780 | $164,050 | $71 | +3.9% | 530 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $146,630 | $139,930 | $71 | +3.8% | 810 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $146,480 | $142,410 | $70 | +3.7% | 4,470 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $146,230 | $135,140 | $70 | +3.5% | 470 |
| 15 | Indiana | $144,260 | $132,050 | $69 | +2.1% | 2,110 |
| 16 | Delaware | $143,840 | $139,350 | $69 | +1.8% | 860 |
| 17 | Virginia | $142,630 | $135,940 | $69 | +1% | 4,340 |
| 18 | Arizona | $140,850 | $134,650 | $68 | -0.3% | 3,750 |
| 19 | Montana | $140,800 | $141,470 | $68 | -0.3% | 600 |
| 20 | Iowa | $139,870 | $134,770 | $67 | -1% | 1,200 |
| 21 | Maryland | $139,740 | $137,560 | $67 | -1.1% | 2,950 |
| 22 | Colorado | $139,580 | $134,540 | $67 | -1.2% | 3,270 |
| 23 | Oklahoma | $138,700 | $136,550 | $67 | -1.8% | 1,770 |
| 24 | Missouri | $137,710 | $135,130 | $66 | -2.5% | 2,300 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $137,320 | $136,080 | $66 | -2.8% | 330 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $136,750 | $133,950 | $66 | -3.2% | 3,580 |
| 27 | Ohio | $136,560 | $132,090 | $66 | -3.3% | 4,900 |
| 28 | Texas | $135,850 | $134,550 | $65 | -3.8% | 10,110 |
| 29 | Nevada | $135,790 | $134,660 | $65 | -3.9% | 1,090 |
| 30 | Maine | $134,690 | $131,170 | $65 | -4.7% | 1,030 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $134,670 | $139,920 | $65 | -4.7% | 700 |
| 32 | Florida | $134,470 | $129,620 | $65 | -4.8% | 9,310 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $132,810 | $133,040 | $64 | -6% | 1,330 |
| 34 | Idaho | $132,540 | $133,790 | $64 | -6.2% | 1,320 |
| 35 | Utah | $132,530 | $134,740 | $64 | -6.2% | 1,610 |
| 36 | Michigan | $132,140 | $131,510 | $64 | -6.5% | 6,310 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $131,910 | $133,200 | $63 | -6.6% | 680 |
| 38 | Illinois | $131,880 | $131,950 | $63 | -6.7% | 3,790 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $130,930 | $133,450 | $63 | -7.3% | 510 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $130,290 | $128,870 | $63 | -7.8% | 1,360 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $130,030 | $129,360 | $63 | -8% | 7,490 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $128,830 | $128,610 | $62 | -8.8% | 1,080 |
| 43 | Kansas | $127,240 | $125,640 | $61 | -9.9% | 890 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $125,160 | $127,070 | $60 | -11.4% | 9,020 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $120,720 | $122,490 | $58 | -14.6% | 2,250 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $119,990 | $120,760 | $58 | -15.1% | 1,360 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $118,430 | $118,430 | $57 | -16.2% | 850 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $117,300 | $118,240 | $56 | -17% | 2,240 |
| 49 | Georgia | $112,090 | $115,390 | $54 | -20.7% | 5,610 |
| 50 | Alabama | $110,860 | $104,960 | $53 | -21.5% | 930 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $106,820 | $105,920 | $51 | -24.4% | 320 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 467 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $223,640 | $207,660 | 1,030 |
| 2 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $198,070 | $177,840 | 350 |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $184,380 | $182,610 | 1,830 |
| 4 | Yuba City, CA | $183,460 | $174,990 | 40 |
| 5 | Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area | $181,760 | $169,820 | 40 |
| 6 | Vallejo, CA | $179,520 | $182,520 | 150 |
| 7 | Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $174,670 | $184,480 | 40 |
| 8 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $172,750 | $171,940 | 140 |
| 9 | Napa, CA | $172,170 | $174,120 | 50 |
| 10 | Salinas, CA | $170,180 | $202,320 | 130 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing physician assistantss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Temporary Help Services | $166,290 | $161,810 | 1,760 |
| 2 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $164,760 | $163,530 | 3,560 |
| 3 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $164,760 | $163,530 | 3,560 |
| 4 | Administrative and Support Services | $158,550 | $159,650 | 2,310 |
| 5 | Sector 56 - Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $158,550 | $159,640 | 2,310 |
| 6 | Employment Services | $158,310 | $158,830 | 2,250 |
| 7 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $157,040 | $154,370 | 4,790 |
| 8 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $157,040 | $154,370 | 4,790 |
| 9 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $153,530 | $149,660 | 400 |
| 10 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $153,530 | $149,660 | 400 |
| 11 | Outpatient Care Centers | $153,500 | $154,390 | 14,980 |
| 12 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, Privately Owned | $148,170 | $144,410 | 1,600 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do physician assistants make in the U.S.?
The median physician assistants salary in the United States is $135,880 per year (mean $141,280), and about 80% earn between $99,380 and $190,280.
How much do physician assistants make per hour?
Roughly $68 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $141,280 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays physician assistants the most?
California has the highest average pay for physician assistants at $169,110 per year (median $165,650).
What is the job outlook for physician assistants?
Employment is projected to change +20.4% from 2024 to 2034 (Much faster than average), with about 12,000 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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