Physician assistant vs physician

The differences between physician assistants and physicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physician has an average salary of $238,887, which is higher than the $118,812 average annual salary of a physician assistant.

The top three skills for a physician assistant include patients, diagnostic tests and surgery. The most important skills for a physician are patients, surgery, and patient care.

Physician assistant vs physician overview

	Physician Assistant	Physician
Yearly salary	$118,812	$238,887
Hourly rate	$57.12	$114.85
Growth rate	28%	7%
Number of jobs	39,752	46,489
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age	39	48
Years of experience	-	4

What does a physician assistant do?

The physician assistant, also known as "PA," is now considered a key player to any healthcare team. Physician assistants are health care professionals who practice medicine under the supervision of licensed physicians. They work on several areas of medicine, from primary care to emergency service and even psychiatry. Neither they are a doctor nor a physician, but their job profile showcases many of these responsibilities. More than as assistants to the doctors, they are also equipped to examine, diagnose, and develop treatment strategies for patients.

What does a physician do?

Physicians' general responsibility is to check, diagnose, and treat a patient's condition to improve their overall wellness. A physician could be General Practitioners or Specialist Physicians, wherein General Practitioners are physicians who provide regular checkups for patients depending on their needs and refer them to a Specialist Physicians who are more skilled in a particular field of expertise for a thorough diagnosis. Physicians monitor a patient's medical history and ensure follow-up checkups to observe if the condition of a patient is changing over time. A physician may refer a patient to other health professionals for further examination as needed.

Physician assistant vs physician salary

Physician assistants and physicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physician Assistant	Physician
Average salary	$118,812	$238,887
Salary range	Between $70,000 And $201,000	Between $128,000 And $442,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Cleveland, TN
Highest paying state	Vermont	Wisconsin
Best paying company	Marshall University	Yuma Regional Medical Center
Best paying industry	Education	Health Care

Differences between physician assistant and physician education

There are a few differences between a physician assistant and a physician in terms of educational background:

	Physician Assistant	Physician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Physician Assistant	Medicine
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Physician assistant vs physician demographics

Here are the differences between physician assistants' and physicians' demographics:

	Physician Assistant	Physician
Average age	39	48
Gender ratio	Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4%	Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	12%	13%

Differences between physician assistant and physician duties and responsibilities

Physician assistant example responsibilities.

Manage a variety of acute and chronic conditions especially asthma, allergies, injuries, and infectious diseases.
Manage chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, ASCVD, chronic back and joint pains, depression, and anxiety.
Manage patient surgical care throughout the continuum of care from pre-op, to discharge planning, including ambulatory and hospital in-patients.
Attain pertinent history & physicals for obstetrics and gynecological acute and preventative visits.
Work closely with patients to manage their depression and anxiety beginning with initial diagnosis to med-initiation and follow-up care.
Aid in the acute management of trauma patients including obtaining appropriate studies, suturing, and CPR.

Physician example responsibilities.

Manage catheters and dress wounds.
Maintain ACLS and BLS certifications.
Treat complicated oncology cases in ICU and emergency.
Schedule new, follow-up and diagnostic testing for cardiology patients.
Attend radiation oncology clinic for new patients beginning treatment as well as follow-ups for returning patients.
Schedule tests and procedures (including radiology, cardiology, and respiratory) utilizing the hospital and clinic computer systems.

Physician assistant vs physician skills

Common physician assistant skills

Patients, 29%
Diagnostic Tests, 6%
Surgery, 5%
Primary Care, 5%
Urgent Care, 4%
CPR, 3%

Common physician skills

Patients, 22%
Surgery, 8%
Patient Care, 7%
Internal Medicine, 6%
Primary Care, 6%
EMR, 6%

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Physician Assistant
Physician Assistant vs Physician

Updated January 8, 2025

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