What Physician Assistants Do
Physician assistants practice medicine on teams with physicians, surgeons, and other healthcare workers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyLvqjTeMXM
Work Environment
Physician assistants work in physicians’ offices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, and other healthcare settings. Most work full time.
How to Become a Physician Assistant
Physician assistants typically need a master’s degree from an accredited educational program. All states require physician assistants to be licensed.
Pay
The median annual wage for physician assistants was $112,260 in May 2019.
Job Outlook
Employment of physician assistants is projected to grow 31 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. As demand for healthcare services grows, physician assistants will be needed to provide care to patients.
Physician assistants, also known as PAs, practice medicine on teams with physicians, surgeons, and other healthcare workers. They examine, diagnose, and treat patients.
Duties
Physician assistants typically do the following:
- Take or review patients’ medical histories
- Examine patients
- Order and interpret diagnostic tests, such as x rays or blood tests
- Diagnose a patient’s injury or illness
- Give treatment, such as setting broken bones and immunizing patients
- Educate and counsel patients and their families—for example, answering questions about how to care for a child with asthma
- Prescribe medicine
- Assess and record a patient’s progress
- Research the latest treatments to ensure the quality of patient care
- Conduct or participate in outreach programs, talking to groups about managing diseases and promoting wellness
Physician assistants work on teams with physicians or surgeons and other healthcare workers. Their specific duties and the extent to which they must be supervised by physicians or surgeons differ from state to state.
Physician assistants work in all areas of medicine, including primary care and family medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, and psychiatry. The work of physician assistants depends in large part on their specialty or the type of medical practice where they work. For example, a physician assistant working in surgery may close incisions and provide care before, during, and after the operation. A physician assistant working in pediatrics may examine a child and give routine vaccinations.
In some areas, especially rural and medically underserved communities, physician assistants may be the primary care providers at clinics where a physician is present only 1 or 2 days per week. In these locations, physician assistants collaborate with the physician as needed and as required by law.
Some physician assistants make house calls or visit nursing homes to treat patients.
Physician assistants are different from medical assistants. Medical assistants do routine clinical and clerical tasks and do not practice medicine.
Physician assistants held about 125,500 jobs in 2019. The largest employers of physician assistants were as follows:
| Offices of physicians | 54% |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 26 |
| Outpatient care centers | 8 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 4 |
| Employment services | 1 |
Working with patients can be both physically and emotionally demanding. Physician assistants spend much of their time on their feet, making rounds and evaluating patients. Physician assistants who work in operating rooms often stand for extended periods.
Work Schedules
Most physician assistants work full time. Some work more than 40 hours per week. Physician assistants may work nights, weekends, or holidays. They may also be on call, meaning that they must be ready to respond to a work request with little notice.
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of physician assistants.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
EMTs and Paramedics |
Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics respond to emergency calls, performing medical services and transporting patients to medical facilities. |
Postsecondary nondegree award | $35,400 |
|
|
Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners |
Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners coordinate patient care and may provide primary and specialty healthcare. |
Master’s degree | $115,800 |
Occupational Therapists |
Occupational therapists treat patients who have injuries, illnesses, or disabilities through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. |
Master’s degree | $84,950 | |
Physical Therapists |
Physical therapists help injured or ill people improve movement and manage pain. |
Doctoral or professional degree | $89,440 | |
|
|
Physicians and Surgeons |
Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses. |
Doctoral or professional degree | This wage is equal to or greater than $208,000 per year. |
Registered Nurses |
Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care and educate patients and the public about various health conditions. |
Bachelor’s degree | $73,300 | |
|
|
Speech-Language Pathologists |
Speech-language pathologists assess, diagnose, treat, and help to prevent communication and swallowing disorders in children and adults. |
Master’s degree | $79,120 |
For more information about physician assistants, visit
For a list of accredited physician assistant programs, visit
Physician Assistant Education Association
Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA)
Association of Postgraduate Physician Assistant Programs
For information about certification requirements, visit
National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants
O*NET
Suggested citation:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Physician Assistants,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm (visited ).
