Physician assistant salary in Connecticut
Connecticut physician assistants earn a median of $139,860 a year ($67.24 an hour), according to BLS data for May 2025. That is 3% above the national median of $135,880, and ranks 15th of 51 states.
Median, Connecticut
$139,860
Mean $146,930
Middle half earns
$129,370 to $165,140
US: $120,670 to $163,980
Employed in Connecticut
3,570
2.02x the national concentration
Where Connecticut sits in the range
Connecticut
Statewide
United States
National
Hartford
Metro area
Bridgeport
Metro area
New Haven
Metro area
Norwich
Metro area
Physician assistant pay by percentile
Ten percent of Connecticut physician assistants earned less than $106,380 and ten percent earned more than $180,900, a spread of $74,520. 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 | Connecticut | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $106,380 | $99,380 | +7.0% |
| 25th | $129,370 | $120,670 | +7.2% |
| Median | $139,860 | $135,880 | +2.9% |
| 75th | $165,140 | $163,980 | +0.7% |
| 90th | $180,900 | $190,280 | -4.9% |
Physician assistant pay by metro area
BLS published PA pay for 5 metro areas that include part of Connecticut. New Haven, CT has the highest median at $149,960. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 1,460 | $138,680 | $127,620 to $162,150 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 940 | $145,400 | $131,280 to $165,530 |
| New Haven, CT | 740 | $149,960 | $137,670 to $180,680 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | 180 | $140,030 | $129,370 to $174,210 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CTmoderate precision | 170 | $134,120 | $123,170 to $155,980 |
How PA pay compares with other clinicians in Connecticut
| Occupation | Connecticut | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Physician assistant | $139,860 | $135,880 |
| Nurse practitioner | $138,470 | $132,300 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | $236,960 | $236,590 |
| Registered nurse | $102,740 | $97,550 |
The Connecticut PA workforce
BLS counts 3,570 physician assistants on Connecticut payrolls, or 2.11 for every 1,000 jobs in the state, more concentrated than in the country as a whole. The federal NPI registry, which also counts self-employed and part-time clinicians, lists 3,850 physician assistants with a Connecticut practice address, and 166 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 $129,370, it sits in the bottom quarter of what Connecticut 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 $165,140, 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 Connecticut
How much does a PA make in Connecticut?
The median annual wage for physician assistants in Connecticut was $139,860 in May 2025, and the mean was $146,930, per the BLS. The middle half earned between $129,370 and $165,140.
What is the hourly rate for physician assistants in Connecticut?
The median hourly wage was $67.24 and the mean was $70.64. 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 Connecticut?
Among Connecticut metro areas with published data, New Haven, CT had the highest median at $149,960, and Waterbury-Shelton, CT the lowest at $134,120.
How does Connecticut rank for PA pay?
Connecticut ranks 15th of 51 states (including DC) by median PA pay, 3% above 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 Connecticut?
BLS estimated 3,570 physician assistants employed in Connecticut in May 2025. The federal NPI registry lists 3,850 with a Connecticut 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?
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