The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) most recent occupational employment data put physician assistant (PA) employment in the U.S. at just under 141,000 as of May 2022.  The twelve-state Southeastern U.S. was home to almost 34,000 of those physician assistants according to the BLS data.  BLS data revealed the region to be among the worst in the nation for physician assistant pay levels.  The mean annual wage for physician assistants failed to top the national average in any Southeastern state.  Moreover, the profession's median annual wage, which is the point on the wage scale that separates the top and bottom half of wage earners, was below the national average of $126,010 in every Southeastern state.  A further examination of BLS data from May 2022 revealed the following about physician assistant pay in the Southeastern U.S.:

Physician Assistant Pay in the Southeastern U.S.

State	# Employed	Mean Annual Wage	Median Annual Wage
AL	760	$94,220	$91,580
AR	840	$68,270	$49,780
FL	8,480	$110,930	$109,160
GA	4,950	$113,260	$108,490
KY	1,150	$105,980	$105,840
LA	1,830	$119,600	$115,400
MS	360	$77,290	$58,910
NC	7,150	$119,830	$121,980
SC	1,730	$106,200	$104,260
TN	1,980	$106,110	$104,400
VA	4,230	$118,920	$119,440
WV	530	$114,260	$109,100
U.S.	140,910	$125,270	$126,010

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on September 9, 2023