SOC 29-1071.00Bright outlook

    Physician Assistants

    Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician.

    Median pay
    $135,880
    Growth
    +21.1%
    Much faster than average
    Openings a year
    11,500
    Typical education
    Master's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $99,380
    Median
    $135,880
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $190,280
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    162,150 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Physician assistants provide essential healthcare services under a doctor's supervision, including conducting physical exams, treating patients, and prescribing medication. The career offers a strong median annual salary of $135,880.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What physician assistants do

    Job Zone 5: Extensive preparation

    Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. May, in some cases, prescribe medication. Must graduate from an accredited educational program for physician assistants.

    Most need a graduate degree, such as a master's, PhD, MD or JD.

    What the work is like

    Physician assistants spend their days assisting and caring for others by performing medical services typically handled by doctors. They gather patient information, analyze data, and make critical decisions to solve complex medical problems. These professionals must document patient records, interpret medical information for families, and maintain strong interpersonal relationships.

    Success in this role requires deep knowledge of medicine, biology, psychology, and therapy. Because they work closely with patients and other healthcare staff, physician assistants rely on active listening, social perceptiveness, and clear speaking skills. Their work style must reflect high levels of empathy, dependability, integrity, and stress tolerance. They must also exercise extreme attention to detail and cautiousness when treating patients.

    How to get there

    Entering this field requires extensive academic preparation. Most professionals need a graduate degree, and a master's degree is the typical education required to enter the career. Students often major in physician assistant residency or fellowship programs, or other allied health diagnostic, intervention, and treatment professions.

    Graduation from an accredited educational program for physician assistants is mandatory. Some states list a license for this work. Available certifications for this career include the Physician Assistant - Certified credential from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, the Healthcare CPD Associate, the Certified Ambulatory Surgery Technician, and the Vascular Access-Board Certified designation.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for physician assistants is $135,880. Earnings vary based on experience and setting, with the lowest 10% earning less than $99,380 and the highest 10% earning more than $190,280.

    With 162,150 people currently employed, the field is expanding rapidly. Employment is projected to grow by 21.1% from 2025 to 2035, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. This growth contributes to an estimated 11,500 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    50 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    66 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    3 / 100
    Social (S) · strongest
    82 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    16 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    58 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code SIC. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Assisting and Caring for Others
    99
    Getting Information
    97
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    96
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    95
    Documenting/Recording Information
    95
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    93
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    89
    Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
    87
    Analyzing Data or Information
    87
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    85
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Critical Thinking
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Active Listening
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Service Orientation
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Speaking
    • Writing
    • Active Learning
    • Complex Problem Solving

    Knowledge

    • Medicine and Dentistry
    • Biology
    • English Language
    • Psychology
    • Therapy and Counseling
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Education and Training
    • Sociology and Anthropology
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Chemistry

    Abilities

    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Information Ordering
    • Oral Expression
    • Speech Clarity
    • Speech Recognition
    • Written Comprehension
    • Written Expression

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Integrity
    • Cautiousness
    • Cooperation
    • Self-Control
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Empathy
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Social Orientation

    Also called

    Advanced Practice Provider (AAP) · Anesthetic Assistant · Cardiology Physician Assistant · Certified Physician Assistant (PA-C) · Certified Physician's Assistant (PA-C) · Doctor Assistant · Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant (Emergency Medicine PA) · Family Medicine PA (Family Medicine Physician Assistant) · Family Physician Assistant · Family Practice Physician Assistant

    Career pathway

    From your interests to physician assistants

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Physician Assistants$135,880 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Wagner College logo
      Wagner College

      Staten Island, NY · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $156,982
      Median debt
      $27,000
    2. 2St. John's University-New York logo
      St. John's University-New York

      Queens, NY · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $102,500
      4 yrs after
      $142,774
      Median debt
      $23,325
    3. 3John Patrick University of Health and Applied Sciences logo
      John Patrick University of Health and Applied Sciences

      South Bend, IN · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $112,673
      4 yrs after
      $122,061
      Median debt
      $23,437
    4. 4Saint Francis University logo
      Saint Francis University

      Loretto, PA · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $115,813
      Median debt
      $28,000
    5. 5D'Youville University logo
      D'Youville University

      Buffalo, NY · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $113,290
      4 yrs after
      $114,737
      Median debt
      $30,703
    6. 6Molloy College logo
      Molloy College

      Rockville Centre, NY · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $90,567
      4 yrs after
      $111,267
      Median debt
      Not reported
    7. 7Salisbury University logo
      Salisbury University

      Salisbury, MD · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $75,312
      4 yrs after
      $109,739
      Median debt
      $23,250
    8. 8Long Island University logo
      Long Island University

      Brookville, NY · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $90,526
      4 yrs after
      $107,539
      Median debt
      $22,000

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What physician assistants may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work. Showing 12 of 22.

    • Acute Care Medicine Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
    • Acute Care Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
    • Cardiology Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
    • Cardiothoracic Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
    • Combined Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
    • Critical Care and Trauma Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
    • Critical Care Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
    • Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
    • ENT Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
    • Family Medicine Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
    • Geriatrics Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
    • Hematology-Oncology Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    54 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Federal

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about physician assistants

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What is the typical education needed to become a physician assistant?

    To enter this career, you typically need a master's degree. You must also graduate from an accredited educational program specifically designed for physician assistants.

    What are the licensing and certification options for this career?

    Some states list a license for this work. Professionals can also earn credentials such as the Physician Assistant - Certified designation, the Healthcare CPD Associate, or the Vascular Access-Board Certified credential.

    How fast is employment in this field expected to grow?

    Employment is projected to grow by 21.1% from 2025 to 2035, which is much faster than the average. This expansion is expected to result in 11,500 job openings each year.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.