Physician assistant salary in New York
New York physician assistants earn a median of $160,880 a year ($77.35 an hour), according to BLS data for May 2025. That is 18% above the national median of $135,880, and ranks 5th of 51 states.
Median, New York
$160,880
Mean $155,150
Middle half earns
$134,480 to $174,710
US: $120,670 to $163,980
Employed in New York
19,140
1.90x the national concentration
Where New York sits in the range
New York
Statewide
United States
National
New York
Metro area
Rochester
Metro area
Buffalo
Metro area
Albany
Metro area
Physician assistant pay by percentile
Ten percent of New York physician assistants earned less than $106,440 and ten percent earned more than $201,410, a spread of $94,970. 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 York | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $106,440 | $99,380 | +7.1% |
| 25th | $134,480 | $120,670 | +11.4% |
| Median | $160,880 | $135,880 | +18.4% |
| 75th | $174,710 | $163,980 | +6.5% |
| 90th | $201,410 | $190,280 | +5.8% |
Physician assistant pay by metro area
BLS published PA pay for 13 metro areas that include part of New York. 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 |
| Rochester, NY | 1,230 | $130,430 | $129,490 to $133,350 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 1,040 | $126,360 | $105,240 to $144,810 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 770 | $137,850 | $128,580 to $152,030 |
| Syracuse, NY | 590 | $133,000 | $111,610 to $156,700 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | 510 | $154,610 | $128,630 to $167,500 |
| Ithaca, NY | 230 | $138,920 | $133,100 to $153,590 |
| Binghamton, NY | 200 | $146,120 | $136,700 to $166,750 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | 120 | $140,300 | $126,820 to $154,020 |
| Glens Falls, NY | 100 | $132,700 | $103,200 to $159,390 |
| Elmira, NY | 60 | $137,550 | $122,080 to $152,490 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | 60 | $128,870 | $119,720 to $150,410 |
| Kingston, NYmoderate precision | 40 | $150,470 | $130,310 to $157,410 |
How PA pay compares with other clinicians in New York
| Occupation | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Physician assistant | $160,880 | $135,880 |
| Nurse practitioner | $153,510 | $132,300 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | $321,030 | $236,590 |
| Registered nurse | $109,440 | $97,550 |
The New York PA workforce
BLS counts 19,140 physician assistants on New York payrolls, or 1.98 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 21,011 physician assistants with a New York practice address, and 1,157 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 $134,480, it sits in the bottom quarter of what New York 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 $174,710, 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 York
How much does a PA make in New York?
The median annual wage for physician assistants in New York was $160,880 in May 2025, and the mean was $155,150, per the BLS. The middle half earned between $134,480 and $174,710.
What is the hourly rate for physician assistants in New York?
The median hourly wage was $77.35 and the mean was $74.59. 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 York?
Among New York metro areas with published data, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median at $167,650, and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY the lowest at $126,360.
How does New York rank for PA pay?
New York ranks 5th of 51 states (including DC) by median PA pay, 18% 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 York?
BLS estimated 19,140 physician assistants employed in New York in May 2025. The federal NPI registry lists 21,011 with a New York 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.