Physician Assistants Salary
At a glance (May 2024, national)
- Median pay
- $133,260/yr
- Mean (average) pay
- $136,900/yr
- Employment
- 155,540
- Median hourly
- $64.07/hr
May 2024 national BLS data. Figures are national medians and percentiles from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS (May 2024); your local market, employer and experience will differ. Wage data ages — this reflects the May 2024 release, verified June 2026. Informational only, not career, salary-negotiation or financial advice.
As of the May 2024 BLS data, Physician Assistants earn a national median of $133,260/yr and a mean (average) of $136,900/yr. Pay spreads across the field: the lowest-paid tenth earn around $95,240 a year while the highest-paid tenth earn about $182,200. National employment for this occupation is roughly 155,540.
These are national figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and are not adjusted for your state, city, employer or years of experience — your local market can sit well above or below the national median. Any figure shown as “not released” or with a “≥” cap is a BLS suppression, not an estimate we filled in. This page is informational, not salary-negotiation or financial advice.
| Pay percentile | Annual wage (May 2024) |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry) | $95,240 |
| 25th percentile | $113,770 |
| Median (50th) | $133,260 |
| 75th percentile | $160,160 |
| 90th percentile (top) | $182,200 |
How to read this pay range
The numbers above are national BLS figures. The median is the middle of the field — half earn more, half earn less — and is usually a better guide than the mean, which a few very high earners can pull upward. The 10th-to-90th percentile band shows the spread: roughly where the lowest- and highest-paid in the field sit. It reflects the whole distribution (region, employer, experience and specialty all feed it) — it is not a literal ladder of years-of-experience steps.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Physician Assistants?
The national median annual wage is $133,260/yr as of the May 2024 BLS OEWS release. That is the midpoint — half the field earns more and half earns less; your local market and experience will differ.
Why is a figure shown as 'not released' or with a '≥' sign?
Those are BLS suppression flags, kept verbatim: a wage at or above the BLS cap is shown as ≥ $239,200/yr, and figures BLS does not publish are marked 'not released'. We never replace a suppressed value with an invented number.
Is this salary-negotiation advice?
No. These are national wage statistics for information only, not career, salary-negotiation or financial advice.
How to become a Physician Assistants → · Pay across the range → · All Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations →
Wage figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 national (public domain), verified June 2026. How we compile this. National figures — your market differs.