Explore physician assistant salary ranges, hourly rates, and how specialty focus, practice structure, and locum work shape earning potential in 2026.
Most physician associates earn between $134,000 and $140,000 annually, with surgical specialties, leadership roles, and underserved-market demand pushing compensation higher. That range is driven primarily by practice setting, specialty focus, schedule intensity, and procedural scope.
| Source | What it Measures | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Bureau of Labor Statistics, SOC 29-1071 (OEWS) | Mean annual wage, Physician Assistants | ~$134,000 |
| AAPA Salary Report (2025) | Median total compensation | $140,000 |
| Medscape PA Compensation Report (2025) | Average total compensation | ~$133,000 |
The 2025 AAPA Salary Report showed median PA compensation rising to $140,000, up from $134,000 in 2024 — a 4.5% year-over-year increase. Nearly 58% of full-time PAs also reported receiving bonuses, with median bonus compensation around $6,000 annually.
The spread across PA compensation benchmarks reflects real differences in how each source collects and reports data. BLS reports employer-paid wages nationally across all PA specialties and settings. AAPA surveys practicing physician assistants directly and captures specialty-specific compensation trends. Medscape aggregates self-reported compensation across broader PA practice environments, including newer clinicians and part-time roles.
Three variables drive most compensation differences: specialty and procedural scope, schedule intensity and call burden, and geography and clinician scarcity.
| Compensation Type | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|
| W-2 employed (BLS mean annualized) | ~$64 /hr |
| AAPA median annualized | ~$67 /hr |
| Locum tenens market rate | $70–$130 /hr |
Sources: BLS OEWS SOC 29-1071; AAPA Salary Report 2025; Barton Associates market data 2025–2026.
The upper end of the locum PA market reflects surgical coverage, rural staffing shortages, ICU support, and facilities willing to pay premiums for experienced clinicians who can step in quickly.
PA pay varies significantly by state and market demand. The highest-paying markets include California, Alaska, Connecticut, New York, and Nevada. However, the highest salaries do not always translate to the strongest financial opportunities due to cost of living. The strongest effective compensation packages often emerge in rural and underserved regions where staffing scarcity and procedural demand drive locum premiums.
The highest-paying PA opportunities are often tied to staffing scarcity and procedural demand, not prestige metro markets. Rural and underserved regions frequently offer the strongest total compensation packages for locum PAs.
Several PA specialties consistently command stronger compensation. Orthopedic surgery, emergency medicine, cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, dermatology and aesthetics, and critical care and hospital medicine all represent high-demand areas where procedural exposure and specialty expertise translate directly into higher earning potential.
In the PA market, specialty choice and procedural exposure often matter more than years of experience alone. A PA with surgical subspecialty training working in an underserved market can significantly outpace national median compensation.
PA workload varies significantly by specialty. Outpatient PAs often operate continuity-based schedules, while surgical, emergency, and hospital-based PAs work shift-driven models with higher procedural intensity. Compensation scales through specialty complexity, schedule intensity, call coverage, and procedural volume. The shift-based structure of surgical coverage and acute care makes these settings particularly well-suited to locum work.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects approximately 20% job growth for physician assistants between 2024 and 2034 — one of the fastest growth rates across all healthcare professions. Key drivers include physician shortages across primary and specialty care, expansion of team-based care models, growing reliance on APPs in surgery and acute care, and rural and underserved coverage gaps.
The 2025 AAPA Salary Report confirmed median PA compensation is increasing 4.5% year-over-year, with more than half of full-time PAs receiving annual bonuses.
PA demand is no longer limited to primary care support roles. Many health systems now build surgical, inpatient, and emergency staffing models around APP integration — creating sustained locum demand at premium rates.
Locum PA work offers schedule control, geographic flexibility, and supplemental income opportunities without requiring clinicians to leave permanent practice entirely. Locum rates range from $70 to $130 per hour. The four scenarios below use representative rates from within that band.
To exceed $250,000: move into surgical or procedural specialties, cover nights, weekends, or call-heavy schedules, work in underserved or rural markets, and add leadership or ICU responsibilities.
The highest-earning PAs often combine specialty expertise, schedule flexibility, and willingness to cover the assignments hospitals struggle hardest to staff.
Higher locum rates create more than additional income potential. 1099 physician assistants gain flexibility in how income, taxes, geography, and workload are structured over time. While independent clinicians manage their own benefits, retirement planning, and taxes, malpractice coverage is typically provided through the locum staffing agency or facility.
1099 PAs also gain access to advantages unavailable in most employed models, including business deductions across licensing, CME, travel, and equipment; higher retirement contribution limits through a SEP-IRA or Solo 401(k); the Qualified Business Income deduction of up to 20% for eligible pass-through income; and S-corp structuring at higher income levels. Barton partners with Earned to help locum APPs navigate these decisions.
For many PAs, the value of locum work is flexibility first and income optimization second. The ability to design schedule, practice setting, geography, and workload around career goals is a structural advantage that compounds over time.
PA compensation does not remain static. Specialty training, procedural exposure, and leadership opportunities create clear long-term income progression. New graduate PAs often begin between $95,000 and $115,000 annually before increasing earnings through surgical specialization, acute care settings, leadership and management roles, and high-demand procedural coverage.
Mid-career and senior PAs working in emergency medicine, surgery, orthopedics, or inpatient specialties often exceed national compensation medians. Many experienced PAs also transition toward hybrid or locum structures to gain more schedule control and reduce burnout.
The PAs who earn the most long term are often the ones who intentionally build around specialty leverage and operational flexibility.
For PAs, assignment quality often comes down to operational support. Credentialing delays, unclear supervision structures, licensing gaps, or inconsistent scheduling can quickly create friction in both outpatient and facility-based settings. The best locum partners reduce that operational burden before the assignment even begins.
Barton supports physician assistants through licensing and credentialing support, assignment coordination built around continuity and workflow stability, financial planning resources through Earned, and clinician-focused support throughout the assignment lifecycle.
For many PAs, the best locum experience is the one that removes friction instead of adding to it.
Barton coordinates your job search from start to finish!
We’ll schedule a phone consultation to discuss your interests, goals, and work history to find the right opportunities.
Your Barton rep will submit your information to the facility you want to take an assignment at and work on next steps.
Barton handles licensing, credentialing, and travel arrangements before you arrive so you’re ready on day one.
Most physician assistants earn between $134,000 and $140,000 annually depending on specialty, geography, and employment structure. The 2025 AAPA Salary Report reported a median of $140,000.
W-2 employed PAs average approximately $64–$67 per hour based on BLS and AAPA data. Locum tenens rates range from $70 to $130 per hour depending on specialty and market demand.
Often yes, particularly in surgical specialties, underserved markets, and urgent staffing situations. A hybrid model combining $140,000 employed compensation with regular locum shifts can push total income to approximately $195,000. Full-time locum at $130/hr yields approximately $218,000 annually.
Surgical specialties, acute care settings, procedural responsibilities, leadership roles, and call coverage consistently drive the highest PA compensation. Geographic flexibility and willingness to work in underserved markets also significantly increase earning potential.
Yes. The BLS projects approximately 20% job growth through 2034 as healthcare systems continue expanding APP integration across surgical, inpatient, and emergency settings.
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