Healthcare Recruiting
New York PA License 2026: Physician Assistant Requirements, Supervision, and Salary
New York PAs are licensed by the NYS Education Department (NYSED), Office of the Professions — a unique education-agency structure unlike most states. The supervising physician must file NYSED Form PA-1. New York City is one of the largest and highest-paying PA markets in the world, with 6+ major health systems competing across a metro of 20 million people.
Practice Model: Supervision via NYSED Form PA-1
- Supervisor registration required: Supervising physician files NYSED Form PA-1
- Full prescriptive authority: Schedule II–V with DEA registration
- Multiple supervisors: PAs may have multiple registered supervising physicians
Application Requirements
- Active NCCPA certification; ARC-PA accredited program graduation
- NYSED application and ~$135 fee; background check
- Supervising physician Form PA-1 registration; DEA registration
Processing Timeline
NYSED: 8–12 weeks. PA-1 supervisor registration adds 1–2 weeks. Total: approximately 10–12 weeks.
PA Salary in New York (2026)
| Setting | Median Base | Typical Sign-On |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital / Inpatient (NYC) | $145,000 | $10,000–$25,000 |
| Surgical First-Assist (NYC academic) | $158,000 | $10,000–$25,000 |
| Emergency Medicine (NYC) | $152,000 | $10,000–$22,000 |
| Primary Care / Outpatient (NYC) | $132,000 | $5,000–$15,000 |
| Upstate NY (Albany / Rochester / Syracuse) | $122,000 | $8,000–$18,000 |
Top PA Employers in New York
NewYork-Presbyterian (Weill Cornell, Columbia, and 6 campuses) is the flagship academic employer — subspecialty and surgical roles attract national competition. Northwell Health (19 hospitals — Long Island Jewish, Lenox Hill, North Shore) is the state's largest health system. Mount Sinai Health System (7 campuses) and NYU Langone round out the NYC academic tier. Montefiore (Bronx + Westchester) is the safety-net academic employer. Upstate: Albany Medical Center, Strong Memorial (URMC), and SUNY Upstate Medical University.
What We See at Ava Health
NYC is the highest-salary PA market nationally — surgical, EM, and academic subspecialty roles can reach $175,000+ total compensation. The Form PA-1 supervisor registration is the most distinctive licensing step in the country; budget an extra 1–2 weeks for this. Upstate NY offers accessible COL with competitive regional salaries.
Related: NP License New York 2026, PA Salary by State 2026, Healthcare Recruiting in New York 2026.
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