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Physician-internist vs physician assistant

The differences between physician-internists and physician assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physician-internist has an average salary of $204,979, which is higher than the $118,812 average annual salary of a physician assistant.

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

Physician-internist vs physician assistant overview

Physician-InternistPhysician Assistant
Yearly salary$204,979$118,812
Hourly rate$98.55$57.12
Growth rate7%28%
Number of jobs38,38239,752
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 35%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age4839
Years of experience4-

Physician-internist vs physician assistant salary

Physician-internists and physician assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Physician-InternistPhysician Assistant
Average salary$204,979$118,812
Salary rangeBetween $103,000 And $407,000Between $70,000 And $201,000
Highest paying CitySumter, SCBoston, MA
Highest paying stateNorth DakotaVermont
Best paying companyMemorial Hospital of Texas CountyMarshall University
Best paying industryHealth CareEducation

Differences between physician-internist and physician assistant education

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

Physician-InternistPhysician Assistant
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 35%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common majorMedicinePhysician Assistant
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborDuke University

Physician-internist vs physician assistant demographics

Here are the differences between physician-internists' and physician assistants' demographics:

Physician-InternistPhysician Assistant
Average age4839
Gender ratioMale, 68.4% Female, 31.6%Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% Asian, 20.4% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%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%
LGBT Percentage13%12%

Differences between physician-internist and physician assistant duties and responsibilities

Physician-internist example responsibilities.

  • Manage complicated and often difficult to control chronic medical conditions in patients with limit resources.
  • Provide overall quality prenatal health care, gynecological services, patient triage, refer patients with complications, provide patient education service
  • Collect and dispatch blood samples according to national malaria eradication and sputum samples for national tuberculosis control program.

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.
  • Show more

Physician-internist vs physician assistant skills

Common physician-internist skills
  • Urgent Care, 57%
  • Patient Care, 19%
  • Private Practice, 9%
  • Medical Care, 5%
  • Diabetes, 4%
  • EKG, 2%
Common physician assistant skills
  • Patients, 29%
  • Diagnostic Tests, 6%
  • Surgery, 5%
  • Primary Care, 5%
  • Urgent Care, 4%
  • CPR, 3%

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