Research Summary. After extensive research by the Zippia data science team, we identified these details of physician assistant salary by state for the United States:
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Vermont has the highest physician assistant salary of $162,792
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Idaho has the lowest physician assistant salary of $71,728
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The national average salary for physician assistants is $118,812
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The national hourly pay for physician assistants is $57.12
You can read more on the specific methodology.
Background
Salary remains one of the most critical factors for job seekers, even in an evolving job market where flexibility and work-life balance are increasingly prioritized. As a physician assistant, understanding the salary landscape in your area is essential to making informed career decisions. While salaries can vary significantly based on location, experience, and specialty, the following data provides a comprehensive overview of average salaries for physician assistants across the United States.
Vermont consistently tops the list as the state with the highest average salary for physician assistants. Here’s a snapshot of the top ten states for physician assistant salaries:
Let’s delve deeper into how these figures were derived and explore the complete ranking of all states.
Highest-Paid Physician Assistants By State
| Rank | State | Average Physician Assistant Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $162,792 | $107,000 | $245,000 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $162,367 | $108,000 | $243,000 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $151,153 | $98,000 | $231,000 |
| 4 | New York | $149,785 | $97,000 | $229,000 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $146,963 | $95,000 | $226,000 |
| 6 | Maine | $144,516 | $92,000 | $225,000 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $141,452 | $90,000 | $221,000 |
| 8 | Alaska | $135,058 | $90,000 | $201,000 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $131,190 | $82,000 | $208,000 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $130,301 | $82,000 | $205,000 |
| 11 | Delaware | $128,444 | $80,000 | $204,000 |
| 12 | Maryland | $127,697 | $80,000 | $203,000 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $125,535 | $77,000 | $202,000 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $124,859 | $77,000 | $200,000 |
| 15 | Ohio | $124,609 | $77,000 | $201,000 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $122,175 | $76,000 | $196,000 |
| 17 | California | $120,319 | $74,000 | $194,000 |
| 18 | Michigan | $116,654 | $71,000 | $191,000 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $116,212 | $70,000 | $190,000 |
| 20 | Virginia | $114,196 | $70,000 | $185,000 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $112,720 | $69,000 | $183,000 |
| 22 | Nevada | $112,065 | $69,000 | $180,000 |
| 23 | Illinois | $110,651 | $67,000 | $181,000 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $110,215 | $67,000 | $180,000 |
| 25 | Arkansas | $107,046 | $66,000 | $173,000 |
| 26 | Washington | $104,874 | $67,000 | $163,000 |
| 27 | Arizona | $103,999 | $63,000 | $169,000 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $103,529 | $64,000 | $166,000 |
| 29 | Indiana | $103,339 | $62,000 | $170,000 |
| 30 | Iowa | $101,704 | $62,000 | $166,000 |
| 31 | Oregon | $101,655 | $63,000 | $162,000 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $99,618 | $60,000 | $163,000 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $98,986 | $61,000 | $158,000 |
| 34 | Florida | $98,560 | $59,000 | $162,000 |
| 35 | Texas | $98,184 | $59,000 | $162,000 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $96,303 | $58,000 | $159,000 |
| 37 | Georgia | $94,580 | $56,000 | $156,000 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $93,698 | $58,000 | $149,000 |
| 39 | Colorado | $92,605 | $60,000 | $142,000 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $92,009 | $60,000 | $139,000 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $91,644 | $57,000 | $145,000 |
| 42 | Utah | $91,069 | $59,000 | $138,000 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $90,714 | $54,000 | $150,000 |
| 44 | Kansas | $90,521 | $56,000 | $145,000 |
| 45 | Montana | $90,518 | $62,000 | $131,000 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $88,727 | $55,000 | $142,000 |
| 47 | Missouri | $84,519 | $51,000 | $138,000 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $82,546 | $49,000 | $137,000 |
| 49 | Alabama | $77,773 | $47,000 | $128,000 |
| 50 | Idaho | $71,728 | $48,000 | $107,000 |
Methodology: Physician Assistant Salary By State
To better understand physician assistant pay by state, Zippia has aggregated data from various sources including the BLS, FLC, and OPM, in addition to actual salaries listed in job postings. Our data science team processes this information to calculate a weighted average salary for physician assistants across each state.
We ranked the states based on their average annual salaries, with Vermont emerging as the highest-paying state for physician assistants.
Physician Assistant Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for physician assistants?
The highest-paid state for physician assistants is Vermont with an average salary of $162,792 per year.
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What city pays physician assistants the most?
Boston, MA pays physician assistants the most with an average salary of $172,215 per year.
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What is the worst state for physician assistants?
The worst state for physician assistants is Idaho with an average salary of $71,728 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
