Being a Physician assistant present great financial opportunities for fresh graduates and experienced professionals as well. Physician assistants are actually in demand right now, and will still be in the near future. As an upcoming graduate, you may be curious how a physician assistant salary looks like.
Physician assistant salary ranges from $51,000 up to $125,000 a year. The exact salary that you will be getting as a physician assistant may vary according to a number of factors.
Here are the factors to consider:
- Specialization – the more knowledge you have in a certain field, the more in demand you will be. If you specialize, for example, in HIV, then you can demand for more money if that is the specific need of the employer. You can boast your skills and specialized knowledge and offers will surely come.
- Geography – working on a rural area will not generate into a higher income as a physician assistant. Geography plays a big role in how much salary you can earn as a Physician assistant. Getting employed in an urban area, where the cost of living is higher (therefore, higher pay) is much better if you want to earn more.
- Experience –physician assistant salary is expected to be higher if you have more experience under your belt.
On your first year as a physician assistant, you can potentially earn $75,000. If you begin your career working in a health clinic on the other hand, you will be earning less.
Here is the latest government statistics on physician assistant salary depending on where they are employed:
Medical and Surgical Hospitals: $84,550
Outpatient Care Centers: $84,390
Physician’s office: $80,440
Federal Government: $78,200
Universities and Professional schools: $74,200
There is definitely a variation on physician assistant salaries depending on where he ends up working. It was mentioned that Geography is a key factor in getting a good amount of pay as a physician assistant. If you work in New York City, then you will get paid well. If you work in a Minnesota or Atlanta you will probably be looking at a smaller figure.
The number of years under your belt will also be a key factor in determining how much you can earn. The longer you have been in the business, the higher the salary you can make.
Physician assistant salary per year is pretty big. It will all depend on how well you play your cards. Whether you will work on a health clinic, or opt to go to a big market like New York for a higher payday, it’s all up to you.