Physician Assistants salary
Healthcare · OCC code 29-1071 · gross annual wage · BLS OEWS May 2024
Physician Assistants in the US earn a median of $133,260 per year (mean $136,900) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey — that is +169.2% versus the $49,500 median for all US jobs, more than 2.5x the US median wage for all jobs. The middle half earn between $113,770 and $160,160; the top 10% earn $182,200 or more. The median hourly wage is $64.07. About 155,540 are employed nationally. The highest-paying state is Hawaii ($163,020). Wages are gross (pre-tax) and vary by employer, experience and location.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Physician Assistants pay range (national percentiles)
What physician assistants earn across the pay distribution, nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2024):
| Pay level | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-paid 10%) | $95,240 |
| 25th percentile | $113,770 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $133,260 |
| Mean (average) | $136,900 |
| 75th percentile | $160,160 |
| 90th percentile (highest-paid 10%) | $182,200 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
A dash (—) means BLS did not release that figure; a plus (+) means the wage is at or above the BLS top code of $239,200/yr. See what wage percentiles mean or check where your salary ranks.
Physician Assistants salary by state
Median and mean wage for physician assistants in each of the 51 states with published data, highest median first. The national median is $133,260.
| # | State | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $163,020 | $143,000 | 440 |
| 2 | California | $161,080 | $161,980 | 13,570 |
| 3 | Washington | $156,990 | $156,060 | 3,310 |
| 4 | New York | $152,650 | $151,280 | 19,390 |
| 5 | Oregon | $149,130 | $152,160 | 1,930 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $141,600 | $148,290 | 600 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $140,490 | $149,160 | 2,370 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $139,990 | $144,080 | 640 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $139,300 | $144,940 | 3,790 |
| 10 | Missouri | $139,200 | $136,810 | 1,650 |
| 11 | Delaware | $138,720 | $140,450 | 690 |
| 12 | Vermont | $138,610 | $141,000 | 410 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $138,440 | $144,060 | 3,700 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $138,090 | $137,400 | 4,310 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $137,330 | $141,810 | 1,060 |
| 16 | Alaska | $136,350 | $139,590 | 670 |
| 17 | Virginia | $135,490 | $138,840 | 3,530 |
| 18 | Arizona | $135,240 | $143,160 | 3,540 |
| 19 | Utah | $134,390 | $128,370 | 1,670 |
| 20 | Maryland | $134,100 | $134,580 | 2,920 |
| 21 | Nevada | $133,450 | $139,960 | 1,190 |
| 22 | Iowa | $133,400 | $135,450 | 1,200 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $133,330 | $134,790 | 410 |
| 24 | Montana | $132,980 | $132,220 | 610 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $132,820 | $133,390 | 3,040 |
| 26 | Texas | $132,810 | $137,050 | 10,030 |
| 27 | Indiana | $132,200 | $144,210 | 2,150 |
| 28 | Michigan | $131,980 | $129,290 | 5,490 |
| 29 | Colorado | $131,910 | $138,570 | 3,180 |
| 30 | Maine | $131,250 | $131,360 | 930 |
| 31 | District of Columbia | $131,070 | $144,260 | 620 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $130,750 | $127,670 | 1,780 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $129,610 | $124,380 | 1,770 |
| 34 | Idaho | $129,000 | $129,210 | 1,170 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $128,540 | $127,820 | 8,520 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $128,240 | $129,120 | 1,250 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $128,130 | $128,300 | 650 |
| 38 | Florida | $127,200 | $127,920 | 10,570 |
| 39 | Ohio | $126,760 | $128,250 | 4,530 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $126,180 | $118,300 | 520 |
| 41 | Pennsylvania | $124,880 | $122,850 | 7,760 |
| 42 | Kansas | $124,440 | $125,990 | 1,010 |
| 43 | Illinois | $122,990 | $124,560 | 3,930 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $122,970 | $121,130 | 960 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $119,190 | $116,880 | 2,050 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $113,990 | $114,510 | 2,380 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $110,300 | $110,150 | 1,250 |
| 48 | Georgia | $109,990 | $108,270 | 4,400 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $104,570 | $98,270 | 370 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $103,550 | $93,880 | 970 |
| 51 | Alabama | $101,620 | $105,970 | 770 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Highest median: Hawaii ($163,020). Lowest: Alabama ($101,620).
Similar-paying jobs
| Occupation | Median wage | Mean wage | vs US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician Assistants (this job) | $133,260 | $136,900 | +169.2% |
| Software Developers | $133,080 | $144,570 | +168.8% |
| Aerospace Engineers | $134,830 | $141,180 | +172.4% |
| Database Architects | $135,980 | $142,620 | +174.7% |
| Computer Network Architects | $130,390 | $135,890 | +163.4% |
| Nurse Practitioners | $129,210 | $132,000 | +161.0% |
Software Developers · Aerospace Engineers · Database Architects · Computer Network Architects · Nurse Practitioners
Frequently asked questions
How much do physician assistants make?
Physician Assistants earn a national median of $133,260 per year (mean $136,900) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey. The middle half earn between $113,770 (25th percentile) and $160,160 (75th percentile); the top 10% earn $182,200 or more and the bottom 10% earn under $95,240. These are gross, pre-tax wages.
What is the hourly wage for physician assistants?
The median hourly wage is $64.07 and the mean is $65.82 (BLS OEWS, May 2024). BLS reports some occupations only as annual wages, in which case hourly figures are shown as a dash.
Which state pays physician assistants the most?
Hawaii has the highest median wage for physician assistants at $163,020, versus a national median of $133,260. State pay reflects local cost of living, demand and industry mix. See the full state table on this page.
How many physician assistants are there in the US?
BLS estimates about 155,540 physician assistants are employed in the US (OEWS, May 2024). Among the 124 occupations tracked here, this job ranks #17 of 124 by median pay.
Keep exploring
Sources & accuracy
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 (OCC 29-1071), gross annual wages, U.S. public domain, retrieved June 2026. OEWS figures are survey estimates and reflect pay before tax. Your actual pay depends on employer, experience, certifications, industry and location. This is information, not financial or career advice — see our methodology and disclaimer.
Last updated: 2026-06-20