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How to hire a general surgery physician assistant

General surgery physician assistant hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring general surgery physician assistants in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a general surgery physician assistant is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new general surgery physician assistant to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

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

To hire a general surgery physician assistant, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a general surgery physician assistant:

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?

A General Surgery Physician Assistant helps surgeon with various tasks, such as inserting tubes, retracting issues, starting intravenous solutions, and others. They also write orders for patients while they are in the recovery room, as well as examine and monitor patients as they recover from their surgeries.

Learn more about the specifics of what a general surgery physician assistant does
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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?

    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 AssistantDescriptionHourly rate
    General Surgery Physician AssistantPhysician 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 PhysicianPain 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 ExtenderPhysician extenders are not physicians. However, physician extenders perform a vital task in the overall care of patients... Show more$60-228
  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

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

    Average general surgery physician assistant salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Beaufort Memorial Hospital$316,278$152.065
    2Sanford Health$295,300$141.97153
    3Mayo Clinic$278,231$133.76106
    4ProMedica Toledo Hospital$273,454$131.479
    5PeaceHealth$268,405$129.0455
    6Summit Health Oregon$267,392$128.55
    7The Iowa Clinic$258,305$124.19
    8Presbyterian$251,619$120.9712
    9Northwestern Medicine$248,507$119.4757
    10NorthShore University HealthSystem$244,907$117.74
    11Yakima Valley Memorial$244,294$117.45
    12Texas Health Resources$241,518$116.1185
    13Essentia Health$241,220$115.9773
    14Summit Health$237,350$114.1186
    15Allina Health$235,815$113.377
    16Memorial Hospital$235,759$113.3514
    17Virginia Mason Institute$232,500$111.786
    18Frederick Health$232,473$111.7711
    19OSF HealthCare$231,603$111.3517
    20Trinity Health$230,081$110.62109
  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.
  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.)
    Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire a general surgery physician assistant?

Recruiting general surgery 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.

General surgery physician assistants earn a median yearly salary is $228,104 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find general surgery physician assistants for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $56 and $211.

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