# Physician Assistants

> 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/physician-assistants
- SOC code: 29-1071.00
- Career family: Healthcare practitioners
- Median annual pay: $135,880 (10th percentile $99,380, 90th percentile $190,280)
- Projected growth: Much faster than average, +21.1%
- Openings a year: 11,500
- Typical entry education: Master's degree
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code SIC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 50 |
| Investigative (I) | 66 |
| Artistic (A) | 3 |
| Social (S) | 82 |
| Enterprising (E) | 16 |
| Conventional (C) | 58 |

## What you'd do

- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 99/100)
- Getting Information (importance 97/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 96/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 95/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 95/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 93/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 89/100)
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others (importance 87/100)
- Analyzing Data or Information (importance 87/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 85/100)

## 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

## 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

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5109) (CIP 5109, 1,504 colleges)
- Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Programs (CIP 6009, 1 college)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Wagner College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/wagner-college-3148) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | not reported | $156,982 | $27,000 |
| [St. John's University-New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/st-john-s-university-new-york-2579) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $102,500 | $142,774 | $23,325 |
| [John Patrick University of Health and Applied Sciences](https://www.collegesref.com/college/john-patrick-university-of-health-and-applied-sciences-1341) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $112,673 | $122,061 | $23,437 |
| [Saint Francis University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/saint-francis-university-2301) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | not reported | $115,813 | $28,000 |
| [D'Youville University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/d-youville-university-755) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $113,290 | $114,737 | $30,703 |
| [Molloy College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/molloy-college-1749) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $90,567 | $111,267 | not reported |
| [Salisbury University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/salisbury-university-2329) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $75,312 | $109,739 | $23,250 |
| [Long Island University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/long-island-university-1520) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $90,526 | $107,539 | $22,000 |

## Related careers

- [Emergency Medicine Physicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/emergency-medicine-physicians): $335,550 median pay
- [Family Medicine Physicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/family-medicine-physicians): $244,180 median pay
- [Pediatric Surgeons](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/pediatric-surgeons): $559,030 median pay
- [Cardiologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cardiologists): $496,010 median pay
- [Nurse Practitioners](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/nurse-practitioners): $132,300 median pay
- [Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/orthopedic-surgeons-except-pediatric): $358,550 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

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.