Healthcare Recruiting
Georgia PA License 2026: Physician Assistant Requirements, Supervision, and Salary
Georgia physician assistants are licensed by the Georgia Composite Medical Board (GCMB). The state requires a formal supervision agreement with a licensed Georgia physician — a document that must be filed with and approved by the GCMB. Georgia's healthcare market is one of the fastest-growing in the Southeast, driven by Atlanta's population growth and expansion of major health systems into suburban and rural communities across the state.
Practice Model: Supervision Required
Georgia PAs must maintain a GCMB-filed written supervision agreement. The agreement defines the PA's scope of practice, prescriptive authority, and supervisory oversight. No on-site physician presence is required for routine PA practice, but the supervising physician must be accessible within a defined response time per the agreement terms.
- Supervision agreement: Required and must be filed with the GCMB
- Prescriptive authority: Schedule II–V with DEA registration under the supervision agreement
- Satellite locations: Approved via GCMB amendment to the supervision agreement
Application Requirements
- Active NCCPA certification
- Graduation from ARC-PA accredited program
- GCMB application and $200 fee
- Filed supervision agreement
- Background check
- DEA registration (separate, $888 fee)
Processing Timeline
The GCMB typically processes complete PA applications in 6–8 weeks. Supervision agreement review adds 1–2 weeks. Total time to practice-ready: approximately 8–10 weeks.
PA Salary in Georgia (2026)
| Setting | Median Base | Typical Sign-On |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital / Inpatient (Atlanta) | $122,000 | $8,000–$18,000 |
| Surgical First-Assist | $132,000 | $10,000–$20,000 |
| Emergency Medicine | $128,000 | $8,000–$18,000 |
| Primary Care / Outpatient | $112,000 | $5,000–$12,000 |
| Rural Georgia | $118,000 | $10,000–$22,000 |
Top PA Employers in Georgia
Emory Healthcare (Atlanta — Emory University Hospital and affiliates) is the state's academic flagship, recruiting for subspecialty and research-affiliated PA roles. Piedmont Healthcare (Atlanta, Athens, Augusta, Newnan, and statewide) has grown aggressively through acquisitions and is one of the highest-volume PA recruiters in the state. WellStar Health System (Marietta, Atlanta, Kennestone, and north Georgia) recruits broadly for hospital medicine, EM, and surgical PA roles. Northside Hospital (Atlanta, Cherokee, Forsyth) is the state's largest community hospital by volume. Augusta University Health covers the medical college affiliation market in Augusta. Rural Georgia — particularly the Black Belt counties and southwest Georgia — has extensive NHSC-designated shortage areas.
What We See at Ava Health
Georgia's Atlanta metro is highly competitive, with multiple large systems recruiting simultaneously. Candidates leverage competing offers to drive sign-ons and base salary. Rural Georgia positions (south of Macon, southwest GA) carry significantly larger sign-ons and NHSC eligibility — new graduates with loan burdens should model total compensation including loan repayment before defaulting to Atlanta. The GCMB supervision agreement process is the most common bottleneck; PAs should plan this in parallel with their license application.
Related: NP License Georgia 2026, PA Salary by State 2026, Healthcare Recruiting in Georgia 2026.
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