PA compensation may be going up again this year, but as Medscape’s 2023 Physician Assistant (PA) Salary Report points out, job satisfaction is trending down. What’s going on? Each year, Medscape studies PA pay across a range of regions, practice settings, and educational backgrounds to give you some perspective on how your own compensation measures up in the market. Let’s explore some top insights from this year’s PA salary report.
Average PA compensation has increased
Total annual compensation, which includes base pay, bonuses, and incentives, was up 4% over last year’s report, from $129,000 to $134,000. The average base pay figure also increased from $118,000 to $122,000.
While PA salaries did go up overall, averages can be misleading. Nearly two-thirds of survey participants reported a pay increase year over year, but around a third reported no increase, and for 8% of respondents, income was down from the previous year.
Jessica Bastidas, a Weatherby PA who has enjoyed locum tenens assignments in urology, surgery, and gender confirmation care, says that she gained a significant pay advantage over her peers who work permanent PA jobs. She says, “The pay is much better than working a regular job. With Weatherby, it’s also W-2 instead of 1099, so you get insurance and 401(k) as well. Another big advantage I’ve enjoyed is the autonomy I get working with different attendings.”
Only half of physician assistants feel fairly compensated
Compensation is about more than just raw numbers. Whether PAs feel fairly paid for their work can depend on many variables. These factors can include what part of the country they work in, what their specialties are, the cost of living, and how many routine tasks — like calls, paperwork, or lab reviews — are considered part of their “paid” time on the job.
Fair compensation sentiment has been trending downward in Medscape surveys since a 2020 high of 74%. This year, only 50% report feeling fairly compensated. Interestingly, neither age nor gender had any meaningful correlation to a yes or no response. Sentiments were evenly split across gender identification and all reported age cohorts.
PA work locations and practice settings remain stable
According to Medscape, PAs were at least three times more likely to work in a medical office or clinic than in emergency or acute care inpatient settings. While the specific percentages vary slightly from year to year, the proportions have remained fairly stable since Medscape started collecting results in 2020.
Only 7% of those surveyed reported being self-employed, which includes the growing number of PAs who opt for locum tenens work. This proportion has also remained stable from year to year since Medscape’s first report in 2020.
A contributing factor behind low self-employment numbers may be differences in state requirements. Some states require PAs to collaborate with a physician on some medical decisions, such as having them co-sign on prescriptions.
Thinking of getting a side gig? Supplement your income by working locum tenens on the side
PA pay varies by practice setting and experience level
One important variable in PA compensation is specialty and work setting. By practice area, the biggest compensation gains over last year were in the acute care space, up from $131,000 to $135,000, and in the medical office/clinic setting, up from $124,000 to $129,000. Top earners overall worked in OR/surgery and emergency/urgent care settings.
As in other professions, big income gains often — but not always — go to veterans who have been in the field the longest. According to Medscape, PAs with at least 21 years of work history saw a bigger pay increase over last year (around 7% on average) than their less-experienced peers.
Of course, these differences can vary depending on factors like specialty and educational background. Although not reflected in these graphics, there’s also an 11% PA pay gap favoring men over women according to this year’s data.
Regional differences in PA compensation persist
PA salaries vary widely across the United States. On paper, the Pacific region (including Oregon, Washington, California, Alaska, and Hawaii) tends to pay more, but Michael Sharma, an emergency medicine and urgent care PA who also works as an adjunct professor of PA studies, recommends taking a closer look. He told Medscape, “Higher cost of living likely wipes out some of the increased earning potential of PAs in the Pacific region.”
Sharma points out that even lower-paying regions might offer career advantages for PAs who seek quality-of-life opportunities. This factor could be a real draw for PAs who are considering taking locum tenens assignments that offer flexibility and access to amenities they prefer. Many PAs working locums choose assignments that help fulfill travel aspirations, promote ties with family and friends, or offer positive working relationships in addition to pay considerations.
Get the life you want: How locum tenens helps you achieve better work/life balance
As Weatherby neurosurgery PA Stacy Hicks points out, the decision factors that rank one work location over another can be highly personal. He has been working locums in Virginia and says, “Virginia isn’t a very PA-friendly state when it comes to things like regulations and hospital bylaws, but the work is rewarding, and the hours and pay compare very favorably to my permanent job back in Texas. So, in my case, the advantages [of taking assignments in the lower-paying South Atlantic region] more than offset the disadvantages.”
Finding meaning behind PA salary report data
As with most professions, there’s clearly more to total job satisfaction than just the salary numbers. While high pay is certainly desirable, especially in professions that come with heavy student debt, the pay has to be worth it when it comes to the hours, work environment, and many other intangibles that may not stand out in the data.
Talia Sierra, an associate professor in the PA program at Idaho State University, told Medscape, “Being fairly compensated for the time it takes to document, review labs, return phone calls, and other ‘non-income producing’ tasks increases satisfaction because those employees know that their time is directly being compensated.” Relationships, respect, psychological safety, and work/life balance can all have an independent influence on job satisfaction, even as salary numbers rise.
Weatherby Healthcare can help you find a locum tenens job – one that can bring you better work/life balance and increased compensation. We invite you to give us a call or explore today’s open locum tenens jobs for PAs.
