The published wage benchmark
BLS reports an annual mean wage of $141,280 and annual median wage of $135,880 for physician assistants in the United States. The hourly mean is $67.92; the hourly median is $65.33. These are employee wage estimates, not quoted contract rates. Employment estimate: 162,150. That is an estimated job count, not open jobs or a count of available clinicians.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS area data
National comparison
This is a national benchmark across the occupation. It does not isolate a specialty, shift type or local labor market.
Use the national estimate for the right question
A national PA wage pools settings, specialties and states. AAPA’s state-law resources are a starting point for checking licensing and practice arrangements in the state where you will work. Compare the specific procedures, clinical backup and any supervision or collaboration terms in the actual job, rather than using the national wage as a specialty rate.
- Which patient setting and procedures are included?
- What state and facility practice arrangement applies?
- Who is available for clinical consultation and escalation?
What this data does and does not measure
OEWS includes full-time and part-time employees and does not include self-employed workers. Annual wage estimates generally use a 2,080-hour year; do not treat them as a part-time worker's actual yearly earnings. The mean is the average; the median is the midpoint. BLS publishes each rounded estimate separately, so use the published values rather than multiplying a rounded hourly wage. The occupation-level table does not provide a pay split for telemedicine, locum tenens, per diem or consulting. BLS uses the occupation name "Physician Assistants" (SOC 29-1071). This is a broad occupational benchmark, not a specialty-specific PA rate.
Sources: BLS OEWS frequently asked questions
How precise is the estimate?
Employment relative standard error: 1.4%. Wage relative standard error: 0.7%. RSE measures estimate precision; a smaller RSE means a more precise survey estimate.
Pay is one part of the job
Ask what work is included, who owns onboarding and what has to clear before the first shift. Keep your licenses and credentials current in one Saile profile, then check the app for relevant work.
Turn a salary benchmark into a useful offer comparison
Start with the published mean and median above, then compare the actual work rather than treating a wage estimate as a guaranteed offer. For PA work, confirm the clinical setting, procedures and applicable supervision or collaboration arrangements with the board and facility.
- Write down the patient scope, paid schedule, nights and call you are agreeing to cover.
- Ask which orientation, charting, messages, travel and administrative tasks are paid.
- Compare benefits, expenses, malpractice coverage, cancellation and exit terms beside the pay unit.
- Get the remaining licensing, privileges, orientation and system-access steps and their owners before committing a first shift.
Where to look and what to ask next
Check direct facility career pages and the Saile app for current opportunities. Search your role with the setting and schedule you want, such as temporary coverage, per diem or part-time. A published salary estimate is not evidence of a live vacancy. Ask the hiring team for the actual scope, dates and written terms before reserving your time.
Employee wages are not contractor take-home pay
The BLS figure excludes self-employed workers. For federal employment taxes, the IRS considers control and the relationship, not only the contract label. Self-employed individuals generally pay income and self-employment tax and may need estimated payments. Keep payment and expense records and take your actual arrangement to a tax professional; do not subtract a generic percentage and call it take-home pay.
Sources: IRS: Independent contractor or employee · IRS: Self-employed individuals tax center
Compare the work, not just the benchmark
Locum tenens
No work-type rate is available from this occupation-level BLS source. Compare verified written terms.
Telemedicine
No work-type rate is available from this occupation-level BLS source. Compare verified written terms.
Per diem / PRN
No work-type rate is available from this occupation-level BLS source. Compare verified written terms.
Consulting / project work
No work-type rate is available from this occupation-level BLS source. Compare verified written terms.
Salary questions
What is the average physician assistant salary in the United States?
The BLS May 2025 annual mean employee wage is $141,280. The annual median is $135,880. Mean and median measure different things.
Is this a locum, telemedicine or per-diem rate?
No. It is an occupation-level employee wage estimate. This source does not isolate those work types or self-employed contractor earnings.
Does the annual number show what a part-time clinician earns?
No. The annualized benchmark generally assumes 2,080 hours. Actual part-time annual earnings depend on paid hours and the specific agreement.
How current are these numbers?
The data period is May 2025, published May 15, 2026. A 2026 page date does not mean these are 2026 wages.
How should I compare a job offer?
Put the schedule and clinical duties beside pay, benefits, coverage, expenses and unpaid work. Use the BLS figure as a benchmark, not a promised offer.
Sources
- BLS May 2025 OEWS area data
- BLS OEWS frequently asked questions
- IRS: Independent contractor or employee
- IRS: Self-employed individuals tax center
- AAPA state laws and regulations
Data period: May 2025. Published May 15, 2026.