The Educational Requirements and Salary of a Physician Assistant
- All 50 states and the District of Columbia require candidates for a physician assistant license to complete an accredited physician assistant training program, typically from a college or university. Some community colleges, allied health schools, medical schools and teaching hospitals also offer accredited physician assistant programs. Some candidates gain their physician assistant training through the military. The average physician assistant candidate can complete this training program in 26 months, according to CNN Money. Coursework typically includes classroom studies in such subjects as biochemistry, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, physical diagnosis and medical ethics. Physician assistant candidates may also participate in clinical and laboratory work. All 50 states and the District of Columbia require candidates to pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination.
- The median annual income for physician assistants at all levels of experience from across the United States was $86,410 as of May 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bottom 10 percent of physician assistants earned less than $57,450 per year, while the top 10 percent earned annual wages in excess of $117,720. The middle 50 percent of U.S.-based physician assistants earned between $73,040 and $101,690 per year.
- More physician assistants worked in California than in any other state as of May 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. California-based physician assistants earned mean annual wages of $93,660. Physician assistants who worked in Washington state earned the highest mean annual wages in the country for their employment category at $98,620. Physician assistants who worked in major metropolitan regions tended to earn higher wages than those who worked in rural communities. Those who worked in the Amarillo, Texas metro area earned the highest wages of any metro area in the country at $135,620 per year.
- More than half of all physician assistants worked in private doctors' offices as of May 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Physician assistants who worked in doctors' offices earned median annual wages of $87,150. General medical hospitals and surgical hospitals also provided a significant source of employment for physician assistants. Those who worked in hospital settings earned mean annual wages of $89,310. Employment services provided significantly fewer job opportunities for physician assistants, but offered the highest wages for the employment category at $104,860 per year.