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Best states for a physician assistant
Quoted expert
Marjolijn Van der Velde Ph.D.
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It seems like physician assistants are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for physician assistants aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for physician assistants. We found that Vermont is the best state in the nation for physician assistants, and people in Burlington earn the most in the field.
Vermont is the best state for jobs for physician assistants, and Idaho is the worst. The most common pay in Vermont is $162,792, while the median pay in Idaho is $71,728.If you are currently seeking employment as a physician assistant, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for physician assistants in 2025
1. Vermont
Total physician assistant jobs: 71 Average annual salary: $162,792 Lowest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $245,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
2. New York
Total physician assistant jobs: 1,362 Average annual salary: $149,785 Lowest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $229,000 Location Quotient: 1.62
3. Connecticut
Total physician assistant jobs: 273 Average annual salary: $151,153 Lowest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $231,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
4. Maine
Total physician assistant jobs: 105 Average annual salary: $144,516 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $225,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
5. Minnesota
Total physician assistant jobs: 583 Average annual salary: $141,452 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $221,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
6. Pennsylvania
Total physician assistant jobs: 1,130 Average annual salary: $131,190 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $208,000 Location Quotient: 1.48
7. Massachusetts
Total physician assistant jobs: 515 Average annual salary: $162,367 Lowest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $243,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
8. Alaska
Total physician assistant jobs: 83 Average annual salary: $135,058 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $201,000 Location Quotient: 1.52
9. New Jersey
Total physician assistant jobs: 532 Average annual salary: $146,963 Lowest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $226,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
10. New Hampshire
Total physician assistant jobs: 187 Average annual salary: $122,175 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 1.63
Physician assistant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a physician assistant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a physician assistant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $162,792 | $107,000 | 623,657 | 71 |
| 2 | New York | $149,785 | $97,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,362 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $151,153 | $98,000 | 3,588,184 | 273 |
| 4 | Maine | $144,516 | $92,000 | 1,335,907 | 105 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $141,452 | $90,000 | 5,576,606 | 583 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $131,190 | $82,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,130 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $162,367 | $108,000 | 6,859,819 | 515 |
| 8 | Alaska | $135,058 | $90,000 | 739,795 | 83 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $146,963 | $95,000 | 9,005,644 | 532 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $122,175 | $76,000 | 1,342,795 | 187 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $116,212 | $70,000 | 5,795,483 | 653 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $124,859 | $77,000 | 1,815,857 | 93 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $130,301 | $82,000 | 1,059,639 | 64 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $125,535 | $77,000 | 1,427,538 | 102 |
| 15 | Maryland | $127,697 | $80,000 | 6,052,177 | 397 |
| 16 | Nevada | $112,065 | $69,000 | 2,998,039 | 201 |
| 17 | Michigan | $116,654 | $71,000 | 9,962,311 | 480 |
| 18 | Ohio | $124,609 | $77,000 | 11,658,609 | 414 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $103,529 | $64,000 | 2,088,070 | 240 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $142,988 | $91,000 | 693,972 | 47 |
| 21 | Delaware | $128,444 | $80,000 | 961,939 | 42 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $110,215 | $67,000 | 10,273,419 | 612 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $112,720 | $69,000 | 4,454,189 | 203 |
| 24 | Indiana | $103,339 | $62,000 | 6,666,818 | 488 |
| 25 | Arizona | $103,999 | $63,000 | 7,016,270 | 508 |
| 26 | Illinois | $110,651 | $67,000 | 12,802,023 | 710 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $98,986 | $61,000 | 755,393 | 108 |
| 28 | Virginia | $114,196 | $70,000 | 8,470,020 | 499 |
| 29 | California | $120,319 | $74,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,514 |
| 30 | Washington | $104,874 | $67,000 | 7,405,743 | 495 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $91,644 | $57,000 | 869,666 | 161 |
| 32 | Oregon | $101,655 | $63,000 | 4,142,776 | 331 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $107,046 | $66,000 | 3,004,279 | 81 |
| 34 | Iowa | $101,704 | $62,000 | 3,145,711 | 187 |
| 35 | Texas | $98,184 | $59,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,220 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $96,303 | $58,000 | 6,715,984 | 339 |
| 37 | Montana | $90,518 | $62,000 | 1,050,493 | 111 |
| 38 | Florida | $98,560 | $59,000 | 20,984,400 | 932 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $99,618 | $60,000 | 2,984,100 | 83 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $90,714 | $54,000 | 5,024,369 | 380 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $88,727 | $55,000 | 3,930,864 | 218 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $92,009 | $60,000 | 579,315 | 30 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $93,698 | $58,000 | 1,920,076 | 110 |
| 44 | Georgia | $94,580 | $56,000 | 10,429,379 | 572 |
| 45 | Colorado | $92,605 | $60,000 | 5,607,154 | 255 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $82,546 | $49,000 | 4,684,333 | 208 |
| 47 | Kansas | $90,521 | $56,000 | 2,913,123 | 128 |
| 48 | Utah | $91,069 | $59,000 | 3,101,833 | 122 |
| 49 | Missouri | $84,519 | $51,000 | 6,113,532 | 278 |
| 50 | Alabama | $77,773 | $47,000 | 4,874,747 | 208 |
| 51 | Idaho | $71,728 | $48,000 | 1,716,943 | 66 |
Highest paying states for physician assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. Physician Assistant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $162,792 |
| 2 | New York | $149,785 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $151,153 |
| 4 | Maine | $144,516 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $141,452 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $131,190 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $162,367 |
| 8 | Alaska | $135,058 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $146,963 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $122,175 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $116,212 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $124,859 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $130,301 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $125,535 |
| 15 | Maryland | $127,697 |
| 16 | Nevada | $112,065 |
| 17 | Michigan | $116,654 |
| 18 | Ohio | $124,609 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $103,529 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $142,988 |
| 21 | Delaware | $128,444 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $110,215 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $112,720 |
| 24 | Indiana | $103,339 |
| 25 | Arizona | $103,999 |
| 26 | Illinois | $110,651 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $98,986 |
| 28 | Virginia | $114,196 |
| 29 | California | $120,319 |
| 30 | Washington | $104,874 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $91,644 |
| 32 | Oregon | $101,655 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $107,046 |
| 34 | Iowa | $101,704 |
| 35 | Texas | $98,184 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $96,303 |
| 37 | Montana | $90,518 |
| 38 | Florida | $98,560 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $99,618 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $90,714 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $88,727 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $92,009 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $93,698 |
| 44 | Georgia | $94,580 |
| 45 | Colorado | $92,605 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $82,546 |
| 47 | Kansas | $90,521 |
| 48 | Utah | $91,069 |
| 49 | Missouri | $84,519 |
| 50 | Alabama | $77,773 |
| 51 | Idaho | $71,728 |
Expert opinions on the best states for physician assistants
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for physician assistants to find work opportunities?
Marjolijn Van der Velde Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Davenport University
Most state's product information on their job outlook over a 5-10 year period. The State of Michigan's "Hot 50" features the 50 most high demand, high wage careers through 2028. The report identifies the highest need jobs requiring a bachelor's degree as general and operations managers with 5,460 expected openings every year. The highest growth rates over the ten year period 2018-2028 are for speech-language pathologists and physician assistants. Both positions require a master's degree and are expected to grow 18% over the ten year period. I have attached a copy of Michigan's Hot 50 report.
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Updated January 8, 2025