Physician Assistants in California
Considering a career as a Physician Assistant in California?
You’re in luck! Jobs for Physician Assistants in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.
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Projected employment for Physician Assistants in California is growing faster than average.
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Physician Assistants in California earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.
What Major Will Prepare You For a Physician Assistant Career?
- Health Professions
- Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services
- Anesthesiologist Assistant
- Allied Health Professions
- Physician Assistant
How Many Physician Assistants Work in California?
In California, there were 10,520 people working as Physician Assistants in the year 2018.
There were 11,110 Physician Assistants employed in this state in 2017.
That’s a decline of 590 jobs between 2017 and 2018.
The typical state has 1,190 Physician Assistants working in it, which means California has more Physician Assistants than average.
Job Projections for California
Jobs for Physician Assistants in this state are growing at a rate of 34.3% which is slower than the nationwide estimated projection of 37.4%.
California Annual Job Openings
The BLS is projecting 980 annual Physician Assistants job openings in California, and 13,700 total jobs in the year 2026.
Nationwide, the prediction is 10,600 annual jobs and 145,900 total jobs in 2026.
What do Physician Assistants Make in California?
In 2018 wages for Physician Assistants ranged from $67,910 to $164,260 with $118,500 being the median annual salary.
Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $32.65 to $78.97. The median hourly rate was $56.97.
In 2017 the median pay for this field was $55.64 an hour.
The hourly rate grew by $1.33.
The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.
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Top California Metros for Physician Assistants
The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Physician Assistants.
Metro | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3,090 | $116,080 |
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,090 | $122,150 |
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 900 | $113,230 |
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | 720 | $121,370 |
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 640 | $124,040 |
Fresno, CA | 230 | $117,110 |
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA | 170 | $122,420 |
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 160 | $118,010 |
Bakersfield, CA | 150 | $125,300 |
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 150 | $108,560 |
Santa Rosa, CA | 120 | $121,340 |
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 120 | $113,570 |
Salinas, CA | 110 | $156,580 |
Modesto, CA | 100 | $115,350 |
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 100 | $139,170 |
Stockton-Lodi, CA | 100 | $124,540 |
Visalia-Porterville, CA | 90 | $121,340 |
Yuba City, CA | 90 | $123,810 |
Chico, CA | 60 | $126,170 |
Redding, CA | 60 | $118,900 |
Madera, CA | 40 | $122,680 |
Napa, CA | 30 | $114,460 |
Top States for Physician Assistants Employment
The table below shows the states where most Physician Assistants work.
State | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|---|
New York | 12,060 | $117,060 |
California | 10,520 | $118,500 |
Texas | 7,930 | $110,080 |
Pennsylvania | 6,650 | $97,720 |
Florida | 6,040 | $104,420 |
North Carolina | 5,010 | $102,180 |
Michigan | 4,490 | $108,200 |
Ohio | 4,430 | $105,940 |
Massachusetts | 3,720 | $110,110 |
Georgia | 3,470 | $104,460 |
Colorado | 3,190 | $103,070 |
Maryland | 3,040 | $106,940 |
New Jersey | 2,810 | $120,700 |
Illinois | 2,670 | $105,660 |
Virginia | 2,510 | $99,980 |
Washington | 2,470 | $122,710 |
Connecticut | 2,300 | $126,320 |
Arizona | 2,100 | $105,120 |
Wisconsin | 2,020 | $111,890 |
Tennessee | 2,010 | $93,010 |
Below are the states where Physician Assistants get paid the most:
State | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|
Connecticut | $126,320 |
Washington | $122,710 |
Alaska | $120,990 |
New Jersey | $120,700 |
Nevada | $119,570 |
California | $118,500 |
Wyoming | $118,090 |
New York | $117,060 |
Hawaii | $116,230 |
District of Columbia | $115,460 |
References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
More about our data sources and methodologies.