Family Practice PA Salary Guide

The average annual family practice PA salary is $125,270 per year in the U.S., according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, family practice PAs make a total of $134,000 per year, according to Medscape’s 2023 physician assistant compensation report. 

Locum tenens family practice PA can make upwards of $86 per hour on average, however, there are many factors that impact rates including location, years of experience, and the level of demand.

If you were to extrapolate that rate over a year (at 40 hours per week), the average locum salary comes out to around $178,880. 

That means locum tenens family practice PAs can make up to 33% more than the average provider. However, making direct salary comparisons can be complicated. While perm family practice PAs are more likely to be salaried, locum tenens family practice PAs are independent contractors earning an hourly rate, which can vary based on which assignments they take in a year. 

Furthermore, because locum tenens family practice PA are paid by the hour, the hours they work are directly reflected in their pay, while a salaried family practice PA additional hours may not be reflected in their salary.

Finally, paid time off and insurance may be reflected in the perm family practice PA salary structure, but locum tenens providers do have options when it comes to health insurance. 

The most recent state breakdown of PA salaries comes from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, though the BLS was not able to collect enough data for all 50 states. That said, the top 5 highest paying states for PA salary are:

• Washington 
• California 
• Alaska
• Connecticut 
• Nevada

While the salaries for PAs by specialty have little differentiation, the setting in which PAs work can affect their compensation. The highest earning PAs by practice setting include: 

• Operating Rooms/Surgery (Average PA salary of $145,000)
• ICU (Average PA Salary of $142,000)
• Emergency Department/Urgent Care (Average PA Salary of $139,000)
• Acute Care Hospital/Inpatient Unit (Average PA Salary of 135,000)
• Medical Office/Clinic (Average PA Salary of $129,000)

The average PA salary increased by 4% from 2022 to 2023. Based on this information, family practice PAs can expect to make $139,360 in annual compensation in 2024. Also, Medscape reports that 59% of PAs have experienced an increase in their annual salaries from the previous year, indicating that family practice PA salaries will continue to rise in the future.