Physician Assistant Workforce in the United States Reaches Record High

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According to the Census, the number of practicing PA reached 83,466 in 2010, a 100 percent increase over last 10 years. Female PAs outnumber their male counterparts by nearly 20,000. More than 30 percent of PAs practice in primary care, making it the largest specialty for PAs.

Nearly 30 percent of PAs practice in single-specialty physician group practices, and 40-percent have been in their current primary specialty for at least six years. The Census also shows that PAs enjoy their work, as 66 percent indicate they are satisfied or mostly satisfied with their career.

"PAs are the only health care providers educated and credentialed with a primary care focus, providing a strong foundation for any specialty in which they may choose to practice," said AAPA President Robert Wooten, PA-C. "The information from AAPA’s salary and census reports clearly confirm what PAs and the health care world have known for years: The PA profession is growing rapidly, and it is key to expanding access to quality health care for millions of Americans."

PAs earn a median annual salary of $90,000 according to the salary report, an increase of 2.8-percent from the 2009 survey. The three states with the highest salary increase in 2010 were Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Missouri all with increases of more than 9 percent over the previous year.

While the majority of PAs are in clinical practice, an estimated 5,079 PAs work either alone or concurrently in health care education, administration, research, and public health – a figure that demonstrates the growing role PAs play in influencing the entire health care field.
The AAPA annual Census is a survey of physician assistants, both AAPA members and nonmembers. The data collected are used to track PA workforce issues, calculate summary statistics and describe the salary information.

Download the full reports at www.aapa.org/research/data_and_statistics.aspx.