Physician Assistants Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for physician assistants is $135,880, or $65.33 per hour. About 162,150 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $165,690 in New Jersey to $104,960 in Alabama.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 51 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $165,690 | $79.66 | 4,790 | 1.07 |
| 2 | California | $165,650 | $79.64 | 13,600 | 0.72 |
| 3 | Washington | $164,360 | $79.02 | 3,540 | 0.96 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $164,050 | $78.87 | 530 | 0.81 |
| 5 | New York | $160,880 | $77.35 | 19,140 | 1.90 |
| 6 | Oregon | $155,780 | $74.89 | 2,250 | 1.09 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $150,960 | $72.58 | 1,060 | 1.49 |
| 8 | Alaska | $150,700 | $72.45 | 700 | 2.07 |
| 9 | Vermont | $150,490 | $72.35 | 410 | 1.30 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $142,410 | $68.47 | 4,470 | 1.18 |
| 11 | Montana | $141,470 | $68.02 | 600 | 1.13 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $141,190 | $67.88 | 3,660 | 1.19 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $139,930 | $67.27 | 810 | 1.56 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $139,920 | $67.27 | 700 | 0.78 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $139,860 | $67.24 | 3,570 | 2.02 |
| 16 | Delaware | $139,350 | $67.00 | 860 | 1.69 |
| 17 | Maryland | $137,560 | $66.13 | 2,950 | 1.02 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $136,550 | $65.65 | 1,770 | 0.99 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $136,080 | $65.42 | 330 | 1.12 |
| 20 | Virginia | $135,940 | $65.36 | 4,340 | 1.01 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $135,140 | $64.97 | 470 | 0.64 |
| 22 | Missouri | $135,130 | $64.96 | 2,300 | 0.75 |
| 23 | Iowa | $134,770 | $64.79 | 1,200 | 0.74 |
| 24 | Utah | $134,740 | $64.78 | 1,610 | 0.89 |
| 25 | Nevada | $134,660 | $64.74 | 1,090 | 0.67 |
| 26 | Arizona | $134,650 | $64.73 | 3,750 | 1.11 |
| 27 | Texas | $134,550 | $64.69 | 10,110 | 0.69 |
| 28 | Colorado | $134,540 | $64.68 | 3,270 | 1.09 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $133,950 | $64.40 | 3,580 | 1.17 |
| 30 | Idaho | $133,790 | $64.32 | 1,320 | 1.48 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $133,450 | $64.16 | 510 | 1.15 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $133,200 | $64.04 | 680 | 1.43 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $133,040 | $63.96 | 1,330 | 1.24 |
| 34 | Ohio | $132,090 | $63.51 | 4,900 | 0.85 |
| 35 | Indiana | $132,050 | $63.49 | 2,110 | 0.63 |
| 36 | Illinois | $131,950 | $63.44 | 3,790 | 0.60 |
| 37 | Michigan | $131,510 | $63.23 | 6,310 | 1.37 |
| 38 | Maine | $131,170 | $63.06 | 1,030 | 1.54 |
| 39 | Florida | $129,620 | $62.32 | 9,310 | 0.90 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $129,360 | $62.19 | 7,490 | 1.45 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $128,870 | $61.96 | 1,360 | 0.68 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $128,610 | $61.83 | 1,080 | 1.47 |
| 43 | Pennsylvania | $127,070 | $61.09 | 9,020 | 1.43 |
| 44 | Kansas | $125,640 | $60.41 | 890 | 0.59 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $122,490 | $58.89 | 2,250 | 0.94 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $120,760 | $58.06 | 1,360 | 0.65 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $118,430 | $56.94 | 850 | 0.62 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $118,240 | $56.85 | 2,240 | 0.65 |
| 49 | Georgia | $115,390 | $55.48 | 5,610 | 1.10 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $105,920 | $50.92 | 320 | 0.26 |
| 51 | Alabama | $104,960 | $50.46 | 930 | 0.42 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do physician assistants make?
The median annual wage for physician assistants in the United States is $135,880, or $65.33 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $99,380, and the top 10% earn $190,280.
How many physician assistants are employed in the U.S.?
About 162,150 people work as physician assistants nationwide.
Which state pays physician assistants the most?
New Jersey pays the most at a median of $165,690, followed by California ($165,650) and Washington ($164,360).
Which state pays physician assistants the least?
Alabama has the lowest median at $104,960.
Where are physician assistants jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Alaska at 2.07×.