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Kaiser Permanente
Oakland, California

Senior Physician Assistant

Physician AssistantIncludes callNo weekendsFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Under the direction of a supervising physician, the Senior Physician Assistant provides high quality, efficient, team based patient focused care. The Senior Physician Assistant responsibilities may include managing patients in the office, hospital, ED and/or perioperative setting.

The Senior Physician Assistant may be required to First Assist in the OR or perform other department specific procedures. The Senior Physician Assistant may also facilitate on call responsibilities for his/her supervising physician.

The Senior Physician Assistants daily responsibilities may vary based upon the department & supervising physician needs and may require evening or weekend hours.

The Senior Physician Assistant, by virtue of his/her experience and competency in the role, provides a high level of clinical and operational expertise and may function as a mentor to less experienced Physician Assistants.

Essential Responsibilities

  • The Physician Assistant will practice as part of a team under the direction of their supervising physician.
  • Primary Duties will be inclusive of the following but not limited to:

Examines patient, performs comprehensive physical examination, and compiles patient medical data, including health history and results of physical examination.

Administers or orders diagnostic tests, such as imaging studies, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests, and interprets test results for deviations from normal.

Performs therapeutic procedures such as injections, immunizations, suturing and wound care, and managing infection.

Performs other department specific diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.

Develops and implements patient management plans, records progress notes, and assists in provision of continuity of care.

Instructs and counsels patients regarding compliance with prescribed therapeutic regimens, normal growth and development, family planning, emotional problems of daily living, and health maintenance and other relevant patient education.

  • Based upon Specific Specialty, additional duties may include the following:
  • Facilitate admissions, transfers, discharges.
  • First assist in surgeries or perform procedures as applicable.
  • Round on inpatients.

Performs admission evaluation on patients to include: obtaining basic medical information and history, reviewing patients medical record, performing physical exam, documenting findings into patient medical record, and reporting deviations from normal findings to attending physician.

Provides patient and family with pre-operative/pre-procedure and other pertinent education.

Answers questions regarding surgery or procedures, recovery and risk factor modification; provides blood transfusion information as applicable; performs peri-operative procedures; locates and utilizes diagnostic images, instruments and pertinent patient information.

Reviews patient chart noting allergies, pertinent medical history, and abnormal physical findings.

Assists in performing surgical procedures and other procedures consistent with the standards of care and practice guidelines.

Depending on the specialty, may work as the First Assist during surgical procedures, start IVs, and/or perform suturing.

Performs post-operative procedures to include entering standard post-operative orders into patient medical records; assists physicians with evaluation and management of patients status during recovery; reviews vital signs, laboratory and diagnostic studies; assists with management of patients.

Facilitates patient discharge; dictates discharge and transfer summaries in a timely manner.

Other Duties

The Senior Physician Assistant provides a high level of clinical and operational expertise and may function as a mentor to less experienced Physician Assistants.

May collaborate with the supervising physician, manager and other department members on performance improvement activities.

Secondary Functions

Second work location, Richmond Medical Center.

Basic Qualifications

Experience

Minimum three (3) years previous experience in the last five (5) years as a physician assistant.

Education

  • Graduate from an ARC-PA accredited physician assistant program.
  • License, Certification, Registration
  • Physician Assistant License (California) required at hire
  • National Provider Identifier required at hire
  • Physician Assistant National Certificate required at hire
  • Basic Life Support

Additional Requirements

Fluoroscopy Permit required, or must be obtained within 18 months from the date of hire in Orthopedics, Interventional Radiology, and Radiation Oncology only.

May be required to have experience and competency in performing specific tasks required by the specific department.

Must be able to work in a Labor/Management Partnership environment.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Advanced Certification in specialty area, preferred.
  • Robotics experience preferred.

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Physician Assistant provides high-quality, team-based patient care across various clinical settings including offices, hospitals, and operating rooms. Responsibilities include performing physical exams, ordering diagnostic tests, assisting in surgeries, and managing patient treatment plans.

Requirements

Candidates must have a minimum of three years of experience as a physician assistant and be a graduate of an ARC-PA accredited program. Required credentials include a California Physician Assistant License, National Provider Identifier, and Physician Assistant National Certificate.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

BLS

Key Skills

Diagnostic testingSurgical assistanceMedical documentationClinical expertiseMentoringPerioperative careInpatient roundingDischarge planning

Physician Assistant Career Context

Of the 50 active Physician Assistant listings this role was benchmarked against, 10% are remote, 60% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Physician Assistant Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution50 jobs · 38 employers

19
<$175k
14
$175k-190k
10
$190k-205k
5
$205k-220k
2
$220k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks43 jobs · 38 employers

401k / retirement match
81% this job
CME allowance
58% this job
Sign-on bonus
47%
Loan repayment
19%
Relocation assistance
14%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

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CVS Health · Gaithersburg, Maryland

$50.22-$108.15/hr
#2

Physician Assistant, Westside Internal Medicine

Sutter Health · Santa Cruz, California

$159k-$222k
#3

Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant Family Practice

$171k-$218k
#4

Physician Assistant- Dr. Fealy

$195k-$212k
+ 48 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 3.9
Better work-life than 40% of Physician Assistant roles listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 4,565 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends
  • On-site
  • Includes call

Living in Oakland

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$853k
Typical market rent
$2,735/mo
Residents’ average commute
30 min
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

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About Kaiser Permanente

Medical Practices
Oakland, California
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
401k
CME
Malpractice Coverage