Understanding the Medical Profession - Physician's Assistant (Part 2)

Level 5 - Ivy League

Welcome back! Previously, we discussed the specific educational considerations for becoming a physician assistant (PA), with a focus on the application and preparation process.

If you missed it, you can read about it here:

Understanding The Medical Profession - Physician's Assistants (Part 1)

In today’s post, we will focus on:

• Salary considerations for PAs

• Job prospects and expected growth

Part 1: Salary Considerations

For anyone considering the PA role, the amount of money that can be earned is going to be very important. Let’s face it - if you need a master’s degree to become a PA, no one wants to go into all of the debt required to become a PA only to find out that they will be working for low compensation.

No matter what profession you choose, always know how you will be compensated.

How are PA’s compensated?

PA compensation can vary, but there are basically three components:

1. Salary

2. Bonus

3. Professional Development Benefits

For the sake of simplicity, we have not included common employee benefits such as life insurance, health insurance, or dental.

Salary

One of the most common questions is how PAs and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) compare to one another in salary. As seen below, PAs and NPs tend to earn the same amount.

Average annual pay for nurse practitioners by the level of experience (per BLS):

• 1-4 Years of Experience: $81,410

• 5-9 Years of Experience: $92,790

• 10-19 Years of Experience: $127,030

• 20+ Years Experience: $152,160

Average annual pay for physician assistants by the level of experience:

• 1-4 Years of Experience: $92,800

• 5-9 Years of Experience: $112,260

• 10-19 Years of Experience: $130,530

• 20+ Years Experience: $157,120