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Here’s How Much Money Physician Assistants Earn In Every State

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Employment in the healthcare industry always seems to be on an unceasing rise. The career of a physician assistant is part of this overall trend. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment of physician assistants is projected to grow significantly, by 31 percent and equal to the addition of 37,000 new jobs from 2018 to 2028, a rate of growth much faster than the average for all occupations.

In order to help prospective physician assistants, analyzed and compiled a round-up of the average physician assistant salary by state for 2019, sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Read on for a full breakdown of where physician assistants make the most money, and where they're making the least.

10 States Where Physician Assistants Earn The Most Money

The national average annual wage of a physician assistant is a healthy $108,430, according to the BLS, over double the average annual salary for all occupations, $51,960. Here’s a breakdown of the top-10 states in which physician assistants earn the most:

  1. Connecticut: $125,610
  2. Washington: $123,980
  3. Alaska: $122,260
  4. Hawaii: $121,120
  5. California: $117,230
  6. New York: $117,000
  7. Wyoming: $116,890
  8. Nevada: $116,850
  9. New Jersey: $116,270
  10. Minnesota: $116,200

Across the board, most states have seen double-digit percentage growth in their average physician assistant salaries from 2013 to 2018. The No. 1 best-paying state for physician assistants, Connecticut, has seen a five-year growth in wages of 21%, from $103,840 in 2013 to $125,610 in 2018.

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10 States Where Physician Assistants Earn The Least Money

Now to look at the other end of the spectrum. The bottom-10 states where physician assistants make the least money have average salaries as much as $20,000 less than the national average. Still, the average physician assistant salary in the worst states are much higher than their respective annual wages for all occupations. Here’s a look at the worst-paying states for physician assistants:

  1. Mississippi: $81,130
  2. Louisiana: $85,990
  3. Tennessee: $87,700
  4. Kentucky: $91,010
  5. Alabama: $92,880
  6. Missouri: $94,480
  7. Indiana: $96,090
  8. Pennsylvania: $98,510
  9. Arkansas: $99,280
  10. Virginia: $99,340

Mississippi might have the lowest average salary for physician assistants, but it has seen spectacular growth over the years. From 2013 to 2018, the average salary of physician assistants in Mississippi grew by 62.5%, from $49,930 five years ago to $81,130 today. The state with the second-best growth is Illinois, where salaries increase by 33.6%, and Hawaii comes in third with an increase of 31.6%.

How Much Do Physician Assistants Make In Each State

Below you’ll find the average annual wage for physician assistants in all 50 states from 2013 to 2018, plus their five-year growth rate. Impressively, 34 states have seen physician assistant salaries rise by 10% or more.

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