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Surgical physician assistant salary
Average surgical physician assistant salary
$153,482
Understanding Surgical Physician Assistant Salaries
The average salary for a Surgical Physician Assistant is $153,482 per year, translating to approximately $74 per hour. Salaries can differ significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific healthcare setting. For instance, Surgical Physician Assistants in states like California and New York tend to earn higher than the national average due to increased demand and cost of living.
Salary Breakdown by State
To provide a clearer picture, here’s a quick overview of the highest-paying states for Surgical Physician Assistants:
- California: $170,000
- New York: $165,000
- Texas: $160,000
- Florida: $155,000
- Illinois: $150,000
These figures indicate that geographical considerations play a crucial role in salary negotiations. Additionally, specialized skills and certifications can lead to higher compensation within the field.
Job Opportunities and Trends
The demand for Surgical Physician Assistants continues to grow, driven by advancements in surgical techniques and an aging population requiring more healthcare services. As a result, those entering the field can expect a variety of job opportunities in hospitals, surgical centers, and private practices.
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Where can a Surgical Physician Assistant earn more?
Surgical physician assistant salary estimates from across the web
Average surgical physician assistant salary by state
The highest-paying states for surgical physician assistants are Nebraska, Massachusetts, and Vermont. The lowest average surgical physician assistant salary states are Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for surgical physician assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | $164,237 | $78.96 |
| 2 | Alaska | $171,124 | $82.27 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $171,177 | $82.30 |
| 4 | Vermont | $172,451 | $82.91 |
| 5 | Nevada | $162,880 | $78.31 |
| 6 | Nebraska | $176,915 | $85.06 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $154,885 | $74.46 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $151,496 | $72.83 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $172,945 | $83.15 |
| 10 | Maine | $153,332 | $73.72 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $163,343 | $78.53 |
| 12 | Michigan | $156,961 | $75.46 |
| 13 | Arizona | $155,351 | $74.69 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $157,211 | $75.58 |
| 15 | Arkansas | $157,211 | $75.58 |
| 16 | California | $168,113 | $80.82 |
| 17 | New York | $155,421 | $74.72 |
| 18 | Texas | $150,030 | $72.13 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $157,919 | $75.92 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $147,940 | $71.13 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $142,585 | $68.55 |
| 22 | Washington | $151,464 | $72.82 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $146,008 | $70.20 |
| 24 | Montana | $146,155 | $70.27 |
| 25 | Ohio | $149,578 | $71.91 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $149,540 | $71.89 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $146,932 | $70.64 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $163,883 | $78.79 |
| 29 | Illinois | $149,489 | $71.87 |
| 30 | Maryland | $154,531 | $74.29 |
| 31 | Oregon | $145,537 | $69.97 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $145,927 | $70.16 |
| 33 | Iowa | $145,811 | $70.10 |
| 34 | Indiana | $141,054 | $67.81 |
| 35 | Colorado | $146,317 | $70.34 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $145,820 | $70.11 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | $132,415 | $63.66 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $130,410 | $62.70 |
| 39 | Virginia | $145,717 | $70.06 |
| 40 | Utah | $143,391 | $68.94 |
| 41 | Kansas | $140,204 | $67.41 |
| 42 | Florida | $127,549 | $61.32 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $122,909 | $59.09 |
| 44 | Rhode Island | $141,638 | $68.10 |
| 45 | Delaware | $142,877 | $68.69 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $118,521 | $56.98 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $122,004 | $58.66 |
| 48 | Georgia | $125,033 | $60.11 |
| 49 | Missouri | $128,311 | $61.69 |
| 50 | Idaho | $115,130 | $55.35 |
| 51 | Alabama | $114,009 | $54.81 |
Highest paying cities for surgical physician assistants
The highest-paying cities for surgical physician assistants are Rochester, MN, Boston, MA, and Los Angeles, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester, MN | $192,594 | $92.59 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $188,912 | $90.82 |
| 3 | Los Angeles, CA | $187,399 | $90.10 |
| 4 | Middletown, CT | $174,380 | $83.84 |
| 5 | North Bergen, NJ | $166,739 | $80.16 |
| 6 | Durham, NC | $166,410 | $80.00 |
| 7 | Grand Rapids, MI | $166,237 | $79.92 |
| 8 | Flagstaff, AZ | $165,630 | $79.63 |
| 9 | Syracuse, NY | $165,403 | $79.52 |
| 10 | Bangor, ME | $164,586 | $79.13 |
| 11 | Baltimore, MD | $161,713 | $77.75 |
| 12 | Austin, TX | $159,260 | $76.57 |
| 13 | Colorado Springs, CO | $155,424 | $74.72 |
| 14 | Portland, OR | $153,724 | $73.91 |
| 15 | Philadelphia, PA | $150,973 | $72.58 |
| 16 | Charlottesville, VA | $149,650 | $71.95 |
| 17 | Kansas City, KS | $148,840 | $71.56 |
| 18 | Mishawaka, IN | $147,923 | $71.12 |
| 19 | Saint Louis, MO | $133,394 | $64.13 |
| 20 | Miami, FL | $130,895 | $62.93 |
Surgical physician assistant salary details
A surgical physician assistant's salary ranges from $89,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $264,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a surgical physician assistant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $264,000 | $22,000 | $127 |
| 75th Percentile | $204,000 | $17,000 | $98 |
| Average | $153,482 | $12,790 | $74 |
| 25th Percentile | $115,000 | $9,583 | $55 |
| 10th Percentile | $89,000 | $7,417 | $43 |
Highest paying surgical physician assistant jobs
The highest paying types of surgical physician assistants are pain management physician, obstetrics gynecology physician, and physician extender.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain Management Physician | $253,724 | $21,144 | $121.98 | 109,196 |
| Obstetrics Gynecology Physician | $253,219 | $21,102 | $121.74 | 47,501 |
| Physician Extender | $244,718 | $20,393 | $117.65 | 73,599 |
Top companies hiring surgical physician assistants now:
Which companies pay surgical physician assistants the most?
Surgical physician assistant salaries at Mayo Clinic and Billings Clinic are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average surgical physician assistant salary at companies like Fairview Health Services and Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mayo Clinic | $231,969 | $111.52 |
| 2 | Billings Clinic | $218,800 | $105.19 |
| 3 | Fairview Health Services | $201,809 | $97.02 |
| 4 | Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital | $198,645 | $95.50 |
| 5 | Mercy Corps | $197,667 | $95.03 |
| 6 | Emerson Hospital | $197,243 | $94.83 |
| 7 | Kaleida Health | $195,464 | $93.97 |
| 8 | Stamford Memorial Hospital Foundation | $194,302 | $93.41 |
| 9 | SpecialtyCare | $193,012 | $92.79 |
| 10 | Northwestern Medicine | $192,271 | $92.44 |
| 11 | CHI Mercy Health | $190,673 | $91.67 |
| 12 | Stanford Health Care | $189,862 | $91.28 |
| 13 | Mainline Health Systems | $189,456 | $91.08 |
| 14 | Northwell Health | $189,053 | $90.89 |
| 15 | Cedars-Sinai | $188,910 | $90.82 |
| 16 | Overlake Medical Center & Clinics | $188,708 | $90.72 |
| 17 | Broward Health | $187,464 | $90.13 |
| 18 | Atrium Health Floyd | $187,019 | $89.91 |
| 19 | MercyOne | $186,225 | $89.53 |
| 20 | Edwards | $185,559 | $89.21 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Surgical physician assistant salary trends
The average surgical physician assistant salary has risen by $35,554 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average surgical physician assistant earned $117,928 annually, but today, they earn $153,482 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for surgical physician assistants over the last decade.
Compare surgical physician assistant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average surgical physician assistant salary over time
Compare surgical physician assistant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Surgical physician assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $153,000 | $73.79 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $149,000 | $71.79 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $144,000 | $69.45 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | $139,000 | $67.06 | +3.2% |
| 2021 | $135,000 | $64.89 | +3.3% |
Recently added surgical physician assistant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essentia Health | Physician-Surgical Critical Care Trained Surgeon | Fargo, ND | 06/30/2025 | $500,000 |
| Aurora Health Care | Surgical Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant-General Neurosurgery | Downers Grove, IL | 06/28/2025 | $112,281 |
| Cedars Sinai | Surgical Physician Assistant-Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery-Hand | California, MD | 06/28/2025 | $145,360 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | Surgical Physician Assistant (Nights) | Syracuse, NY | 06/28/2025 | $123,646 |
| Mount Sinai Medical Center | Physician Associate-Surgical Oncology-MSH | New York, NY | 06/27/2025 | $135,351 |
| Inspire Health Medical Group | Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner-Trauma/Acute Care Surgical | Fresno, CA | 06/27/2025 | $135,000 |
| Bethesda Health | Physician Assistant 1-Surgical, Bhmg Ortho-Kendall Trauma AM PM | Miami, FL | 06/24/2025 | $124,284 |
| Baptisthlth | Physician Assistant 1-Surgical, Bhmg Ortho-Kendall Trauma AM PM | Miami, FL | 06/24/2025 | $124,284 |
| NYU Langone Health | Physician Assistant Specialty-Surgical ICU (Sicu)-Brooklyn (OF Experience Required) | New York, NY | 06/24/2025 | $147,617 |
| Baptist Health South Florida | Physician Assistant 1-Surgical, Bhmg Ortho-Kendall Trauma AM PM | Miami, FL | 06/20/2025 | $124,284 |
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