Pain management physician vs physician assistant, internal medicine

The differences between pain management physicians and physician assistants, internal medicine can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pain management physician has an average salary of $253,724, which is higher than the $125,736 average annual salary of a physician assistant, internal medicine.

The top three skills for a pain management physician include pain management, patients and primary care. The most important skills for a physician assistant, internal medicine are patients, primary care, and diagnosis.

Pain management physician vs physician assistant, internal medicine overview

	Pain Management Physician	Physician Assistant, Internal Medicine
Yearly salary	$253,724	$125,736
Hourly rate	$121.98	$60.45
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	109,196	60,177
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

What does a pain management physician do?

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. They must observe their patients for their ability to function and overall quality of life. Pain management physicians must also work with other healthcare professionals such as physical therapists, physiatrists, and nurses to meet all the needs of their patients.

What does a physician assistant, internal medicine do?

A Physician Assistant supports the doctors work and actively facilitates patients recovery. An Internal Medicine uses nonsurgical approaches to treat medical conditions that affect adults.

Pain management physician vs physician assistant, internal medicine salary

Pain management physicians and physician assistants, internal medicine have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pain Management Physician	Physician Assistant, Internal Medicine
Average salary	$253,724	$125,736
Salary range	Between $129,000 And $497,000	Between $76,000 And $207,000
Highest paying City	Grand Island, NE	Medford, MA
Highest paying state	Nebraska	Vermont
Best paying company	HealthPartners	Mayo Clinic
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Health Care

Differences between pain management physician and physician assistant, internal medicine education

There are a few differences between a pain management physician and a physician assistant, internal medicine in terms of educational background:

	Pain Management Physician	Physician Assistant, Internal Medicine
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Nursing	Physician Assistant
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Pain management physician vs physician assistant, internal medicine demographics

Here are the differences between pain management physicians' and physician assistants, internal medicine' demographics:

	Pain Management Physician	Physician Assistant, Internal Medicine
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 28.7% Female, 71.3%	Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 11.5% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between pain management physician and physician assistant, internal medicine duties and responsibilities

Pain management physician example responsibilities.

Work closely with patients to manage their depression and anxiety beginning with initial diagnosis to med-initiation and follow-up care.
Perform prosthetic rehabilitation for amputee patients and participate in workshop on post prosthetic rehabilitation.
Operate EMR (electronic medical record )
Sell OFIRMEV to surgery centers for use in peri-operative protocols as an analgesic therapy.
work hardening rehabilitation in an outpatient clinic setting
Participate in workshop on spinal cord injuries and orthotic rehabilitation.

Physician assistant, internal medicine example responsibilities.

Manage continuity of care for complex general internal patients with limit resources-diabetes, hypertension, psychiatric, and homeless.
Assess and treat acute/chronic medical problems and provide education for prevention and/or progression of diagnosis to patients and families.
x-ray review, medication review & administration, EKG, telephone triage
Perform wellness exams from adolescent through geriatric patients and educate patients on lifestyle modifications and chronic diseases as appropriate.
Work in an outpatient orthopedic clinic with emphasis on physical medicine, rehabilitation of both chronic and acute orthopedic conditions.
Monitor immunization, ACLS, BLS and other documents relate to the clinical students and ensure they are up to date.

Pain management physician vs physician assistant, internal medicine skills

Common pain management physician skills

Pain Management, 26%
Patients, 19%
Primary Care, 7%
Family Practice, 6%
Rehabilitation, 6%
Surgery, 4%

Common physician assistant, internal medicine skills

Patients, 36%
Primary Care, 7%
Diagnosis, 5%
Acute Care, 3%
Physical Exams, 3%
Rehabilitation, 3%

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Pain Management Physician vs Physician Assistant, Internal Medicine

Updated January 8, 2025

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