Physician Assistant Salary in 2026: What PAs Actually Earn by Specialty

Physician Assistant Salary in 2026

Physician assistants (PAs) — now officially titled "Physician Associates" by the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) — practice medicine with physician collaboration in virtually every clinical setting and specialty. PAs can diagnose illness, prescribe medications, perform procedures, and manage patient care — often in parallel with physicians rather than simply assisting. In 2026, PA compensation is strong across specialties and settings, and the profession continues to be one of the most in-demand clinical roles in healthcare.

PA Salary by Specialty in 2026

Specialty	Avg Annual Salary	Range
Emergency Medicine PA	$128,000–$155,000	$115K–$175K
Orthopedic Surgery PA	$128,000–$152,000	$112K–$172K
Cardiothoracic / Cardiac Surgery PA	$132,000–$162,000	$118K–$188K
Neurosurgery PA	$125,000–$155,000	$112K–$178K
Dermatology PA	$118,000–$145,000	$105K–$168K
Hospitalist PA (acute care)	$118,000–$145,000	$108K–$165K
Primary Care / Family Practice PA	$108,000–$132,000	$98K–$148K
Urgent Care PA	$110,000–$135,000	$100K–$155K
Oncology PA	$115,000–$142,000	$105K–$162K
Psychiatry PA	$108,000–$135,000	$98K–$158K
Gastroenterology PA	$115,000–$140,000	$105K–$160K

Surgical PAs earn more. PAs working in surgical specialties — particularly cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, and orthopedics — consistently earn the most. These positions often require first-assist skills, OR presence, and call coverage. Dermatology PAs earn highly because dermatology practices bill primarily for cosmetic and procedural services at cash-pay rates.

PA Salary by State

State	Avg PA Salary	Notes
Connecticut	$132,000–$155,000	Highest average; low PA oversupply; tight market
California	$128,000–$150,000	High base; 13.3% top income tax rate
Alaska	$128,000–$152,000	No state income tax; rural premium
Texas	$118,000–$142,000	No state income tax; large surgical market
Florida	$115,000–$138,000	No state income tax; active PA recruiting
New York	$120,000–$145,000	NYC premium; offset by high taxes

How PA Salary Compares to NP Salary

PAs and NPs compete for many of the same advanced practice roles and are compensated similarly in most settings:

• Surgical specialties: PAs typically earn $5,000–$15,000 more than NPs in the same surgical role because PA training is more broadly surgical-ready from graduation
• Psychiatry: PMHNPs typically earn $5,000–$20,000 more than psychiatry PAs because the PMHNP is a deeply established credentialing track; psychiatry PAs are much less common and hospitals may not have credentialing structures for them
• Primary care / urgent care: PAs and NPs are essentially compensated equivalently — within $2,000–$5,000 of each other at most employers
• Hospitalist: Comparable; both earn $115,000–$148,000 at most health systems

PA Compensation Structure

PA employment contracts typically include:

• Base salary: The guaranteed component; most PA positions are employed rather than partnership-track
• Productivity bonus: wRVU-based at some practices (particularly primary care and multi-specialty groups); dollar threshold per wRVU above a floor
• Shift-based pay: Common in ER, urgent care, and procedural settings — flat rate per shift or per hour
• Call pay: Surgical PAs who take call earn $10,000–$30,000/year in call coverage stipends at most surgical practices
• Sign-on bonus: $10,000–$30,000 for surgical specialty PAs in active recruiting markets; $5,000–$15,000 for primary care and urgent care

PA Job Market in Florida in 2026

Florida is one of the most active PA recruiting markets in the country. Major health systems across the state — including in Southwest Florida, Tampa Bay, and Central Florida — are recruiting PAs for primary care, urgent care, hospitalist, surgical specialty, and outpatient specialty roles. The no-state-income-tax advantage is significant at PA income levels: on a $128,000 salary, Florida's no income tax represents $6,400–$9,600 in annual savings compared to 5–7.5% state income tax states. For PAs evaluating relocation, Florida combines strong employment demand across specialties with a meaningful effective compensation advantage.