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Physician Assistants

General Information

Description

Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. May, in some cases, prescribe medication. Must graduate from an accredited educational program for physician assistants.

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Business Breakdown

People in this career work in these sectors.

  1. Private, for profit66.16%
  2. Private, not for profit24.94%
  3. State and local government4.00%
  4. Federal government3.39%
  5. Self-employed1.50%

Workplace at a Glance

What you can expect to experience while on the job

  • Responsibility
  • Exposure to job hazards
  • Physical activity
  • Decision making
  • Repetitiveness
  • Level of competition
  • Time pressure

Industry areas

  • Health Science

Job Outlook

Employment of physician assistants is projected to grow 28 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 12,700 openings for physician assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

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Job Outlook

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Employment of physician assistants is projected to grow 28 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 12,700 openings for physician assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

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Salary

Average Salary

Salary

$121,530

Military salary*

$111,607

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State-by-state Salary

Gray states indicate no data available

$130,610
$31,150
No Information for this section

Education

Most Common Education Levels

People in this career achieve this level of education.

  • Master's degree 81%
  • First professional degree 13%
  • Bachelor's degree 5%
  • High school 0%
  • Some college 0%
  • Doctoral degree 0%
  • Associate's degree 0%
  • Post baccalaureate 0%
  • Less than high school 0%
  • Post-doctoral training 0%
  • Post-master's certificate 0%
  • Post-secondary certificate 0%

Related College Majors

Select major to see colleges that offer it

Knowledge

  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Psychology
  • Therapy and Counseling
  • Biology
  • Customer and Personal Service

Skills at a Glance

Skills helpful in this career

  • Verbal skills
  • Critical thinking & problem solving
  • Equipment operation & maintenance
  • Math & science skills
  • Technology design & control
  • Leadership
No Information for this section

* Military pay may be higher based on specialty pays or bonuses. Learn more about Military benefits.

Data supplied by Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center of Education Statistics, Defense Manpower Data Center (View our update schedule). Contact any business, college or military service branch to answer additional questions.