Physician Assistant Salary, Career and Training

Physician Assistant Salary in TX

Physician assistants also practice medicine; however, only under the supervision of experienced physicians. There are graduate programs from accredited institutions so that aspiring physicians may be trained in any of the specialized fields of medicine or health care. This could include emergency care, nursing and other preventive health care.  A physician assistant would have to be certified and renew this certification every six years so that he may practice in the profession without any interruption.

From 74,800 jobs in 2008, there is a projected growth of 39%; thus, increasing the employment levels to 103,900 jobs by 2018. In 2008, physician assistants earned a median annual wage was $81,230. From the statistics of 2010, there are 81,420 jobs and they pay a mean hourly wage of $41.89 and annual wage of $87,140. The 10^th percentile takes home an hourly wage of $27.62 and annual wage of $57,450; the 25^th percentile is paid a wage of $35.12 and annual wage of $73,040; the 75^th percentile is paid a wage of $48.89 and annual wage of $101,690; and the 90^th percentile is paid an hourly wage of $56.60 and annual wage of $117,720.

The highest level of employment is in the physicians’ offices. This is followed by general hospitals, outpatient care centers, specialty clinics etc. There are 45,070 jobs available in the many physicians’ offices and they pay an hourly mean wage of $41.90 and annual mean wage of $87,150. The general and surgical hospitals may have fewer jobs at 18,710; but, pay a higher hourly mean wage at $42.94 and annual mean wage of $89,310.

Texas has 4,430 jobs and the physician assistants here are paid an hourly mean wage of $46.61 and annual mean wage of $96,940. This also makes it one of the highest paying states. The top paying metropolitan area within Texas, Amarillo has 40 jobs and pays an hourly mean wage of $65.20 and annual mean wage of $135,620. Brownsville-Harlingen also has 40 jobs and pays an hourly mean wage of $59.44 and annual mean wage of $123,640. Lubbock has physicians’ assistants earning an hourly mean wage of $56.34 and annual mean wage of $117,180. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown has 1,070 jobs at an hourly mean wage of $53.71 and annual mean wage of $111,720 while Tyler has only 120 jobs and pays an hourly mean wage of $53.22 and annual mean wage of $110,700.

In a large team of medical professionals, employing physician assistants has been more cost-effective. Therefore, in a small hospital or clinic, there would be more physician assistants per senior doctor or surgeon. They can perform most of the tasks including preliminary examinations and they can give the senior physician a break from basic exams and report taking. The salary varies depending on the level of experience and environment in which the physician is employed. For instance, a full time job in a large hospital will pay a higher wage than one in a smaller clinic away from the city. Some employers also pay wages with benefits such as insurance and licensing fees.

Physician Assistant Salary in CA

California is one of the most populous states and is also the third largest in area. Its capital city is Sacramento. It also has eight of the most populated cities of the country. Los Angeles is the second largest city in the country. Most of the cities fall into any one of the five metropolitan areas including Greater Los Angeles, San Francisco bay Area and Greater Sacramento Area.

Physician assistants have the highest employment levels in the state at 9,480 jobs and at an hourly mean wage of $45.03 and annual mean wage of $93,660. They are supervised by the physicians and are expected to provide a number of healthcare services such as performing diagnosis, therapy, run the tests, record medical histories, and in some cases even treat the patients. A physician assistant also plays a managerial role in keeping track of the inventory on the supplies and equipment. He gets to supervise medical technicians.

There were around 74,800 jobs in 2008 and there is an expected growth of 39% increasing the jobs to 103,900 by 2018. The median annual wage was $81,230 in 2008. There are 81,420 jobs as of 2010 and the hourly median wage is $41.54 and annual wage is $86,410. According to the National estimates, the 10^th percentile earns an hourly wage of $27.62 and annual wage of $57,450; the 25^th percentile earns a wage of $35.12 and annual wage of $73,040; the 75^th percentile earns a wage of $48.89 and annual wage of $101,690; and the 90^th percentile earns an hourly wage of $56.60 and annual wage of $117,720.

Physician assistants are employed in offices of physicians and take home an hourly mean wage of $41.90 and annual mean wage of $87,150. In general medical hospitals, there are 18,710 jobs and the hourly mean wage is $42.94 and annual mean wage is $89,310. It is in the outpatient care centers that they are paid the highest at an hourly mean wage of $43.22 and annual mean wage of $89,900.

The metropolitan area of Los Angeles – Long Beach – Glendale has 2,530 jobs and it pays an hourly mean wage of $44.01 and annual mean wage of $91,540. The other metropolitan area of Oakland-Fremont-Hayward has 1,450 jobs and pays an hourly mean wage of $49.67 and annual wage of $103,310.

Physician assistants find employment at specialty hospitals and offices of other health practitioners too. They earn an hourly mean wage of $44.53 and annual mean wage of $92,620 and hourly mean wage of $36.61 and annual mean wage of $76,140, respectively. They are expected to be graduates of an accredited program apart from prior work experience in the healthcare field such as nursing or emergency care. Many of these programs include clinical training in specific fields of medicine.  Every state requires them to be Physician Assistant Certified. They are also expected to complete hundred hours of medical education in a period of two years. This, along with a re-certification exam every six years keeps them on their toes and also ensures that their skills do not get outdated.

A physician assistant is oftentimes the primary care provider for many patients that have routine medical needs.  This includes preventative counseling as well as making diagnoses and prescribing a course of treatment for routine and common wounds and illness.

The following are 10 great reasons why a person would want to become a physician assistant.

1. Easiest Way To A High Level Medical Career.  When looking at the education required to become a physician versus that required to be a physician assistant, there is no comparison.   The physician assistant can complete a 2 year program and then pass the physician assistant exam and be ready for their career.   This makes it a fast track to a responsible, respected, and well compensated position in medicine.
2. Respect.  The physician assistant is highly respected and called upon to perform a great deal of diagnoses and routine medical care.  This position is respected by both patients and other medical professionals alike.  The physician assistant is fully qualified to operate with autonomy in most cases.
3. Autonomy.  Though the physician assistant must work under the supervision of a physician, that supervision is oftentimes very indirect.  The physician assistant can see many patients and handle their treatments from start to finish without ever having to consult with or seek advice from the supervising physician.
4. Never Boring or Routine.  The physician assistant is a dynamic position because you are always required to stay abreast of new medical advancements and developments.  This makes the job never boring and always challenging.
5. Responsibility.  This position has a lot of responsibility and involves many ways in which a person in it can use their skills and knowledge to improve the ways in which the organization is doing business.  The physician assistant is a leader/manager within most medical facilities.
6. Helping People.  The physician assistant gets to help others every day.  This is rewarding as there is nothing more satisfying than making a positive difference in another persons life.
7. Helping Families.  Not only they able to help individuals, but the counseling and advice the physician assistant gives can change families as they are lead to healthier lifestyles and ways in which to live.
8. Work Environment.  Hospitals and medical offices are generally considered nice places to work.  The atmosphere is climate controlled and the interactions with coworkers is professional and safe.
9. Outlook.  The long term outlook for this position is good.  With health care costs skyrocketing there is a general drive by medical providers to utilize physician assistants more and save the actual physician for only the most difficult of cases.  This push to offload routine care to other professional such as physician assistant makes the job outlook for physician assistants very good.
10. Compensation.  This is a very well paid position that normally includes full benefits as well as retirement options.  There are few medical professionals, save for physicians, that are paid more than the physician assistant. 
    

These are 10 of many reasons why a person should consider becoming a physician assistant as a long term career choice.  If you enjoy helping others and like the medical environment and field, then strongly consider becoming a physician assistant.

To become a physician assistant you first need to successfully complete the required education and then you need to successfully pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination which is exclusively held by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).  Successfully passing this exam is required of all physician assistants across the United States.  The NCCPA is also the organization that administers all continuing education and re-certification exams for physician assistants throughout the United States.

This continuing education and re certification is required of all physicians assistants on a periodic schedule.  They must successfully complete 100 hours of continuing education every two years and pass the re-certification exam every 6 years.  This ongoing education and verification of qualifying knowledge is required of all physician assistants, and with its regularity it is an integral part of the physician assistant’s career.  There is allowance for existing physician assistant’s to waive the re-certification exam and in lieu of it perform an alternative program of learning as prescribed by the NCCPA and pass an exam they can take home.  Knowing there is an alternative to simply losing your certification by not passing the re-certification exam is a welcome alternative to the pressure a single career changing exam would have on existing physician assistants.

The educational requirement to be allowed to sit for the exam are very straightforward.  A candidate must have completed an accredited physician assistant educational program that is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant .  These programs vary in depth and length and are offered mostly by medical schools, academic health schools, and four year universities.  There are some programs offered by hospitals, the military , and a few community colleges, but most of the physician assistant educational programs are part of existing medical schools and medical institutions.

Prior to applying for and being accepted to one of these accredited physician assistant educational programs candidates are required to have completed a four year college education and while it is not required, most of those that apply for these programs do have at least some health care related work history.  It is advisable that any applicant have their initial four year degree in some curriculum that revolves around the physical sciences, health and medicine.  Taking a standard pre-med type curriculum is ideal.

Becoming a physician assistant is therefore a straightforward process that involves first getting a standard four year pre-med education, being admitted to and successfully completing an accredited physician assistant educational program, and then passing the NCCPA’s Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination.  Maintaining your license is then a matter of completing the NCCPA continuing education and then passing one of the two alternatives for the six year re-certification.

This by far is one of the most highly compensated medical positions that one can get that has the least amount of required background education.  The physician assistant is therefore an ideal position for those that cannot afford to spend too many years in college and yet would like to have a high level medical career.

Salary of a Physician Assistant in FL

Physician assistants care for the patients under the supervision of the physicians. In fact, the physician assistant does just about everything that a physician does including examining the patient, compiling the medical data, gathering the patient’s history and making a diagnosis. There are medical physician assistants and surgical physician assistants and they both perform similar tasks with a few minor variations depending on the patient’s requirement. Needless to say, they are expected to have excellent educational qualifications from accredited universities. They must also fulfill the State’s requirement in order to practice.

There are around 81,420 physician assistants and they earn an hourly mean wage of $41.89 and annual mean wage of $87,140. The median wage is $41.54 hourly and $87,140 annually. However, the median hourly wage is $41.54 and median annual wage is $86,410. The tenth percentile below the median wage earns $27.62 hourly and $57,450 annually. Those in the 90^th percentile are paid $56.60 hourly and $117,720 annually.

Physicians’ offices have around 45,070 jobs at the salary of $41.90 hourly and $87,150 annually. The next highest number can be found in medical and surgical hospitals with 18,710 jobs. Here, they earn an hourly $42.94 and annual $89,310. It is in the specialty hospitals that the physician assistant earns the highest at an hourly mean wage of $44.53 and annual mean wage of $92,620.

Florida has a few top paying metropolitan areas and for this occupation, West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Boynton Beach has 140 jobs. Here, the hourly mean wage is $57.07 and annual mean wage is $118,710. Tampa has a median wage of $84,724. The employees in the tenth percentile take home an annual wage of $70,698; those in the 25^th percentile earn $77,382. The 75^th and the 90^th percentiles above the median wage earn $92,993 and $100,522, respectively. The capital city of Florida is Tallahassee and physician assistants here earn a median wage of $82,483. The tenth percentile earns $68,828; the 25^th percentile earns $75,335. The 75^th and the 90^th percentiles earn $90,533 and $97,863, respectively. Jacksonville is the largest city in Florida. Here, the physician assistant is paid a median wage of $86,073. The tenth and the 25^th percentiles earn $71,823 and 78,614, respectively; while the 75^th and the 90^th percentiles earn $94,474 and $102,123, respectively.

Programs accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant are considered highly valuable to an entry level position. The aspirants are also expected to have prior experience in the health care field in the form of internships or nursing. Some of them come with experience in paramedics. Physician assistants must have passed the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination, conducted by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). In order to retain the certification throughout the career, one must qualify in a recertification exam every six years. There are other possibilities for the assistant to pursue in line with health care; for example, internal medicine, emergency care, pediatrics, or surgery. With accumulated clinical experience, physician assistants can have increased responsibilities and better salaries.

Physician Assistant Job Profile

A physician assistant is one step below a physician in the hierarchy of medical service professionals.  This means that they are allowed to do most of the routine tasks and diagnoses that are thought to be the sole responsibility of a physician, as long as those procedures are completed under the supervision of a physician.  This supervision can be direct and in the same office or, as is the case in many clinics and rural areas, the supervising physician may only be physically present for one or two days per week to ensure that the facility is operating properly.  With this said, for normal and routine medical situations, the physician assistant is oftentimes allowed to diagnose, prescribe and treat that condition without direct consultation with a medical doctor or physician.

This puts a great deal of responsibility onto the physician assistant.  They are not only responsible for primary and ongoing patient care, but they are also responsible for the overall operation of the medical office in which they work.  This includes making certain that all medical supplies are up to date, handled, and stored properly.  It also includes making certain that all staff are properly following all medical procedures in the handling of patients, the sterilization of equipment, the sterilization of the office, and properly handling general patient care.

In addition to this office management the physician assistant is primarily called upon to perform medical diagnoses and treatments with their patients.  This includes interviewing and talking with the patient to identify symptoms and causes, as well as examining that patient both physically and with the use of x-rays, other medical equipment, and ordering laboratory tests.  The physician assistant is then able to interpret the results from the equipment or laboratories to prescribe treatment and care for the patient.  This is important to note as the physician assistant is allowed to do all of this for the more routine of medical situations.  For more complex or critical care situations, the physician assistant is required to pass the care to the supervising physician.  The line between what the physician assistant can care for and where they must pass the case to the physician is different in each state and is determined by state law.

In addition to the diagnoses and prescription of treatment for patients the physician assistant is also oftentimes called in to counsel patients on a variety of issues.  This includes the proper handling of the effects of illness and disease as well as learning how to live a healthy lifestyle.  This discussion can include counseling on sexual health as well as nutritional health and exercise.  It can also revolve around family planning as well as advice on how to handle various aspects of life such as depression or mental illness.  The physician assistant is in a position where patients look to them for help and therefore all physician assistants must understand that an important part of their job is in the counseling of their patients.  It is not just about medical treatment and care, it is about total patient care, including providing life skills.

A Physician’s Assistant, or a physician extender, works under the supervision of a more highly qualified practitioner. In certain circumstances, however, especially in urban areas particularly undeserved by healthcare, PA’s may only report to their supervisors as infrequently as once or twice in a week.

PA’s perform a variety of tasks in order to free up the physician to perform procedures demanding a higher level of specialized training and clearance. In this article, I offer a sketch of the certifications required to work as a PA in America, where they work, and what responsibilities they typically bear.

Duke University’s is generally accredited as the first to train PA’s during the 1960′s. They began by training military corpsmen for a second career after they concluded their tours of duty.

The NCCPA (National Commission on Certification of Physical Assistants) currently administers a qualifying exam for licensing as a PA in most states. To maintain their license, students must complete 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years. Additionally, they must undergo a re-certification exam every six years.

The hours a PA works depend directly on the hours of the physicians to whom they subordinate. You can find PA’s in hospitals where they remain on call and work variable shifts. They may also work in clinical settings with more standard, 40-hour weeks. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 24% of PA’s worked in either surgical or general hospitals as of 2008. Over 15% of them practiced at more than location. PA’s may also work in correctional facilities among a variety of other settings that require on-site health care services.

The responsibilities PA’s carry out vary almost as widely as the individuals who occupy the positions.

Some of them perform more clerically oriented tasks. For example, a PA may interview patients and record their case histories. Others will make house calls on behalf of the physician in order to monitor a home bound patient. Another large part of the PA’s responsibility sometimes includes informing and educating patients on issues pertaining to preventative health care. PA’s will receive training required to interpret and record information provided by X-ray results. In 48 states, licensed PA’s may prescribe medications as well. PA’s will sometimes also participate in more invasive surgical procedures: stitching minor cuts, putting broken limbs in casts, etc.

Clinics and hospitals can pay PA’s less than physicians. For this reason, they appeal increasingly as an alternative to hiring physicians when possible as restraints continue to tighten in the health care sector. PA’s make health care practices more efficient. They do so both practically and financially by performing more routine services of a health care practice’s workload. The shouldering of this work frees up more time for physicians to perform the more intricate work requiring their specialized training.

In 2005, the United States Department of Labor projected a 57% growth in demand for PA’s from 2000 to 2010. The demand for this type of employee will continue to increase in medically under-staffed urban and rural areas. It will also increase in correctional facilities as the total incarcerated population continues to climb.

Works Cited

• Robertson, Kenneth R. “Physician Extenders.” Encyclopedia of Health Care Management. 2003. SAGE Publications. Accessed 1 Sep. 2011. <http://www.sage-ereference.com.libproxy.temple.edu/view/healthcaremanagement/n609.xml>.

• Scott Chavez, R. “Physician Assistants.” Encyclopedia of Prisons & Correctional Facilities. 2004. SAGE Publications. Accessed 1 Sep. 2011. <http://www.sage-ereference.com.libproxy.temple.edu/view/prisons/n262.xml>.

• Smith, Cary Stacy Hung, Li-Ching. “Physician Assistants.” Encyclopedia of Health Services Research. 2009. SAGE Publications. Accessed 1 Sep 2011. <http://www.sage-ereference.com.libproxy.temple.edu/view/healthservices/n319.xml>.