Physician assistant salary in New Jersey
New Jersey physician assistants earn a median of $165,690 a year ($79.66 an hour), according to BLS data for May 2025. That is 22% above the national median of $135,880, and ranks 1st of 51 states.
Median, New Jersey
$165,690
Mean $162,100
Middle half earns
$134,710 to $192,370
US: $120,670 to $163,980
Employed in New Jersey
4,790
1.07x the national concentration
Where New Jersey sits in the range
New Jersey
Statewide
United States
National
New York
Metro area
Philadelphia
Metro area
Allentown
Metro area
Atlantic
Metro area
Physician assistant pay by percentile
Ten percent of New Jersey physician assistants earned less than $117,860 and ten percent earned more than $207,000, a spread of $89,140. 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 | New Jersey | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $117,860 | $99,380 | +18.6% |
| 25th | $134,710 | $120,670 | +11.6% |
| Median | $165,690 | $135,880 | +21.9% |
| 75th | $192,370 | $163,980 | +17.3% |
| 90th | $207,000 | $190,280 | +8.8% |
Physician assistant pay by metro area
BLS published PA pay for 5 metro areas that include part of New Jersey. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has the highest median at $167,650. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 16,800 | $167,650 | $141,930 to $179,990 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 3,390 | $135,640 | $123,870 to $157,050 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 560 | $129,680 | $109,450 to $135,010 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJmoderate precision | 150 | $153,280 | $120,980 to $159,570 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJmoderate precision | 140 | $138,880 | $132,060 to $162,180 |
How PA pay compares with other clinicians in New Jersey
| Occupation | New Jersey | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Physician assistant | $165,690 | $135,880 |
| Nurse practitioner | $159,310 | $132,300 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | $291,350 | $236,590 |
| Registered nurse | $106,500 | $97,550 |
The New Jersey PA workforce
BLS counts 4,790 physician assistants on New Jersey payrolls, or 1.12 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 4,628 physician assistants with a New Jersey practice address, and 349 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 $134,710, it sits in the bottom quarter of what New Jersey 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 $192,370, 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 New Jersey
How much does a PA make in New Jersey?
The median annual wage for physician assistants in New Jersey was $165,690 in May 2025, and the mean was $162,100, per the BLS. The middle half earned between $134,710 and $192,370.
What is the hourly rate for physician assistants in New Jersey?
The median hourly wage was $79.66 and the mean was $77.93. 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 New Jersey?
Among New Jersey metro areas with published data, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median at $167,650, and Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ the lowest at $129,680.
How does New Jersey rank for PA pay?
New Jersey ranks 1st of 51 states (including DC) by median PA pay, 22% 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 New Jersey?
BLS estimated 4,790 physician assistants employed in New Jersey in May 2025. The federal NPI registry lists 4,628 with a New Jersey 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.