Healthcare Recruiting
Kentucky PA License 2026: Physician Assistant Requirements, Supervision, and Salary
Kentucky physician assistants are licensed by the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure (KBML). The state requires a supervision agreement with a licensed Kentucky physician, filed with the KBML before the PA may practice. Kentucky's healthcare market is anchored by Louisville and Lexington, with a substantial rural tier in eastern Appalachian Kentucky — one of the most medically underserved regions in the country — that offers significant NHSC Loan Repayment eligibility.
Practice Model: Supervision Required
Kentucky PAs must have a KBML-filed written supervision agreement. The supervising physician and PA must define scope of practice and prescriptive authority in the agreement. No on-site physician presence is required for routine PA practice.
- Supervision agreement: Required and filed with KBML
- Prescriptive authority: Schedule II–V with DEA registration under the supervision agreement
- Telehealth: Permitted with supervising physician consultation documented
Application Requirements
- Active NCCPA certification
- Graduation from ARC-PA accredited program
- KBML application and ~$225 fee
- Filed supervision agreement
- Background check
- DEA registration (separate)
Processing Timeline
The KBML 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 Kentucky (2026)
| Setting | Median Base | Typical Sign-On |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital / Inpatient (Lexington / Louisville) | $115,000 | $5,000–$15,000 |
| Surgical First-Assist | $125,000 | $8,000–$18,000 |
| Emergency Medicine | $120,000 | $5,000–$15,000 |
| Primary Care / Outpatient | $108,000 | $5,000–$12,000 |
| Appalachian Eastern KY | $115,000 | $12,000–$25,000 |
Top PA Employers in Kentucky
UK HealthCare (University of Kentucky — Lexington) is the state's academic flagship and largest single-campus PA employer. Norton Healthcare (Louisville) is the state's largest private health system and a major PA recruiter for inpatient and surgical roles. Baptist Health (Louisville, Lexington, and 8 hospitals statewide) competes broadly for PA talent. CHI Saint Joseph Health (Lexington, London, Berea) covers central Kentucky. Appalachian Regional Healthcare (Hazard, Whitesburg, Harlan) operates in the most NHSC-eligible part of the state — Appalachian eastern Kentucky has some of the highest physician shortage designations in the US, with loan-repayment awards of up to $50,000 for qualifying primary care and advanced practice providers.
What We See at Ava Health
Kentucky's most distinctive recruiting dynamic is the Appalachian corridor: counties like Harlan, Letcher, Pike, and Floyd have severe healthcare shortages that make NHSC eligibility genuinely meaningful for candidates choosing between an urban Louisville salary and a rural eastern KY position with loan repayment. For PA candidates with significant loan burdens, the total compensation including NHSC awards can exceed Louisville offers. The supervision agreement process is the standard bottleneck; plan the KBML filing in parallel with state licensing.
Related: NP License Kentucky 2026, PA Salary by State 2026, Healthcare Recruiting in Kentucky 2026.
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