title: Physician assistant wages and employment, 2000-2025.
abstract: This study sought to assess physician assistant (PA) wages, make comparisons with other healthcare professionals, and project their earnings to 2025. The Bureau of Labor Statistics PA employment datasets were probed, and 2013 wages were used to explore median wage differences between large employer categories and 14 years of historical data (2000-2013). Median wages of PAs, family physicians and general practitioners, pharmacists, registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, and physical therapists were compared. Linear regression was used to project the PA median wage to 2025. In 2013, the median hourly wage for a PA employed in a clinical role was $44.70. From 2000 to 2013, PA wages increased by 40% compared with the cumulative inflation rate of 35.3%. This suggests that demand exceeds supply, a finding consistent with similar clinicians such as family physicians. A predictive model suggests that PA employment opportunities and remuneration will remain high through 2025.
authors.affiliation: Alicia Quella is assistant director of the MEDEX Northwest PA program and an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, Wash. Douglas M. Brock is an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Roderick S. Hooker is a retired PA and healthcare policy analyst and research contributor to the JAAPA editorial board. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quella
authors.forename: Douglas M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Brock
authors.forename: Roderick S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Hooker
mesh_terms: D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D010823:Physician Assistants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D014481:United States