There were about 145,700 physician assistant jobs in the U.S. as of May 2023 according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Physician assistants mostly work in physician offices and hospital facilities, with smaller numbers of PAs working in outpatient care centers, academic institutions, and offices of other types of healthcare practitioners. Because of their training and the range of supervised physician services they can provide, physician assistants generally earn more than most healthcare occupations, excluding certain high-skill clinical occupations in medicine and dentistry. The BLS estimated that, as of May 2023, the national mean wage for physician assistants was $130,490 per year. There is, however, wide variation in the average annual wages earned by physician assistants from state to state. According to BLS data, here are the ten best and worst states for physician assistant pay (based on annual mean wage levels) as of May 2023:
The Best and Worst States for Physician Assistant Pay
| Best Paying States | |
| Nevada | $154,800 |
| California | $153,960 |
| Washington | $152,800 |
| Connecticut | $149,300 |
| Alaska | $148,480 |
| New Jersey | $148,350 |
| Oregon | $141,810 |
| Vermont | $139,850 |
| Wyoming | $139,060 |
| New York | $138,410 |
| Worst Paying States | |
| Pennsylvania | $119,760 |
| Kansas | $119,470 |
| Maryland | $117,280 |
| Georgia | $115,650 |
| South Carolina | $114,310 |
| Idaho | $113,870 |
| Tennessee | $113,690 |
| Kentucky | $99,290 |
| Alabama | $96,210 |
| Arkansas | $88,720 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on April 20, 2024
