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Certified nurse practitioner vs physician assistant

The differences between certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physician assistant has an average salary of $118,812, which is higher than the $102,331 average annual salary of a certified nurse practitioner.

The top three skills for a certified nurse practitioner include patients, primary care and vital signs. The most important skills for a physician assistant are patients, diagnostic tests, and surgery.

Certified nurse practitioner vs physician assistant overview

Certified Nurse PractitionerPhysician Assistant
Yearly salary$102,331$118,812
Hourly rate$49.20$57.12
Growth rate40%28%
Number of jobs82,54439,752
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 31%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age4339
Years of experience2-

Certified nurse practitioner vs physician assistant salary

Certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Certified Nurse PractitionerPhysician Assistant
Average salary$102,331$118,812
Salary rangeBetween $59,000 And $176,000Between $70,000 And $201,000
Highest paying CityElizabeth, NJBoston, MA
Highest paying stateConnecticutVermont
Best paying companyAlameda Health SystemMarshall University
Best paying industryHealth CareEducation

Differences between certified nurse practitioner and physician assistant education

There are a few differences between a certified nurse practitioner and a physician assistant in terms of educational background:

Certified Nurse PractitionerPhysician Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 31%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common majorNursingPhysician Assistant
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Certified nurse practitioner vs physician assistant demographics

Here are the differences between certified nurse practitioners' and physician assistants' demographics:

Certified Nurse PractitionerPhysician Assistant
Average age4339
Gender ratioMale, 13.3% Female, 86.7%Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 77.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between certified nurse practitioner and physician assistant duties and responsibilities

Certified nurse practitioner example responsibilities.

  • Manage patients with multiple complex medical conditions while collaborating with multiple specialties and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
  • Provide total care of patients recovering from amputations, cerebral vascular accidents, spinal cord injury/surgery and joint replacements.
  • Position require assessment, diagnosis, work-up and interpretation of diagnostics, in addition to effectively communicating with all physicians.
  • Perform history and physical exam upon admission including dictation of findingsfollow by discharge summaries.

Physician assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage a variety of acute and chronic conditions especially asthma, allergies, injuries, and infectious diseases.
  • Manage chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, ASCVD, chronic back and joint pains, depression, and anxiety.
  • Manage patient surgical care throughout the continuum of care from pre-op, to discharge planning, including ambulatory and hospital in-patients.
  • Attain pertinent history & physicals for obstetrics and gynecological acute and preventative visits.
  • Work closely with patients to manage their depression and anxiety beginning with initial diagnosis to med-initiation and follow-up care.
  • Aid in the acute management of trauma patients including obtaining appropriate studies, suturing, and CPR.
  • Show more

Certified nurse practitioner vs physician assistant skills

Common certified nurse practitioner skills
  • Patients, 40%
  • Primary Care, 8%
  • Vital Signs, 5%
  • Diagnostic Tests, 4%
  • Rehabilitation, 4%
  • Direct Patient Care, 4%
Common physician assistant skills
  • Patients, 29%
  • Diagnostic Tests, 6%
  • Surgery, 5%
  • Primary Care, 5%
  • Urgent Care, 4%
  • CPR, 3%

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