Physician assistant salary by state
US physician assistants earn a median of $135,880 a year. By state, the median runs from $104,960 in Alabama to $165,690 in New Jersey. Select a state for its percentiles, metro areas and how it compares with other clinicians.
Hover or tab to a state to see its median. Select it for the full breakdown.
- $129K or less
- $129K to $133K
- $133K to $135K
- $135K to $141K
- Over $141K
The national range, with the top and bottom states
United States
National
New Jersey
Top paying
California
Top paying
Washington
Top paying
Mississippi
Lowest paying
Alabama
Lowest paying
Every state, ranked by median pay
| Rank | State | Median | Middle half | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $165,690 | $134,710 to $192,370 | 4,790 |
| 2 | California | $165,650 | $136,730 to $206,990 | 13,600 |
| 3 | Washington | $164,360 | $138,050 to $177,930 | 3,540 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $164,050 | $126,780 to $170,060 | 530 |
| 5 | New York | $160,880 | $134,480 to $174,710 | 19,140 |
| 6 | Oregon | $155,780 | $134,390 to $169,550 | 2,250 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $150,960 | $134,050 to $170,790 | 1,060 |
| 8 | Alaska | $150,700 | $126,530 to $169,930 | 700 |
| 9 | Vermont | $150,490 | $131,400 to $166,050 | 410 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $142,410 | $128,020 to $169,980 | 4,470 |
| 11 | Montana | $141,470 | $129,750 to $156,350 | 600 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $141,190 | $131,720 to $163,690 | 3,660 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $139,930 | $129,690 to $167,710 | 810 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $139,920 | $106,240 to $153,560 | 700 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $139,860 | $129,370 to $165,140 | 3,570 |
| 16 | Delaware | $139,350 | $128,800 to $156,880 | 860 |
| 17 | Maryland | $137,560 | $125,140 to $160,090 | 2,950 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $136,550 | $129,250 to $161,560 | 1,770 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $136,080 | $119,990 to $158,550 | 330 |
| 20 | Virginia | $135,940 | $120,580 to $162,790 | 4,340 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $135,140 | $127,990 to $165,890 | 470 |
| 22 | Missouri | $135,130 | $121,680 to $163,170 | 2,300 |
| 23 | Iowa | $134,770 | $120,060 to $159,950 | 1,200 |
| 24 | Utah | $134,740 | $123,570 to $152,480 | 1,610 |
| 25 | Nevada | $134,660 | $117,280 to $163,550 | 1,090 |
| 26 | Arizona | $134,650 | $123,990 to $156,500 | 3,750 |
| 27 | Texas | $134,550 | $122,720 to $156,000 | 10,110 |
| 28 | Colorado | $134,540 | $124,100 to $156,400 | 3,270 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $133,950 | $125,640 to $156,800 | 3,580 |
| 30 | Idaho | $133,790 | $126,820 to $146,230 | 1,320 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $133,450 | $107,030 to $155,010 | 510 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $133,200 | $112,570 to $142,330 | 680 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $133,040 | $112,820 to $146,790 | 1,330 |
| 34 | Ohio | $132,090 | $109,780 to $150,000 | 4,900 |
| 35 | Indiana | $132,050 | $123,220 to $166,230 | 2,110 |
| 36 | Illinois | $131,950 | $122,780 to $145,600 | 3,790 |
| 37 | Michigan | $131,510 | $119,990 to $143,030 | 6,310 |
| 38 | Maine | $131,170 | $121,340 to $140,640 | 1,030 |
| 39 | Florida | $129,620 | $111,360 to $156,920 | 9,310 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $129,360 | $110,320 to $140,030 | 7,490 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $128,870 | $117,130 to $144,100 | 1,360 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $128,610 | $108,960 to $148,160 | 1,080 |
| 43 | Pennsylvania | $127,070 | $107,260 to $137,220 | 9,020 |
| 44 | Kansas | $125,640 | $107,110 to $137,390 | 890 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $122,490 | $105,560 to $134,100 | 2,250 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $120,760 | $102,430 to $136,080 | 1,360 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $118,430 | $103,810 to $133,270 | 850 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $118,240 | $102,690 to $132,500 | 2,240 |
| 49 | Georgia | $115,390 | $62,230 to $141,740 | 5,610 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $105,920 | $82,580 to $132,680 | 320 |
| 51 | Alabama | $104,960 | $98,710 to $122,830 | 930 |
Best-paying metro areas
Metro areas with at least 200 physician assistants employed, by median annual wage.
- 1.San Jose, CA$223,640
- 2.Bakersfield, CA$198,070
- 3.San Francisco, CA$184,380
- 4.Urban Honolulu, HI$170,060
- 5.New York, NY-NJ$167,650
- 6.Seattle, WA$167,290
- 7.Modesto, CA$165,730
- 8.Riverside, CA$165,490
- 9.San Diego, CA$165,160
- 10.Portland, OR-WA$163,810
- 11.Burlington, VT$163,560
- 12.Los Angeles, CA$161,890
- 13.Springfield, MA$161,770
- 14.Sacramento, CA$161,470
- 15.Santa Maria, CA$158,360
Common questions
How much does a PA make a year?
The US median annual wage for physician assistants was $135,880 in May 2025 ($65.33 an hour), and the mean was $141,280, per BLS. The middle half earned $120,670 to $163,980.
Which state pays physician assistants the most?
New Jersey had the highest state median at $165,690. Alabama had the lowest at $104,960.
How many physician assistants are there in the US?
BLS estimated 162,150 physician assistants on US payrolls in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, SOC 29-1071. See also nurse practitioner salaries and nurse anesthetist (crna) salaries.
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