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How to hire a family practice physician assistant

Family practice physician assistant hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring family practice physician assistants in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire a family practice physician assistant is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per family practice physician assistant on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 105,370 family practice physician assistants in the US and 64,140 job openings.
  • Aurora, CO, has the highest demand for family practice physician assistants, with 5 job openings.
  • New York, NY has the highest concentration of family practice physician assistants.

How to hire a family practice physician assistant, step by step

To hire a family practice physician assistant, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a family practice physician assistant:

Here's a step-by-step family practice physician assistant hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a family practice physician assistant job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new family practice physician assistant
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The family practice physician assistant hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a family practice physician assistant to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a family practice physician assistant that fits the bill.

    Here's a comparison of family practice physician assistant salaries for various roles:

    Type of Family Practice Physician AssistantDescriptionHourly rate
    Family Practice Physician AssistantPhysician assistants, also known as PAs, practice medicine on teams with physicians, surgeons, and other healthcare workers. They examine, diagnose, and treat patients.$36-98
    Advanced Registered Nurse PractitionerAn advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) is responsible for patient care. An ARNP may practice independently or work with other healthcare professionals such as physicians... Show more$29-73
    Nurse PractitionerA nurse practitioner's role is diverse. It revolves around supervising nurses in a particular area and providing immediate care and treatment to patients through extensive knowledge and clinical experience... Show more$29-77
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Patients
    • Primary Care
    • Family Medicine
    • Patient Care
    • Urgent Care
    • Epic
    • Diagnosis
    • Medical Care
    • Diabetes
    • Acute Care
    • Medical History
    • Family Practice Clinic
    • Physical Exams
    • Hypertension
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage ICU patients and ventilator management.
    • Provide primary care services to uninsure and under-insure patients in both rural and urban community health centers throughout central California.
    • Provide preventative services, routine physical exams, appropriate screening examinations, vaccinations and health education for adult and pediatric patients.
    • Interpret x rays, diagnosis, and treat.
    • See patients post-op in ICU and on the floors.
    • Interpret EKG, plain films/CT, and laboratory values.
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your family practice physician assistant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A family practice physician assistant can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, family practice physician assistants' average salary in idaho is 47% less than in vermont.
    • Seniority. Entry-level family practice physician assistants 63% less than senior-level family practice physician assistants.
    • Certifications. A family practice physician assistant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a family practice physician assistant's salary.

    Average family practice physician assistant salary

    $125,500yearly

    $60.34 hourly rate

    Entry-level family practice physician assistant salary
    $76,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 16, 2025
  4. Writing a family practice physician assistant job description

    A family practice physician assistant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a family practice physician assistant job description:

    Family practice physician assistant job description example

    + Jobs

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    + Onamia, MN, USA

    + Salary

    + Full Time

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    Assists the supervising physician in the delivery of medical services to patients requiring medical care including interviewing and examining patients in the clinic, ordering appropriate diagnostic testing; formulating a diagnosis and treatment plan. Supervising physicians are available either on-site or by phone at all times. All notes and treatments are reviewed and signed by the supervising physician.

    Job Duties

    + Takes a complete, detailed, accurate history and physical.*

    + Completes physical examinations.*

    + Consults with supervising physician and other professionals on staff as needed regarding patient care, assessment and education issues.*

    + Prescribes medical treatment, tests, medications and ancillary services to patients.*

    + Assists the supervising physician in health maintenance of patients by completing:*o Well child examinations (to include initial and current booster immunizations for communicable disease).o Family planning, counseling, and management, which may include prescription of birth control medication/devices.o Therapeutic procedures: injections, immunizations, and other procedures deemed appropriate for the PA's scope of practice.o Educates patients on wellness, prevention and early detection by providing materials and resources to patients and family members.Institutes emergency measures and treatment or appropriate measure in situations such as cardiac arrest, shock, hemorrhage, seizures, and poisoning.*

    + Assists the supervising physician in the management of long-term care patients to include: *o Ordering indicated laboratory procedures.o Managing medical care regime for acute and chronically ill patients within established standing orders.

    + Documents all services and relevant data in patient medical record.*

    + Reviews patient record to assist in development of comprehensive medical reports.*

    Required Education and Experience for Physician Assistant

    + Successful completion of a Physician Assistant Training Program recognized by the Board of Medical Examiners,(i.e. National Commission for the Certification of PAs (NCCPA)),

    + Successful completion of an examination approved by the Board of Medical Examiners.

    + Current license as a Physician assistant in the state of Minnesota.

    + ACLS and BLS certifications are required.

    Required Education and Experience for Nurse Practitioner

    + Successful completion of a Nurse Practitioner Training Program recognized by the State of Minnesota.

    + Currently licensed as a Nurse Practitioner in the state of Minnesota.

    + ACLS and BLS certifications are required.

    Additional Eligibility QualificationsProfessional written and verbal communication Expertise with computer based data Customer/Client FocusEthical ConductFlexibilityInitiativePersonal Effectiveness/CredibilityStress Management/ComposureTeamwork OrientationTechnical CapacityThoroughnessTime ManagementQuality and Safety focused

    Position Type/Expected Hours of Work: Monday through Friday during regular clinic hours and rotating Saturdaymornings.

    Mille Lacs Health System
  5. Post your job

    To find the right family practice physician assistant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with family practice physician assistants they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit family practice physician assistants who meet your education requirements.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your family practice physician assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit family practice physician assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    During your first interview to recruit family practice physician assistants, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new family practice physician assistant

    Once you've selected the best family practice physician assistant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new family practice physician assistant. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a family practice physician assistant?

Recruiting family practice physician assistants involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

Family practice physician assistants earn a median yearly salary is $125,500 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find family practice physician assistants for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $36 and $98.

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