Physician assistants perform work similar to most doctors and nurses. They assist doctors by taking vital signs, examining patients, diagnosing problems and prescribing medication. They can see patients independently but work under the doctor's supervision and must refer complicated cases to a doctor. This job pays entry-level workers relatively handsomely and provides opportunities for career growth and advancement.
Average Salaries
The average salary for a first-year physician assistant is between $63,000 and $77,000, according to Allied Health Schools. First-year assistants will make more money in metropolitan areas than in rural areas, and physician assistants often make more money in hospitals than in private practices. Some specialties pay physician assistants far higher than others.
Specialty
Allied Health Schools reports that physician assistants specializing in cardiovascular health, dermatology, emergency medicine, neurosurgery, or critical care medicine make more money than physician assistants specializing in other fields. Cardiovascular health is the most lucrative field, netting physician assistants over $100,000 per year. First-year physician assistants make the least if they specialize in gynecology, endocrinology, nephrology, rheumatology or public health.
Geographical Location
Payscale.com reports that physician assistants make the most money in Texas, Florida and California, regardless of how many years the physician assistant has worked. Physician assistants in Texas and Florida make an average of between $72,000 and $90,000 per year, while physician assistants in California make an average of between $75,000 and $97,000 per year.
Education
Education can indirectly impact physician assistant salaries. Most physician assistants hold at least a bachelor's degree and have a certificate. To specialize in a particular field, physician assistants must take extra coursework beyond the basic coursework in biology and physiology that they must complete to obtain their certificate. The more education a physician assistant has, the more she is likely to make in her first year.
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