Physician Assistant Salary Calculator

Physician assistant salary refers to the total annual compensation earned by a licensed PA-C for providing medical diagnosis, treatment, and preventive care services under physician supervision or collaborative agreement.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the 2023 national median salary for physician assistants at $126,010 per year — placing PAs among the highest-paid non-physician clinicians in the United States. [BLS OES, May 2023] The top 10% of PAs earn more than $168,000 annually.

Physician assistants hold at least a master's degree from an ARC-PA accredited program and must pass the PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam) for initial licensure. Recertification requires the PANRE every 10 years. The profession falls under SOC code 29-1071 in the BLS classification system.

Compensation varies sharply by specialty, setting, and state. A new PA in family medicine in Mississippi may earn $90,000. A surgical PA in Connecticut with 12 years of experience and a CAQ credential can exceed $160,000. Understanding all five salary variables produces the most accurate benchmark for negotiation or financial planning purposes.

To calculate a physician assistant's estimated annual salary, start with the BLS national median base, then apply five multiplicative factors: experience, specialty, state, practice setting, and credential premium.

Annual Salary = Base × Experience Factor × Specialty Factor × State Factor × Setting Factor × Credential Factor

1. Step 1 — Set the BLS base: $126,010 for physician assistants in all settings. Prefill national median →
2. Step 2 — Apply experience factor: 0.84 (0–1 yr) through 1.18 (15+ yr). Each tier reflects market-reported PA wage progression from AAPA data.
3. Step 3 — Apply specialty factor: Surgical PAs earn the highest coefficient (1.18); primary care carries the baseline (1.00). Emergency medicine, cardiology, and orthopedics cluster above 1.10.
4. Step 4 — Apply state geographic factor: Connecticut leads at 1.26 (BLS mean $158,890). National baseline = 1.00.
5. Step 5 — Apply setting factor: Locum tenens contracts add a 20–28% gross premium over equivalent W-2 roles.
6. Step 6 — Apply credential factor: A CAQ adds 3–7% depending on specialty. DMSc / DScPA degree adds ~3–5% in academic roles.
7. Step 7 — Convert to hourly: Divide annual salary by total hours worked per year.

Hourly Rate = Annual Salary ÷ (Hours/Week × (52 − Weeks Off))

Physician assistant salary multipliers translate national median data into role-specific estimates. The specialty coefficient drives the largest single variable in PA compensation — a gap of 18 percentage points separates the lowest and highest specialty brackets.

[Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2023 — SOC 29-1071]

This worked example calculates an estimated annual salary for a Connecticut-based physician assistant practicing surgical specialty care with 10 years of experience, a CAQ in Surgery, and hospital employment — a high-earning profile validated by AAPA and BLS data.

1. Base salary: $126,010 (BLS national median, 2023)
2. Experience factor (7–15 years = 1.13): $126,010 × 1.13 = $142,391
3. Specialty factor (Surgery = 1.18): $142,391 × 1.18 = $168,021
4. State factor (Connecticut = 1.26): $168,021 × 1.26 = $211,706
5. Setting factor (Hospital = 1.05): $211,706 × 1.05 = $222,291
6. CAQ Surgery credential (= 1.06): $222,291 × 1.06 = $235,629
7. Hourly rate (40 hr/wk, 49 working weeks): $235,629 ÷ 1,960 = $120.22/hr

This scenario reflects a top-decile PA compensation profile. Multiple premium factors stack — the highest-paying state, highest-paying specialty, hospital employment, and a specialty CAQ credential. Not all factors compound linearly in every real-world market. Use this as an upper-range benchmark rather than a guarantee. [AAPA Salary Report, 2023; BLS OES, May 2023]

$126,010 × 1.13 × 1.18 × 1.26 × 1.05 × 1.06 = ~$235,629

Physician assistant salary varies significantly by practice setting — a dimension that AAPA data captures more granularly than BLS surveys, which aggregate across all environments. Understanding the setting premium is essential for PAs considering hospital employment versus private practice or contract work.

Hospital and health system employment pays the highest consistent base salaries, driven by structured compensation scales, RVU bonuses, and retention incentives. Academic medical centers add a research and teaching component but often trail community hospitals by 5–10% in direct compensation. [AAPA Salary Report, 2023]

Locum tenens is the hidden salary ceiling for physician assistants. A PA working locum contracts in emergency medicine or surgery can earn $115–$180 per hour as a 1099 contractor, plus tax-free housing and travel stipends. Annualized over 46 working weeks, this creates a total compensation range of $207,000–$324,000 — figures rarely cited in standard salary guides because they sit outside BLS W-2 frameworks.

A critical but underreported factor is the FQHC / community health center setting. PAs in Federally Qualified Health Centers qualify for the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program, which awards up to $50,000 tax-free for two years of service. This effectively adds $25,000 per year in total compensation value on top of a base salary of $105,000–$115,000 — making FQHCs financially competitive with higher-paying private practices for PAs with student loan debt. [HRSA NHSC, 2024]

This physician assistant salary calculator serves four primary decision contexts: evaluating a new job offer, planning a specialty or state transition, benchmarking current pay against market data, and building a financial projection for student loan repayment planning.

Combine this calculator's multi-factor estimate with state-level BLS OES data for SOC 29-1071 and the AAPA Salary Report for the strongest possible negotiation foundation. No single source captures all five variables simultaneously. [BLS SOC 29-1071; AAPA Salary Report, 2023]

What is the average physician assistant salary in the United States?

The average physician assistant salary in the United States is $126,010 per year, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2023. The top 10% of physician assistants earn more than $168,000 annually.

How do you calculate a physician assistant's hourly rate?

To calculate a physician assistant's hourly rate, divide the annual salary by total hours worked per year. A physician assistant earning $126,010 working 40 hours per week for 49 weeks earns approximately $64.29 per hour.

Which state pays physician assistants the most?

Connecticut pays physician assistants the most, with a BLS-reported mean annual wage of $158,890 in May 2023. Washington and Alaska rank second and third, with mean wages of $153,720 and $151,270 respectively.

Which physician assistant specialty pays the highest salary?

Surgical specialties pay physician assistants the highest salary, typically 15–20% above the national PA median. Cardiology and orthopedic surgery follow closely, with mean specialty salaries ranging from $141,000 to $149,000 annually.

Do locum tenens physician assistants earn more than staff PAs?

Locum tenens physician assistants typically earn 25–45% more in gross hourly pay than equivalent staff PAs, plus tax-free stipends. A locum PA in emergency medicine or surgery can reach $150,000–$280,000 in total annual gross compensation.

Does a CAQ certification increase physician assistant salary?

A CAQ (Certificate of Added Qualification) increases physician assistant salary by 3–7% depending on specialty. CAQ — Surgery and CAQ — Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery carry the largest documented premiums in hospital and academic medical center settings.

How much do new graduate physician assistants earn?

New graduate physician assistants earn approximately $95,000–$108,000 annually in their first year of practice, representing 84–86% of the national median. Starting salaries vary by specialty and state, with surgical new grads typically earning above the primary care average.

Is a physician assistant salary higher than a nurse practitioner salary?

Physician assistant salary and nurse practitioner salary are closely comparable. The BLS reports the 2023 median for nurse practitioners at $124,680 versus $126,010 for physician assistants — a $1,330 gap in favor of PAs, with both professions showing regional and specialty-specific inversions.

Understanding physician assistant compensation terminology helps PAs compare offers accurately, evaluate total compensation packages, and negotiate from a position of knowledge.

BLS OES Survey (SOC 29-1071)

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey — the primary federal source for U.S. PA wage data, published each May. SOC code 29-1071 covers all physician assistants.

AAPA Salary Report

The American Academy of Physician Associates annual compensation survey covering PA salary, benefits, and productivity by specialty, setting, state, and experience level. The most clinically granular PA-specific salary dataset available.

CAQ (Certificate of Added Qualification)

A post-professional credential issued by NCCPA in six specialty areas — Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery, Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery, Psychiatry, and Hospital Medicine. Adds 3–7% to average PA salary.

RVU (Relative Value Unit)

A Medicare-based productivity measure that assigns a standardized work value to each clinical service. Many PA compensation plans include an RVU bonus threshold — PAs generating above benchmark RVUs earn additional pay above base salary.

Locum Tenens

Temporary contract clinical work typically structured as 1099 independent contractor arrangements. Locum PAs earn higher gross hourly rates than W-2 equivalents, plus tax-free housing and travel stipends.

Tail Coverage (Malpractice)

An insurance policy purchased when a clinician leaves a claims-made malpractice policy, covering claims filed after departure for incidents that occurred during employment. Costs $8,000–$20,000 as a lump sum — a negotiable benefit in PA employment contracts.

NHSC Loan Repayment

The National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program awards up to $50,000 tax-free to eligible clinicians — including PAs — who serve at least two years in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). Effective annual value: up to $25,000 per year beyond salary.

The data, multipliers, and benchmarks in this physician assistant salary calculator draw from primary federal and professional association sources — not third-party aggregators.