OK, so you think you may have found your passion in life – becoming a physician assistant.

However, the million-dollar question is…

How much will I earn per year as a physician assistant?

We will share more information on physician assistant salaries with you, but there are some other things to consider first:

Is being a physician assistant a growing or a dying career?

How are the employment prospects for a physician assistant?

And where is the best place to live and get paid as a physician assistant?

Keep reading and, hopefully, we can answer some of these questions for you.

What kind of salary can I expect?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for physician assistants was $104,860 in May 2017. By the term “median wage,” we mean that half the workers in the occupation earned more than this. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $66,590, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $146,260.

What are the highest paying states for physician assistants?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the 5 highest paying states. Numbers are based on the mean.

  1. Washington – $57.79 per hour / $1,20,200 per year
  2. New Jersey – $57.34 per hour / $1,19,260 per year
  3. Nevada – $57.31 per hour / $1,19,210 per year
  4. North Dakota – $56.49 per hour / $1,17,500 per year
  5. Hawaii – $56.09 per hour / $1,16,660 per year

What are the lowest paying states for physician assistants?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the 5 lowest paying states/territories. Numbers are based on the mean.

  1. Puerto Rico – $14.87 per hour / $30,920 per year
  2. Mississippi – $33.74 per hour / $70,190 per year
  3. Arkansas – $39.45 per hour / $82,050 per year
  4. Tennessee – $40.74 per hour / $84,730 per year
  5. Louisiana – $41.79 per hour / $86,930 per year

What is the Career Ranking for this job?

Well, according to usnews.com, becoming a physician assistant is exceptionally fulfilling. They analyze a boatload of data about salary, unemployment rate, and stress to select the top jobs for each year.

Physician assistants are ranked:

  • #2 in Best Health Care Jobs
  • #3 in The 100 Best Jobs

What is the growth potential as a physician assistant??

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical job growth in a sector is 7%. Physician assistant job growth between 2016 and 2026 is expected to be 37%, adding 39,600 new jobs. That is much faster than the market average!

What are the unemployment figures like for physician assistants?

When looking at a career to get into, it is a good idea to factor in data on how long you can stay employed. Physician assistants have some of the lowest unemployment rates in the US. According to usnews.com, the unemployment rate for physician assistants is only 0.7%.

The bottom line: Becoming a physician assistant is not just a rewarding career; it is a growing and lucrative one, too.