Physician Assistant Salary
Typical physician assistant salary
A physician assistant salary of over $100,000 is attainable for many practitioners, both newcomers and veterans To be specific, annual income can total anywhere between $51,000 and $125,000. Those in the lowest 10 percent bracket make $26.86 per hour while those in the topmost 10 percent collect $55.33 per hour. Meanwhile, average annual compensation for physician assistants amount to $84,830. Those in the lowest 10 percent collect at least $55,880 a year whereas those in the upper 10 percent yield more than $115,080 a year. Apart from the requiredphysician assistant salary, practitioners also receive a number of benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, paid holidays, and bonuses. Early retirement is an option, allowing them to stop working as early as age 50, but many professional still choose to practice until the age of 65 as doing so would entitle them to greater benefits.
Physician assistant salary variations
The compensation of physician assistants depend on a number of factors.
Although always serving alongside a licensed doctor, physician assistants are in fact licensed medical practitioners managing their own healthcare practice. They counsel healthcare preventive measures, diagnose diseases, assist physicians in surgeries, and even write prescriptions. In general, they help the physician in the performance of nearly all functions and procedures. In some institutions, they also perform managerial duties such as ordering medical supplies and supervising medical technicians and assistants.Their tight schedules typically include night and weekend shifts as well as early-morning patient visitation. Serving 40 hours or even more per week is typical. Rotations intended to familiarize them with areas such as emergency medicine, pediatrics, and surgery are likewise mandated.
Necessary education and training
Only those who have obtained the appropriate two-year degree and/or training program may begin a career in physician assisting. These courses feature a curriculum zeroing in on human anatomy, biochemistry, pathology, clinical medicine, among other subjects. However, the mandatory academic credentials coupled with some work experience in the health industry could be the surest passport to an ideal job and physician assistant salary. Under the direction of a physician, aspirants may also train in and specialize in two or more areas to achieve professional growth and greater compensation.
Jobs not lacking for practitioners
The past decade saw a remarkable increase in demand for qualified physician assistants. And it is expected to grow further in the next eight years, especially as more hospitals and health care facilities are built in various parts of the country. Employment for physician assistants is projected to expand by 39 percent during the 2008-2018 period. Qualified and experienced practitioners are needed not only in health care facilities, but also in government offices, military facilities, prisons, and academic institutions. As demand growth accelerates, we can expect physician assistant salary to remain steady or even improve in the not-so-distant future.








