Physician Assistant Career Overview

Source:BLS

A physician assistant (PA) is a licensed healthcare professional who works under the supervision of a physician to provide comprehensive medical care to patients.

The position came about in the mid-1960s to expand healthcare access. The role quickly gained acceptance as a creative solution to a growing physician shortage in primary care.

Today, physician assistants are an integral part of the healthcare team in various settings and specialties. In this guide, you’ll discover more about the role of a PA, including work settings and common salaries.

According to the National Committee on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), the profession grew by 28.6% from 2016-2020.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects employment for these workers to grow by 28% from 2021-2031. The NCCPA is the only certifying organization for physician assistants in the United States.

Most PAs are 39 years old or younger, reflecting an increase in the profession over the past 10 years. Interestingly, only 24% work in primary care, which includes family medicine, pediatrics, and internal medicine.

In 2020, roughly 148,000 certified physician assistants practiced professionally in the U.S., with the highest number of PAs in California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Most states have more PAs in specialties or subspecialties than primary care roles. Data shows that private pay and private insurance patients are more likely than those on Medicare to visit a physician assistant.

Physician assistants share a similar scope of practice as physicians and nurse practitioners. PAs can conduct physical examinations, diagnose and treat health conditions, prescribe medications, order tests, and assist during surgery.

PAs work in many settings and specialties, including large teaching hospitals and smaller hospitals in rural areas. In the latter, they work with populations that may otherwise be medically underserved.

Physician assistants work in primary care, internal medicine subspecialties, and other areas including obstetrics and gynecology, hospice and palliative care, public health, and pain management.

BLS reporting indicates most physician assistants work in physician’s offices. Roughly 23% hold employment in hospitals, and the remaining professionals work in outpatient care centers, nursing homes, educational settings, and the government.

On average, it takes 7-9 years to complete your education and become a physician assistant. Candidates begin by completing their bachelor’s degrees, prerequisite college courses and healthcare experience hours. Admission to PA programs is highly competitive.

Applicants with high GPAs and at least 2,000 hours of healthcare experience often receive admission preference. Some schools do not require healthcare experience, while others require minimums of 1,000 or 2,000 hours.

On average, applicants have around 2,600 patient contact hours. They often obtain direct patient hours as paramedics, athletic trainers, respiratory therapists, and related positions.

Most students complete bachelor’s degrees before applying to PA programs. As with nursing programs, it is essential to attend an accredited program.

Coursework includes anatomy, physiology, behavioral science, and medical ethics. Each enrollee also completes 2,000 clinical hours with a preceptor. PA programs take approximately three years to complete.

After graduating from an accredited program, you are eligible to take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE). The NCCPA administers the exam.

You have up to six years and six attempts to pass the examination. If you do not pass the exam after six tries — or the time limit elapses — you can no longer qualify for certification. To take the PANCE again, fully complete an accredited program a second time.

After passing the PANCE, you must apply for and receive a state license. The requirements for state licensure vary by state.

To maintain your national certification, you need to complete at least 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years. You must also pass a recertification examination every 10 years.

There are over 70 specialties and subspecialties in which physician assistants can work. The NCCPA keeps track of the practice areas where PAs work for statistical analysis. The following are three of the most popular physician assistant practice areas.

There is a growing demand for PAs in the healthcare field. The BLS projects employment for these professionals to grow by 28% from 2021-2031, which is far faster than average. The hourly median pay in 2021 was $58.43, amounting to an annual median salary of $121,530.

The pay range is highest in outpatient settings, where PAs earn a median annual salary of $128,430. On the lower end, PAs in educational services make a median annual salary of $101,040. Factors that influence earning potential include geographic location, practice setting, education, and experience.

The fastest-growing area of practice for physician assistants, according to the NCCPA, is psychiatry, where there was a 57.1% increase in growth from 2016-2020. By comparison, there was a 20.4% decline in physical medicine and rehabilitation in this period.

There is no straightforward answer to this question, as it depends on the candidate. NPs choose a population focus and are educated in the nursing model, while PAs practice general medicine and are educated in the medical model. After certification, they can both treat patients, write prescriptions, and work in a variety of settings. NPs may work autonomously in 27 states, while PAs must always work with a collaborating physician.

According to the NCCPA, roughly 72% of PAs are completely or mostly satisfied with their present job. PAs also enjoy above-average earnings and a high rate of projected employment growth. These factors can increase the likelihood that an individual would enjoy their career.

The education and certification requirements for an NP and PA are rigorous. Neither profession is above the other. A PA is educated in the medical model, while an NP is educated in the nursing model. They serve different roles and fill different needs in the healthcare system.

Page last reviewed January 26, 2023