Physician assistants

Detailed Occupation

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2021 Workforce

138k

Average Age

39.4

Estimated Job Growth

31.3%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$118,266

Average Male Salary

$146,014

Average Female Salary

$104,424

About

Physician assistants are most often employed by the General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals industry. The average yearly wage for Physician assistants was $118,266 in 2021.

The locations that employ the most Physician assistants are Upper East Side PUMA, NY, Tottenville, Great Kills & Annadale PUMA, NY, and Outside Allentown & Bethlehem Cities)Emmaus Borough PUMA, PA. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Physician assistants are Allen County (Outside Fort Wayne City) PUMA, IN, Tottenville, Great Kills & Annadale PUMA, NY, and West Haven, Milford & Orange Towns PUMA, CT.

Management, business, science, & arts occupations Healthcare practitioners & technical occupations

Employment and salary information for the Physician assistants workforce. Physician assistants workforce in 2021 was 137,894 people, of which 66.7% were women and 33.3% were men. Physician assistants are paid most in Redwood City, San Carlos & Belmont Cities PUMA, CA but are relatively concentrated in Allen County (Outside Fort Wayne City) PUMA, IN.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

45,893

Male Workforce

± 5.26k

92,001

Female Workforce

± 7.44k

The Physician assistants workforce in 2021 was 137,894 people (66.7% women and 33.3% men). This implies an average annual growth of 19.2% between 2014 (115,695) and 2021 (137,894).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Physician assistants.

During 2021, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Delaware ($166,878), South Dakota ($158,689), and Nevada ($150,782).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$118,266

AVERAGE WAGE

#27 in the ranking (2021)

$59,596

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2021, Physician assistants earned an average of $118,266, $58,670 more than the average national salary of $59,596

The graph shows the ranking of Physician assistants in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2021.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.318

WAGE GINI

In 2021, Physician assistants had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.318, which is lower than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Physician assistants (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Physician assistants compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Physician assistants and on wages for those in the field. General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals is the industry that employs the most Physician assistants, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Physician assistants, by average wage, is Offices of chiropractors ($245,893).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

138k

2021 Workforce

± 9,113

10.3%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 8.69%

This graphic shows the share of Physician assistants employed by various industries. General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals employs the largest share of Physician assistants at 50.3%, followed by Offices of physicians with 35.7% and Outpatient care centers with 14%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Physician assistants in the US. The workforce of Physician assistants in 2021 was 137,894 people, with 66.7% woman, and 33.3% men. The average age of male Physician assistants in the workforce is 43.1 and of female Physician assistants is 37.5, and the most common race/ethnicity for Physician assistants is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Physician assistants in 2021 was 137,894 people, with 66.7% woman, and 33.3% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (29,188 people), 25 to 29 years (25,119 people), and 35 to 39 years (23,968 people). Among them they concentrated 56.9% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2021, 9.43% of Physician assistants workers were Hispanic and 90.6% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (69.8%), Puerto Rican (22)%, and Dominican (8.13)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2021, 78.1% of the Physician assistants workforce were White, of which 67.4% were women and 32.6% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Asian (8.35%) and Black (5.46%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Physician assistants from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Physician assistants is Health but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2021 were Biology.

Among the necessary skills for Physician assistants, Reading Comprehension stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Physician assistants need more than the average amount of Science.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Physician assistants in 2021 (counting all academic degrees) were Health (38,331 people), Biology (37,162 people), and Psychology (7,405 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Physician assistants workers were Graduate Degree (102,578 people), Bachelors Degree (24,230 people), and Associates Degree (4,397 people).

The graphic shows the Physician assistants workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Physician assistants from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Physician assistants need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Active Listening.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Physician Assistants from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Physician Assistants are expected to see a growth of 31.3% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

31.3%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Physician assistants. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.