How to Become a Physician Assistant
Examine patients, diagnose illnesses and injuries, prescribe medications, and develop treatment plans under physician supervision. It typically requires a master's degree, with a median salary of $135,880 per year and much faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$135,880/yr
Middle half
$120,670 to $163,980
Job growth
Much faster than average
Openings / yr
12,000
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Clinical Assessment
- Patient Care
- Medical Diagnosis
- Pharmacology
- Communication
Helpful certifications
- PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam)
- State Licensure
- BLS/ACLS Certification
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
10/100
Work-life balance
42/100
Stress level
65/100
Satisfaction
74/100
Related careers
- Psychiatrist$281,870 median
- Physician (Family Medicine)$244,180 median
- Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)$236,590 median
- Dentist$170,950 median
- Pharmacist$140,910 median
- Optometrist$136,570 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Physician Assistant make?
The median pay for a Physician Assistant is $135,880 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $120,670 and $163,980 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Physician Assistant?
The usual entry point is a master's degree. Common majors are Pre-Medicine, Biology, Health Sciences, and Chemistry.
Is Physician Assistant a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is much faster than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 12,000 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Physician Assistant use most?
Common skills for this role are Clinical Assessment, Patient Care, Medical Diagnosis, Pharmacology, and Communication.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).