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Physician Assistants (PAs) work in almost every medical and surgical setting, including hospitals, private practice, rural and community health centers, nursing homes and correctional facilities. PAs are employed in almost every medical and surgical speciality area. The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) 2006 Census revealed that almost 30% of practicing PAs are employed in Family Medicine, almost 20% in Internal Medicine and its specialty areas and approximately 25% in surgery and surgical specialties. PAs are also employed in Pediatrics, Women’s Health, Emergency Medicine and other specialty areas.

The physician assistant career is full of wonderful opportunities with continued job growth. The May 2006 issue of Money Magazine ranked the Physician Assistant Profession as number 5 on the list of the top Top 10 Best Jobs. The AAPA reported that the 2006 median total annual income from primary employer for respondents who work at least 32 hours per week for their primary employer and who are not self-employed is $80,356; the mean is $84,396. The comparable figures for respondents who graduated in 2005 are $69,517 and $71,004, respectively.

Job Listings

The AAPA offers a web site, The PA Job Link, which lists some of the jobs available to PAs nationwide.

 

Job Outlook

The AAPA News (Jan 2006) noted that the Bureau of Labor Statistics ranks the PA Profession as the fourth fastest growing occupation 2004-2014. PA jobs are expected to increase by 50% by the end of 2014. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 13%, or 18.9 million jobs, during the 10 year period.