Looking for physician assistant jobs in California? Barton Associates specializes in locum tenens PA jobs, with well over a decade of experience placing locum tenens physician assistants (PAs) on short and long-term assignments throughout the US.
What’s it like to work as a physician assistant in California? Visit our Physician Assistant Guide to Locum Tenens Jobs in California here.
Looking to work your next physician assistant job in California, but aren’t licensed in the state yet? If you’re already licensed to practice as a physician assistant in another state, our expert licensing team will work with you to secure your California PA license, on us.
We are seeking an Urgent Care Physician Assistant for a 54-day assignment with our client in California, starting Sep 1, 2026. This role involves working independent of MD supervision, with shifts from 10:45 AM – 9:15 PM, handling a variety of low acuity emergency and fast track urgent care cases, including sutures, chest pain, abdominal pain, pelvic...
Location:CA
Specialty:Urgent Care
Provider Type:Physician Assistant
We are seeking an Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant for a 56-day assignment in California, starting Sep 2, 2026. This role involves working independently of Physician supervision, handling low acuity Emergency Room cases with shifts from 10:45 AM – 9:15 PM. The caseload includes sutures, patients with chest pain, undifferentiated abdominal pain,...
Location:CA
Specialty:Emergency Medicine
Provider Type:Physician Assistant
Our client in California is seeking a dedicated General Surgery Physician Assistant for a 60-day assignment beginning Oct 5, 2026. This role involves serving as a surgical first assist within a dynamic multispecialty team, contributing to patient care through shifts such as 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM and 3:00 PM to 11:30 PM. You will play a crucial part in...
Location:CA
Specialty:General Surgery
Provider Type:Physician Assistant
Our client in California is seeking an Obstetrics/Gynecology Physician Assistant for a 90-day assignment starting Aug 31, 2026. This full-time role, Monday through Friday, involves essential patient consults at the clinic, thorough follow-ups, and diligent charting, with responsibilities across two closely located facilities each week.Responsibilities...
Location:CA
Specialty:Obstetrics/Gynecology
Provider Type:Physician Assistant
We are seeking a Pediatrics Physician Assistant for a 120-day locum tenens assignment in California, starting Aug 31, 2026. This role involves managing general pediatrics cases, including check-in visits, colds, flu, covid, rashes, and allergies, with a consistent Monday-Friday, 8a-5p schedule.Responsibilities and DutiesProvide care for general pediatrics...
Location:CA
Specialty:Pediatrics
Provider Type:Physician Assistant
We are seeking a General Surgery Physician Assistant for an exciting 60-day assignment in California, commencing Aug 24, 2026. This role involves dedicated OR work as a Surgical First Assist, with no inpatient rounding required. Shifts are available as either a Day Shift from 7:30am - 4:30pm or a Mid Day Shift from 12:30pm - 8:30pm, offering focused...
Location:CA
Specialty:General Surgery
Provider Type:Physician Assistant
Our client is seeking a dedicated General Surgery Physician Assistant for a 60-day assignment in California, starting Jul 27, 2026. This role involves working 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM shifts as a surgical first assist within a multispecialty team, contributing to a diverse range of surgical cases.Responsibilities and DutiesWork as a surgical first assist...
Location:CA
Specialty:General Surgery
Provider Type:Physician Assistant
Our client in California is seeking a dedicated Pediatrics Physician Assistant for a 60-day assignment starting Jul 6, 2026. You will provide care during 8-5 shifts, managing typical pediatric cases including cold, cough, flu, diabetes, and hypertension. This role involves working with a patient population where 75% are Spanish speaking, though translators...
Location:CA
Specialty:Pediatrics
Provider Type:Physician Assistant
We are seeking a dedicated Family Practice Physician Assistant for a 60-day assignment in California, starting May 25, 2026. This role involves seeing approximately three patients per hour, managing walk-ins, and timely charting, with a schedule of 8am-5pm, Monday through Friday. The Physician Assistant will provide comprehensive care for cases ranging...
Location:CA
Specialty:Family Practice
Provider Type:Physician Assistant
We are seeking a skilled Cardiothoracic Surgery Physician Assistant for a 120-day assignment in California, starting Aug 17, 2026. This inpatient-focused role involves 8-hour shifts plus call, supporting a high-volume, high-acuity adult CT surgery service across OR, ICU, stepdown, and telemetry floors, with no clinic responsibilities. The ideal candidate...
Location:CA
Specialty:Cardiothoracic Surgery
Provider Type:Physician Assistant
Locum tenens PA jobs are contract roles designed to fill gaps in care at healthcare facilities over a specific timeframe. These assignments can range from a week to well over a year. Locum and travel physician assistants hold all the same qualifications as a permanent physician assistant, and often choose locum work for higher pay and increased flexibility. Explore our locum tenens guide to learn more.
In California, the average PA salary is $153,960 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
PAs in California must have a written practice agreement with at least one supervising physician. It should outline the policies, procedures, and a level of supervision required. In general, PAs in California have moderate practice authority. Moderate authority refers to the fact that state law requires additional administrative burdens. This impacts the practice environment and limits the PA.
In California, physician assistants (PAs) must engage in continuing education (CE) to maintain their license and stay up-to-date with medical knowledge. The California Physician Assistant Board sets the CE requirement, which is currently 50 CE hours per two-year renewal cycle. Completing CE ensures PAs remain proficient in their clinical skills, promotes lifelong learning, and upholds patient safety. By fulfilling the CE requirement, PAs demonstrate their commitment to professional growth and contribute to the overall quality of healthcare services provided in California.
The highest paid PA specialty is cardiovascular surgery at $152,500 annually, according to the American Academy of Physician Associates.
The employment for PAs is expected to grow 27% between 2022 to 2032. This is much faster than other jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there are 12,200 openings for PAs every year, over the course of the decade.
