Career As A Physician Assistant - How Much Can You Make?

How much do physician assistants make? That is the question that students are likely asking themselves if they are seriously pondering a career as a physician assistant. It turns out that being employed as a physician assistant is actually more than just getting a good job in the healthcare field. A physician assistant has far more earning power than those working in many other sections of the healthcare field. There are many reasons for this. Perhaps the most notable reason for the higher earnings is the fact that a physician assistant does a lot of the tasks traditionally reserved for doctors. Because of this, they are continually in great demand across many different healthcare facilities. Most healthcare workers cannot do half of the tasks a physician assistant will do every single day.

Students looking at entering this field must be mindful of the fact that the salary they are going to earn as a physician assistant is not going to be the same everywhere. There are many factors that can come into play when determining salaries for a specific position. The factors that must be reviewed in terms of how much students can earn as physician assistants are really quite straightforward. What follows is an analysis of what those who are considering a future as physician assistants can reasonably expect to make with this career decision. As students weigh both the pros and the cons of becoming physician assistants, they will increasingly find that the benefits of this occupation are not strictly limited to money.

You will learn about all of the factors that can decide the pay for a physician assistant below, but note that the average salary tends to fall between fifty and eighty thousands per year. Some physician assistants will naturally make more than others. Yet, this current average is on the spot with todays market conditions according to Indeed.com. Do you think you could live comfortably on the salary of a physician assistant?Keep reading to explore this issue in more detail.

Specialized Creditials - Physician assistants specialized in one field will typically be offered a higher salary than those with general knowledge. An example of a specialization is specific knowhow in, say, the field of cancer. There are some specialized fields that have such an extreme demand for talented physician assistants that the assistants get to ask for enormous salaries simply because the industry needs their services and is fighting for their contract.

Location - It is expected that a physician assistant living in a big city where the standard of living is higher will make more than a physician assistant in a rural location where the price of living is lower. When students ask themselves, how much do physician assistants make? they should always keep in their minds that geography will massively impact the size of their salary in this field. All of this is generalized, since some big cities do have lower paying positions and some small towns do occasionally offer very high paying positions.

Students understandably need some time to consider these factors and think about their potential income as a physician assistant. Since the factors that determine pay are experience, specialization, and location, it is largely determined by the knowledge of the person applying for the job. To look at this in another perspective, though, even what would be considered the most low-paying physician assistant job would still qualify as a pretty high salary by the definition of most people! You have to consider that before you get caught up in trying to find the highest paying position possible.

So the big question is how much do physician assistants make? Well, to answer that, we have to regard what the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says on the subject. The average reported salary for physician assistants in 2008 was over $80,000. The average percentage of presently working physician assistants earns in the range of $68,210 to $97,070. To get more specific, those with the lowest ten percent of salary make about $51,000 a year, while those in the highest ten percent make about $110,000 a year.

Consider a quick list of average physician assistant salaries for those working in different environments:

Public Hospitals: $84,500
Educational Institutions: $74,200
Government Offices: $78,200
Private Clinics and Offices: $80,440
Outpatient Clinics and Centers: $84,390

Do you have a much better idea of what physician assistants can make? Their earnings are also based upon the hours worked by the physician assistant. The average yearly salary estimated for full time physician assistants in 2008 was $85,710, according to the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Physician assistants who work at an entry-level position make around $74,470.

There are some expenses of the trade which can also be paid on behalf of a physician assistant, including the following: state license fees, liability insurance premiums, credential fees, DEA registration fees.

The physician assistants who worked in a full-time, clinical practice got an average income of $85,710. First-year graduates made an average, yearly income of $74,470. These figures come from a publication from 2008 put out by the American Academy of Physician Assistants. The years of experience, specialization, geography and practice setting are all contributing factors to income. Employers of physician assistants frequently pay for their credentialing fees, registration fees with the DEA, professional liability insurance and state licensing fees.

The allowed time off for illness and vacation should also be considered. Some choose early retirement at age 50, but most will keep working until 65 so that they can get even more money as part of their benefits when they retire.

There should be no lingering questions about what a physician assistant can make at this point. This analysis breaks it all down into understandable numbers, so keep it close at hand. Generally, physician assistants can expect to make between $50,000 and $80,000 per year, though this range is not set in stone. It is possible to earn substantially more or a bit less, so do not consider these figures guarantees for your future.