How to hire a general surgery physician assistant

How to hire a general surgery physician assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step general surgery 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 general surgery physician assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new general surgery physician assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a general surgery physician assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your general surgery physician assistant job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a general surgery physician assistant for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect general surgery physician assistant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents general surgery physician assistant salaries for various positions.

   Type of General Surgery Physician Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   General Surgery Physician Assistant	Physician assistants, also known as PAs, practice medicine on teams with physicians, surgeons, and other healthcare workers. They examine, diagnose, and treat patients.	$56-211
   Pain Management Physician	Pain management physicians are medical doctors who diagnose and coordinate treatment while providing care for patients who are experiencing pain. By understanding the physiology of pain, these physicians are required to conduct specialized tests to diagnose complex pain conditions as well as prescribe proper medications and therapies to treat them... Show more	$62-238
   Physician Extender	Physician extenders are not physicians. However, physician extenders perform a vital task in the overall care of patients... Show more	$60-228

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Plastic Surgery
   • Patient Care
   • Physician Assistants
   • Surgical Procedures
   • Physical Examinations
   • Private Practice
   • MRI
   • Outpatient Clinic
   • GI
   • Discharge Summaries
   • Suturing
   • ICU
   • Laboratory Tests

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Work closely with patients to manage their depression and anxiety beginning with initial diagnosis to med-initiation and follow-up care.
   • Develop basic surgical skills, such as suturing, retracting of tissue; debridement of wounds.
   • Order, perform, and interpret laboratory and radiology test within the scope of professional practice.
   • Educate patients on post-operative recovery and discharge needs.
   • Evaluate patients for admission from the emergency room and perform inpatient consultations.
   • Monitor stress testing; review nuclear component of stress images; conduct cardiology consultations inpatient and outpatient settings.

   More general surgery physician assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your general surgery physician assistant job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A general surgery physician assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a general surgery physician assistant in Connecticut may be lower than in California, and an entry-level general surgery physician assistant usually earns less than a senior-level general surgery physician assistant. Additionally, a general surgery physician assistant with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average general surgery physician assistant salary

   $228,104yearly

   $109.67 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level general surgery physician assistant salary

   $118,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average general surgery physician assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$292,166	$140
   2	New Mexico	$291,435	$140
   3	Iowa	$265,056	$127
   4	Colorado	$252,763	$122
   5	Minnesota	$250,999	$121
   6	Illinois	$247,226	$119
   7	Washington	$234,415	$113
   8	Arizona	$233,573	$112
   9	Massachusetts	$220,452	$106
   10	Texas	$212,886	$102
   11	South Carolina	$209,846	$101
   12	North Carolina	$208,065	$100
   13	Florida	$205,128	$99
   14	Indiana	$200,381	$96
   15	Missouri	$193,817	$93
   16	Pennsylvania	$187,668	$90
   17	New Jersey	$186,274	$90
   18	Kentucky	$183,743	$88
   19	Connecticut	$172,295	$83
   20	New York	$155,542	$75

   Average general surgery physician assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Beaufort Memorial Hospital	$316,278	$152.06	5
   2	Sanford Health	$295,300	$141.97	153
   3	Mayo Clinic	$278,231	$133.76	106
   4	ProMedica Toledo Hospital	$273,454	$131.47	9
   5	PeaceHealth	$268,405	$129.04	55
   6	Summit Health Oregon	$267,392	$128.55
   7	The Iowa Clinic	$258,305	$124.19
   8	Presbyterian	$251,619	$120.97	12
   9	Northwestern Medicine	$248,507	$119.47	57
   10	NorthShore University HealthSystem	$244,907	$117.74
   11	Yakima Valley Memorial	$244,294	$117.45
   12	Texas Health Resources	$241,518	$116.11	85
   13	Essentia Health	$241,220	$115.97	73
   14	Summit Health	$237,350	$114.11	86
   15	Allina Health	$235,815	$113.37	7
   16	Memorial Hospital	$235,759	$113.35	14
   17	Virginia Mason Institute	$232,500	$111.78	6
   18	Frederick Health	$232,473	$111.77	11
   19	OSF HealthCare	$231,603	$111.35	17
   20	Trinity Health	$230,081	$110.62	109

4. Writing a general surgery physician assistant job description

   A general surgery 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 general surgery physician assistant job description:

   General surgery physician assistant job description example

   Quality of Life- 6 Weeks of PTO

   Lake Arrowhead, California

   This hospital, located in “The Best Kept Secret on the West Coast”, is looking for a General Surgeon to join its growing team! We are dedicated to providing the highest quality of care to our patients and committed to ensuring patient satisfaction. Apply today to be a part of our passion and purpose!

   - Employed General Surgery opportunity with a robust built-in referral network

   - Competitive base salary with an earning potential well above the market

   - Quality of life position- Be home before dinner with an 8am to 4pm schedule!

   - Beautiful lake views, ample office space, and state-of-the-art equipment

   - Up to 6 weeks of PTO, a generous signing bonus, and relocation assistance

   - Executive level benefits, retirement with matching, CME allowance, student loan assistance, and more!

   Nestled in the majestic mountains of the San Bernardino Forest, is the best-kept secret on the West Coast- Lake Arrowhead! A stunningly beautiful, cozy, and quaint mountain resort paradise features countless outdoor activities, waterfront shops, and delectable dining options. Come see what has lured many to these mountains for centuries!

   - Spend the day hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking, fishing, or relaxing by the private lake beach! The outdoor adventures are endless!

   - Whether you’re in the mood to hit the slopes or in the mood to hit the shops, Lake Arrowhead has plenty of activities for the entire family!

   - Exceptional real estate- Homes offer spectacular mountain views with lakefront and golf course properties available also!

   - Less than two hours from Los Angeles, San Diego, and Palm Springs.

   - Universities, international airport, big-box shopping, all within an hours drive!

   Company DescriptionCurative finds incredible talent with less hassle using better data. We combine the heart and hard work of experienced recruiters with the intelligent technology of Doximity, the world’s largest professional medical network. The result: the commitment and ability to find people who care.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right general surgery 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 general surgery physician assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit general surgery 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 general surgery physician assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit general surgery physician assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting general surgery physician assistants requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to 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 general surgery physician assistant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the general surgery physician assistant position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize 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.

   To prepare for the new general surgery physician assistant first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 general surgery physician assistant?