Physician assistant salary in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania physician assistants earn a median of $127,070 a year ($61.09 an hour), according to BLS data for May 2025. That is 6% below the national median of $135,880, and ranks 43rd of 51 states.
Median, Pennsylvania
$127,070
Mean $125,160
Middle half earns
$107,260 to $137,220
US: $120,670 to $163,980
Employed in Pennsylvania
9,020
1.43x the national concentration
Where Pennsylvania sits in the range
Pennsylvania
Statewide
United States
National
Philadelphia
Metro area
Pittsburgh
Metro area
Harrisburg
Metro area
Allentown
Metro area
Physician assistant pay by percentile
Ten percent of Pennsylvania physician assistants earned less than $99,050 and ten percent earned more than $158,690, a spread of $59,640. 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 | Pennsylvania | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $99,050 | $99,380 | -0.3% |
| 25th | $107,260 | $120,670 | -11.1% |
| Median | $127,070 | $135,880 | -6.5% |
| 75th | $137,220 | $163,980 | -16.3% |
| 90th | $158,690 | $190,280 | -16.6% |
Physician assistant pay by metro area
BLS published PA pay for 16 metro areas that include part of Pennsylvania. Lebanon, PA has the highest median at $137,770. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 3,390 | $135,640 | $123,870 to $157,050 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 2,560 | $125,230 | $106,580 to $133,180 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | 580 | $123,110 | $103,690 to $135,840 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 560 | $129,680 | $109,450 to $135,010 |
| Lancaster, PA | 340 | $124,070 | $103,770 to $131,650 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | 310 | $126,230 | $108,500 to $142,150 |
| York-Hanover, PA | 290 | $126,530 | $106,780 to $132,580 |
| Reading, PA | 190 | $130,160 | $120,530 to $148,960 |
| Altoona, PAmoderate precision | 190 | $123,270 | $104,190 to $133,790 |
| Erie, PAmoderate precision | 170 | $111,260 | $97,700 to $124,500 |
| Williamsport, PA | 150 | $124,920 | $101,790 to $130,010 |
| Lebanon, PA | 90 | $137,770 | $122,090 to $173,080 |
| State College, PAmoderate precision | 80 | $128,480 | $106,850 to $131,360 |
| Johnstown, PAmoderate precision | 80 | $129,800 | $110,300 to $135,050 |
| Chambersburg, PA | 70 | $120,030 | $104,510 to $132,120 |
| Gettysburg, PAmoderate precision | 30 | $124,520 | $107,220 to $130,650 |
How PA pay compares with other clinicians in Pennsylvania
| Occupation | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Physician assistant | $127,070 | $135,880 |
| Nurse practitioner | $130,140 | $132,300 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | $221,530 | $236,590 |
| Registered nurse | $96,430 | $97,550 |
The Pennsylvania PA workforce
BLS counts 9,020 physician assistants on Pennsylvania payrolls, or 1.49 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 12,489 physician assistants with a Pennsylvania practice address, and 720 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 $107,260, it sits in the bottom quarter of what Pennsylvania 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 $137,220, 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 Pennsylvania
How much does a PA make in Pennsylvania?
The median annual wage for physician assistants in Pennsylvania was $127,070 in May 2025, and the mean was $125,160, per the BLS. The middle half earned between $107,260 and $137,220.
What is the hourly rate for physician assistants in Pennsylvania?
The median hourly wage was $61.09 and the mean was $60.18. 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 Pennsylvania?
Among Pennsylvania metro areas with published data, Lebanon, PA had the highest median at $137,770, and Erie, PA the lowest at $111,260.
How does Pennsylvania rank for PA pay?
Pennsylvania ranks 43rd of 51 states (including DC) by median PA pay, 6% below 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 Pennsylvania?
BLS estimated 9,020 physician assistants employed in Pennsylvania in May 2025. The federal NPI registry lists 12,489 with a Pennsylvania 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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