PA Salary Guide

The average annual PA salary is $126,010 per year in the U.S., according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, PAs can make a total of $134,000 per year, according to Medscape’s 2023 physician assistant compensation report.  

Medscape also reports that 55% of PAs experienced an increase in gross income from last year, making this a lucrative profession. Also, the United States Bureau of Statistics reports a 27% increase in PA jobs within the next decade, which is roughly 9 times than the national average

Locum tenens PAs can make upwards of $100 per hour on average, however, there are many factors that impact rates including specialty, 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 $208,000. 

That means locum tenens PA can make up to 65% more than the average provider, depending on this specialty. However, making direct salary comparisons can be complicated. While perm PAs are more likely to be salaried, locum tenens PAs are independent contractors earning an hourly rate, which can vary based on which assignments they take in a year. 

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

Finally, paid time off and insurance may be reflected in the perm PAs 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 salaries include:

• Alaska (PA Salary of $131,340- $145,390) 
• California (PA Salary of $131,340- $145,390) 
• Connecticut (PA Salary of $131,340- $145,390) 
• Nevada (PA Salary of $131,340- $145,390) 
• Washington (PA Salary of $131,340- $145,390)

PAs are within the top ten earners of healthcare practitioners. The top five specialties (general physicians and surgeons, dentists, podiatrists, pharmacists, and medical dosimetrists) all reported annual income of greater than $128,000 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Healthcare Occupations Overview 

PA salaries have slightly increased, from $118,00 in 2020 to $129,000 in 2023. A safe estimate is that PAs will make close to what they did in 2023, meaning that PAs will make around $133,000 in annual salary in 2024. Considering that more than half of PAs reported an increase in their salaries from 2022 to 2023, it is fair to say that this profession will continue to be lucrative in upcoming years.