Lead Physician Assistant Surgical - Orthopedics

Physician Assistant Top 25% in Orthopedic Surgery (PA)Full-Time

Compensation

Pay not disclosed

Listing transparency1 of 6 stated

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting and call expectations.

Employment & setting
Full-Time
Call expectations
Not specified
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

What we do here changes the world. UTHealth Houston is Texas’ resource for healthcare education, innovation, scientific discovery, and excellence in patient care. That’s where you come in.

Individualized orthopedic care and customized treatment and training programs are delivered by experienced sports medicine-trained orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, nutritionists, exercise physiologists, biomechanists, strength & conditioning coaches and athletic trainers. This experienced team, including orthopedic doctors, offers a comprehensive suite of services to help athletes perform at their highest level:

  • Orthopedic injury prevention and evaluation
  • Orthopedic surgery, including minimally invasive options
  • Post-injury rehabilitation and physical therapy
  • Sports concussion management
  • Strength & conditioning training
  • Performance testing
  • Sports nutrition

In addition, advanced diagnostic imaging services and an ambulatory surgery center are conveniently located adjacent to the Institute to ensure a seamless treatment process.

Once you join us you won't want to leave. It’s because we reward our team for the excellent service they provide. Our total rewards package includes the benefits you’d expect from a top healthcare organization (benefits, insurance, etc.), plus:

100%25 paid medical premiums for our full-time employees

Generous time off (holidays, preventative leave day, both vacation and sick time – all of which equates to around 37-38 days per year)

  • The longer you stay, the more vacation you’ll accrue!
  • Longevity Pay (Monthly payments after two years of service)
  • Build your future with our awesome retirement/pension plan!

We take care of our employees! As a world-renowned institution, our employees’ wellbeing is important to us. We offer work/life services such as...

  • Free financial and legal counseling
  • Free mental health counseling services
  • Gym membership discounts and access to wellness programs
  • Other employee discounts including entertainment, car rentals, cell phones, etc.
  • Resources for child and elder care
  • Plus many more!

Position Summary

Provides advanced medical care to patients in a surgical setting, in one or more specialized surgical areas under the direction of a surgeon, and educational or administrative services to the department.

Position Key Accountabilities

Administers advanced, complex, and standardized patient care procedures in a surgical and/or clinical setting that requires advanced experience and specialized training in surgery that would otherwise be performed by an surgeon/physician, but which does not constitute the practice of medicine.

Manages the collection of patient histories, medical record documentation, performs physical examinations, orders and interprets pre-operative and post-operative imaging or laboratory data, and provides episodic/pre-operative/post-operative care as delegated by the supervising physician.

Duties may include training, monitoring, or assessing departmental advanced care providers for purposes of hiring, onboarding, remedial consultation, promotion, and quality improvement initiatives.

Duties may include participation in the orientation and education of departmental visiting students, residents, and fellows to include presentations, observation, research, and providing feedback to the host faculty or director of education.

Duties may include administrative tasks related to the departmental missions of education, research, and patient care to include committee work, attending or hosting meetings, and any other tasks assigned by the department.

  • Prepares and cares for supplies and equipment.
  • Responds to emergency situations.

Manages Human Resources activities of department in regards to: recruiting and selection, hiring and termination, training, professional development, mentoring, counseling, performance evaluations, and salary planning.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Certification/Skills

Advanced proficiency in the use of medical and surgical instruments and equipment required by work.

Manages Human Resources activities of department in regards to: recruiting and selection, hiring and termination, training, professional development, mentoring, counseling, performance evaluations, and salary planning.

Work may involve handling biohazardous, chemical, and radiological materials, as well as operating associated equipment. Required safety training and appropriate engineering and administrative controls including the use of personal protective equipment must be followed.

Physician Assistant - Certified (PA-C) by National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) required

  • Basic Life Support (BLS) by American Heart Association (AHA) required or
  • Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) by American Heart Association (AHA) required
  • Clinical specialty certification determined by the department required

Minimum Education

Master's Degree as Physician Assistant required Bachelor's Degree as Physician Assistant with at least two years of professional experience in the role is acceptable based on terminal degree requirements at the time of graduation required Doctorate Degree preferred

Minimum Experience

5 years of surgery experience required

Physical Requirements

Exerts up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 20 pounds frequently and/or up to 10 pounds constantly to move objects.

Security Sensitive

This position is a security-sensitive position pursuant to Texas Education Code §51.215 and Texas Government Code §411.094. To the extent that a position requires the holder to research, work on, or have access to critical infrastructure as defined in Texas Business and Commerce Code §117.001(2), the ability to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure is a minimum qualification to be hired for and to continue to be employed in that position. Personnel in such positions, and similarly situated state contractors, will be routinely reviewed to determine whether things such as criminal history or continuous connections to the government or political apparatus of a foreign adversary might prevent the applicant, employee, or contractor from being able to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure. A foreign adversary is a nation listed in 15 C. F. R. §791.4.

Residency Requirement

Employees must permanently reside and work in the State of Texas.

Key Responsibilities

Provides advanced medical care in a surgical setting under the direction of a surgeon and manages departmental human resources activities including recruiting and performance evaluations. The role also involves training staff, monitoring quality improvement initiatives, and participating in the education of students and residents.

Requirements

Requires a Master's degree as a Physician Assistant and at least 5 years of surgery experience. Candidates must be certified by the NCCPA and hold current BLS or ACLS certification.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
5+ years of experience

Key Skills

Surgical assistanceDiagnostic imaging interpretationPre-operative careSurgical instrumentationHuman resources managementStaff trainingPerformance evaluationEmergency responseClinical leadership

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Lead Physician Assistant Surgical - Orthopedics at UTHealth (University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston) a 6.6 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 25% in Orthopedic Surgery (PA) — ranked against 301 active Orthopedic Surgery (PA) listings on WeekdayDoc.

Orthopedic Surgery — Physician Assistant Career Context

Of the 50 active Physician Assistant listings this role was benchmarked against, 4% are remote, 60% have no call, 68% require no weekends.

Physician Assistant pay on WeekdayDoc is up 1.5% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Texas is 97.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 57.7% of Texas clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Location & Logistics

Texas has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.

Top Physician Assistant Jobs

46 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution46 jobs · 32 employers

10
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11
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10
$165k-185k
12
$185k-205k
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Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks39 jobs · 32 employers

401k / retirement match
77% this job
CME allowance
74%
Sign-on bonus
46%
Relocation assistance
13%
Loan repayment
10%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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#3

Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant Surgery-Trauma

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#4

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+ 44 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

6.6/ 10
Listing-based score

Top 25% in Orthopedic Surgery (PA)

Living in Houston

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$245k
Typical market rent
$1,542/mo
Residents’ average commute
27 min
State income tax
None
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.

UTHealth (University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston) logo

About UTHealth (University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston)

Business Consulting and Services
Houston, Texas
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

100% paid medical premiums
Generous time off (37-38 days/year)
Longevity pay
Retirement/pension plan
Free financial and legal counseling
Free mental health counseling
Gym membership discounts
Wellness programs