Physician assistant salary in Wisconsin
Wisconsin physician assistants earn a median of $133,950 a year ($64.40 an hour), according to BLS data for May 2025. That is 1% below the national median of $135,880, and ranks 29th of 51 states.
Median, Wisconsin
$133,950
Mean $136,750
Middle half earns
$125,640 to $156,800
US: $120,670 to $163,980
Employed in Wisconsin
3,580
1.17x the national concentration
Where Wisconsin sits in the range
Wisconsin
Statewide
United States
National
Minneapolis
Metro area
Milwaukee
Metro area
Madison
Metro area
Green Bay
Metro area
Physician assistant pay by percentile
Ten percent of Wisconsin physician assistants earned less than $102,420 and ten percent earned more than $169,150, a spread of $66,730. 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 | Wisconsin | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $102,420 | $99,380 | +3.1% |
| 25th | $125,640 | $120,670 | +4.1% |
| Median | $133,950 | $135,880 | -1.4% |
| 75th | $156,800 | $163,980 | -4.4% |
| 90th | $169,150 | $190,280 | -11.1% |
Physician assistant pay by metro area
BLS published PA pay for 14 metro areas that include part of Wisconsin. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI has the highest median at $145,030. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 2,340 | $145,030 | $130,870 to $160,580 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 1,220 | $135,040 | $127,460 to $161,080 |
| Madison, WI | 490 | $133,950 | $110,030 to $157,830 |
| Green Bay, WI | 240 | $131,720 | $106,280 to $141,750 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | 200 | $135,860 | $130,070 to $161,400 |
| Eau Claire, WI | 170 | $130,090 | $126,080 to $152,990 |
| Appleton, WI | 120 | $128,270 | $122,550 to $157,290 |
| Wausau, WI | 90 | $129,980 | $122,370 to $151,130 |
| Fond du Lac, WIlow precision | 90 | $136,700 | $125,970 to $153,250 |
| Sheboygan, WI | 90 | $134,360 | $134,360 to $159,880 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 80 | $135,790 | $126,030 to $154,840 |
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | 60 | $135,830 | $127,910 to $156,010 |
| Kenosha, WI | 60 | $135,800 | $126,830 to $155,060 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | 50 | $134,290 | $130,670 to $153,830 |
How PA pay compares with other clinicians in Wisconsin
| Occupation | Wisconsin | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Physician assistant | $133,950 | $135,880 |
| Nurse practitioner | $131,980 | $132,300 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | $273,170 | $236,590 |
| Registered nurse | $95,530 | $97,550 |
The Wisconsin PA workforce
BLS counts 3,580 physician assistants on Wisconsin payrolls, or 1.22 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 4,277 physician assistants with a Wisconsin practice address, and 155 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 $125,640, it sits in the bottom quarter of what Wisconsin 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 $156,800, 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 Wisconsin
How much does a PA make in Wisconsin?
The median annual wage for physician assistants in Wisconsin was $133,950 in May 2025, and the mean was $136,750, per the BLS. The middle half earned between $125,640 and $156,800.
What is the hourly rate for physician assistants in Wisconsin?
The median hourly wage was $64.40 and the mean was $65.74. 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 Wisconsin?
Among Wisconsin metro areas with published data, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI had the highest median at $145,030, and Appleton, WI the lowest at $128,270.
How does Wisconsin rank for PA pay?
Wisconsin ranks 29th of 51 states (including DC) by median PA pay, 1% 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 Wisconsin?
BLS estimated 3,580 physician assistants employed in Wisconsin in May 2025. The federal NPI registry lists 4,277 with a Wisconsin 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.