Physician assistant salary in Colorado
Colorado physician assistants earn a median of $134,540 a year ($64.68 an hour), according to BLS data for May 2025. That is about the same as the national median of $135,880, and ranks 28th of 51 states.
Median, Colorado
$134,540
Mean $139,580
Middle half earns
$124,100 to $156,400
US: $120,670 to $163,980
Employed in Colorado
3,270
1.09x the national concentration
Where Colorado sits in the range
Colorado
Statewide
United States
National
Denver
Metro area
Colorado Springs
Metro area
Boulder
Metro area
Grand Junction
Metro area
Physician assistant pay by percentile
Ten percent of Colorado physician assistants earned less than $104,590 and ten percent earned more than $174,090, a spread of $69,500. Where you land depends mostly on specialty, setting, experience and how the productivity pay is built, which is why two offers in the same city can be far apart.
| Percentile | Colorado | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $104,590 | $99,380 | +5.2% |
| 25th | $124,100 | $120,670 | +2.8% |
| Median | $134,540 | $135,880 | -1.0% |
| 75th | $156,400 | $163,980 | -4.6% |
| 90th | $174,090 | $190,280 | -8.5% |
Physician assistant pay by metro area
BLS published PA pay for 7 metro areas that include part of Colorado. Boulder, CO has the highest median at $136,540. Metro estimates rest on smaller samples than the statewide figure, so treat a low-precision row as a direction, not a number.
| Metro area | Employed | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 1,650 | $134,540 | $127,920 to $161,790 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 440 | $135,200 | $122,850 to $148,240 |
| Boulder, CO | 270 | $136,540 | $122,180 to $165,950 |
| Grand Junction, CO | 150 | $129,930 | $113,720 to $149,210 |
| Greeley, CO | 140 | $134,550 | $112,580 to $142,020 |
| Pueblo, CO | 70 | $135,640 | $127,360 to $155,070 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | not published | $134,260 | $122,950 to $154,590 |
How PA pay compares with other clinicians in Colorado
| Occupation | Colorado | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Physician assistant | $134,540 | $135,880 |
| Nurse practitioner | $132,930 | $132,300 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | not published | $236,590 |
| Registered nurse | $100,260 | $97,550 |
The Colorado PA workforce
BLS counts 3,270 physician assistants on Colorado payrolls, or 1.14 for every 1,000 jobs in the state, close to the national concentration. The federal NPI registry, which also counts self-employed and part-time clinicians, lists 5,551 physician assistants with a Colorado practice address, and 140 new PA NPIs there in the past twelve months.
Using these numbers when you negotiate
A state median is a reference point, not a target. If an offer comes in under $124,100, it sits in the bottom quarter of what Colorado physician assistants earn, and you should know why before you sign: a new-grad rate, a light schedule, or a base kept low because a productivity bonus is supposed to make up the difference. If it is above $156,400, ask what is expected in return, such as call, volume targets or a longer non-compete.
Compare the whole package, not the base: how the bonus is calculated, call pay, CME, PTO and who pays malpractice tail coverage. The negotiation guide and the contract checklist walk through each term.
Questions about PA pay in Colorado
How much does a PA make in Colorado?
The median annual wage for physician assistants in Colorado was $134,540 in May 2025, and the mean was $139,580, per the BLS. The middle half earned between $124,100 and $156,400.
What is the hourly rate for physician assistants in Colorado?
The median hourly wage was $64.68 and the mean was $67.10. BLS computes hourly figures from annual pay assuming a full-time year, so per-shift or per-diem rates can differ.
Where do PAs earn the most in Colorado?
Among Colorado metro areas with published data, Boulder, CO had the highest median at $136,540, and Grand Junction, CO the lowest at $129,930.
How does Colorado rank for PA pay?
Colorado ranks 28th of 51 states (including DC) by median PA pay, about the same as the national median of $135,880. Pay is only half the picture: compare it with what housing and taxes cost where you would live.
How many physician assistants work in Colorado?
BLS estimated 3,270 physician assistants employed in Colorado in May 2025. The federal NPI registry lists 5,551 with a Colorado practice address.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (bls.gov/oes), SOC 29-1071, all industries and ownerships. NPI counts: NPPES monthly file, August 2026 (CMS, public domain). BLS wages are straight-time pay: they include production bonuses but leave out overtime, shift differentials, non-production bonuses and benefits, and they exclude the self-employed.
Have an offer on the table?
Book a free intro call with Max. Tell him what you are weighing, and he will tell you whether coaching would help, or whether you just need a few answers.