The number of physician assistants in the US grew by 28% from 2018 to 2022, and continued growth is predicted in coming years. The PA profession remains highly representative of women, with the gender distribution little changed in the past four years. Women account for 71% of all PAs in the US.
Data come from the National Commission on Certification of PAs’ 2022 Statistical Profile of Board Certified PAs by State, released earlier this year.
While the greatest proportion of PAs works in Primary Care (23% v. 25.8% in 2018), the next greatest proportion of PAs is represented in surgical subspecialties. Four in 10 PAs in the US today practice in a hospital setting.
The states with the highest rates of growth in practicing PAs are Mississippi, South Carolina, and Indiana (up 44-48% over the 4-year study period). West Virginia, North Dakota, and the District of Columbia had the lowest rates of increase (7 to 14%). No states saw a shrinking PA workforce.
The vast majority of PAs across the US are employees. Most (46.5%) PAs have never changed specialties. A similar proportion of PAs have changed specialties once (22.7%) as have changed two to three times (22.9%).
The mean income for PAs in the US in 2022 was $120,204, up from $110,599 in 2018.