Data published recently by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put physician assistant (PA) employment in the U.S. at nearly 141,000 as of May 2022.  The Great Plains region of the country was home to just over 8,900 of those physician assistants according to the BLS data.  BLS data revealed physician assistant pay levels in the region to be generally lower than national averages.  Only Minnesota had a PA mean annual wage level that topped the national average.  And no Great Plains state had a PA median annual wage, which is the mid-point on the wage scale between the upper and lower halves of wage earners, that exceeded the national average of $126,010.  A closer examination of BLS data from May 2022 details the following about physician assistant pay in the Great Plains region:

Physician Assistant Pay in the Great Plains Region

State	# Employed	Mean Annual Wage	Median Annual Wage
IA	1,140	$123,490	$125,240
KS	870	$114,470	$108,090
MN	3,530	$125,680	$124,440
MO	1,100	$111,610	$109,540
NE	1,410	$120,740	$120,260
ND	310	$122,590	$125,750
SD	570	$119,010	$122,550
U.S.	140,910	$125,270	$126,010

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on September 10, 2023