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Hospitals
Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, HCA Healthcare
Physician Assistants
Physician assistants examine patients, order tests, prescribe or administer treatment, and help manage care across specialties from primary care to anesthesia. The job stands out because it mixes a broad medical scope with close physician supervision, so you get a lot of responsibility without full independent practice. The tradeoff is clear: strong pay and growing demand, but a long graduate-school path and limited autonomy compared with physicians.
Also known as Physician AssociatePA-CCertified Physician AssistantLicensed Physician AssistantPA
Median Salary
$133,260
Mean $136,900
U.S. Workforce
~156K
12K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+20.4%
162.7K to 195.8K
Entry Education
Master's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Physician Assistants sits in the Healthcare category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~156K workers, with a median annual pay of $133,260 and roughly 12K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 162.7 K in 2024 to 195.8K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Master's Degree in Physician Assistant Studies, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Medical Assistant and can progress toward Senior Physician Assistant. High-value skills usually include Electronic Health Records (Epic, Cerner & Athenahealth), Patient Assessment & Physical Exams, and Diagnostic Testing (X-rays, EKGs & Lab Orders), paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, and Critical Thinking.
Core Responsibilities
- Ask patients about their symptoms, review their history, and perform a physical exam to figure out what is going on.
- Order or review tests such as lab work, X-rays, and EKGs to help confirm a diagnosis.
- Provide hands-on help in urgent situations, including airway support, CPR, and other life-saving measures.
- Check and prepare medical equipment, medicines, gases, and monitors before procedures or surgeries.
Keep exploring: more Healthcare careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Ask patients about their symptoms, review their history, and perform a physical exam to figure out what is going on.
02 Order or review tests such as lab work, X-rays, and EKGs to help confirm a diagnosis.
03 Provide hands-on help in urgent situations, including airway support, CPR, and other life-saving measures.
04 Check and prepare medical equipment, medicines, gases, and monitors before procedures or surgeries.
05 Explain treatment plans and coach patients on medications, follow-up care, recovery, and everyday health habits.
06 Keep up with new clinical methods and write clear notes in the medical record so the care team stays aligned.
Industries That Hire
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Physicians' Offices
Kaiser Permanente, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Mass General Brigham
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Urgent Care Centers
CityMD, Carbon Health, GoHealth Urgent Care
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Anesthesiology Services
NorthStar Anesthesia, U.S. Anesthesia Partners, Envision Healthcare
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Government and Veterans' Health
Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Indian Health Service
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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Pay is strong: the median annual wage is $133,260 and the mean is $136,900, which is high for a role centered on direct patient care.
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Job growth is projected at 20.4% from 2024 to 2034, with about 12,000 openings a year, so demand should stay healthy.
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BLS lists no required work experience or on-the-job training, so once you finish the education and licensing path, you can move straight into practice.
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The work is varied, combining exams, tests, treatment counseling, and sometimes emergency support instead of repeating the same task all day.
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You can work in many settings, from hospitals and specialty groups to urgent care and outpatient clinics, which gives you more options than many healthcare jobs.
Challenges
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The education path is long and expensive: most workers hold a master's degree, and that usually means years of graduate study plus supervised clinical training before you can start.
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The job can be high-pressure because it includes CPR, airway management, and quick decisions when a patient is unstable or in pain.
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Remote work is rare because most of the job depends on in-person exams, procedures, and hands-on monitoring.
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The pay is strong, but the career ceiling is still below a physician's, so earnings can plateau unless you move into a specialty or leadership role.
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Autonomy is limited by supervising-physician rules and state scope-of-practice laws, which can restrict how independently you practice and prescribe.
Career Progression
Medical Assistant
0-2 years
$33K-$44K
Builds basic clinical experience by taking vitals, preparing patients, and supporting the care team.
New Physician Assistant
2-4 years
$108K-$125K
Works under close supervision while learning specialty workflows, common procedures, and documentation standards.
Physician Assistant THIS ROLE
4-8 years
$126K-$149K
Handles patient exams, orders tests, helps choose treatment plans, and manages a steady mix of routine and complex cases.
Senior Physician Assistant
8-15 years
$150K-$178K
Takes on harder cases, mentors newer staff, and may help shape protocols or support a specialized service line.
Education Paths
Master's Degree in Physician Assistant Studies
The main entry point, held by 61.38% of workers in the data and matching BLS's typical master's-degree requirement.
First Professional Degree in a Related Health Field
A smaller route, reported by 14.01% of workers, usually built on earlier clinical training before PA preparation.
Post-Secondary Certificate with Prior Clinical Experience
Reported by 8.4% of workers, but usually paired with substantial healthcare experience rather than used on its own.
Accredited PA Program Plus PANCE and State Licensure
Not a separate degree path, but an essential credentialing step after training because you must pass the licensing exam and meet state practice rules.
Key Skills
Technical
Electronic Health Records (Epic, Cerner & Athenahealth) 66%
Patient Assessment & Physical Exams 64%
Diagnostic Testing (X-rays, EKGs & Lab Orders) 63%
Airway Management & Anesthesia Equipment 62%
ACLS, BLS & PALS Emergency Response 61%
Medication Management & Prescribing 60%
Clinical Documentation & Charting 58%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingJudgment and Decision MakingMonitoringSpeaking Job Outlook and Trends
+20.4%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
12K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 162.7K to 195.8 K over the next decade, representing 20.4% growth. Around 12 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.