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Job outlook for certified physician assistants in the United States
Certified physician assistant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected certified physician assistant job growth rate is 28% from 2018-2028.
About 38,400 new jobs for certified physician assistants are projected over the next decade.
Certified physician assistant salaries have increased 14% for certified physician assistants in the last 5 years.
There are over 124,224 certified physician assistants currently employed in the United States.
There are 123,124 active certified physician assistant job openings in the US.
The average certified physician assistant salary is $126,201.
Are certified physician assistant jobs in demand?
Certified physician assistant job and salary trends over time
Certified physician assistant jobs over time
Certified physician assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 124,224 | 0.04% |
| 2020 | 117,066 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | 112,216 | 0.03% |
| 2018 | 107,189 | 0.03% |
| 2017 | 102,059 | 0.03% |
Average certified physician assistant salary over time
Certified physician assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $126,201 | $60.67 | +2.8% |
| 2025 | $122,778 | $59.03 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $118,786 | $57.11 | +3.6% |
| 2023 | $114,685 | $55.14 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $110,988 | $53.36 | +3.4% |
Certified physician assistant jobs by state
Most common states for certified physician assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 333 | 38% |
| 2 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 496 | 37% |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 405 | 30% |
| 4 | Alaska | 739,795 | 216 | 29% |
| 5 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,847 | 28% |
| 6 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 585 | 28% |
| 7 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,082 | 26% |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,476 | 25% |
| 9 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 192 | 25% |
| 10 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 433 | 24% |
| 11 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,546 | 23% |
| 12 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,966 | 22% |
| 13 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,838 | 22% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,233 | 22% |
| 15 | Vermont | 623,657 | 138 | 22% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 2,603 | 20% |
| 17 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 895 | 20% |
| 18 | Delaware | 961,939 | 195 | 20% |
| 19 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 137 | 20% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 206 | 19% |
Most common cities for certified physician assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clermont | 1 | 3% | $107,021 |
| 2 | Noblesville | 1 | 2% | $110,813 |
| 3 | Lafayette | 1 | 1% | $109,450 |
Certified Physician Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of certified physician assistant experts
Wenatchee Valley College
What technical skills for a Certified Physician Assistant stand out to employers?
Jan Kaiser: Our local clinical sites are asking for certified medical assistants. Our college provides a lot of skill based learning and hands-on experience which is evident by the employers and they seek out our graduates over other programs.