Staff physician vs physician assistant

The differences between staff physicians and physician assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a staff physician has an average salary of $216,755, which is higher than the $118,812 average annual salary of a physician assistant.

The top three skills for a staff physician include patients, surgery and internal medicine. The most important skills for a physician assistant are patients, diagnostic tests, and surgery.

Staff physician vs physician assistant overview

	Staff Physician	Physician Assistant
Yearly salary	$216,755	$118,812
Hourly rate	$104.21	$57.12
Growth rate	7%	28%
Number of jobs	107,732	39,752
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	48	39
Years of experience	4	-

What does a staff physician do?

A Staff Physician oversees and directs the work of physicians and mid-level practitioners, and assists in internal quality control audits. They are also responsible for making diagnoses and prescribing specialized treatment plans.

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.

Staff physician vs physician assistant salary

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

	Staff Physician	Physician Assistant
Average salary	$216,755	$118,812
Salary range	Between $136,000 And $344,000	Between $70,000 And $201,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	North Dakota	Vermont
Best paying company	Scripps Health	Marshall University
Best paying industry	Health Care	Education

Differences between staff physician and physician assistant education

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

	Staff Physician	Physician Assistant
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Medicine	Physician Assistant
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Staff physician vs physician assistant demographics

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

	Staff Physician	Physician Assistant
Average age	48	39
Gender ratio	Male, 57.8% Female, 42.2%	Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.5% 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 Percentage	13%	12%

Differences between staff physician and physician assistant duties and responsibilities

Staff physician example responsibilities.

Initiate new treatment protocols for managing complex patients with co-morbid psychiatric and medical illnesses.
Read x-ray & ekg till refer to specialist.
Serve as a junior house physician in the pediatrics and neonatology intensive care unit.
Assist and independently place hem dialysis catheter.
Initial medical evaluation and medical management of patients receiving medication assist therapy for chemical dependency.
Provide overall quality prenatal health care, gynecological services, patient triage, refer patients with complications, provide patient education service

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.

Staff physician vs physician assistant skills

Common staff physician skills

Patients, 28%
Surgery, 10%
Internal Medicine, 7%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Primary Care, 7%
Veterans, 5%

Common physician assistant skills

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

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Staff Physician
Staff Physician vs Physician Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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