Physician Assistant - Orthopaedic Spine Surgery

Physician AssistantIncludes callIncludes weekendsFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 7mo ago

Job Description

As a Physician Assistant supporting a Orthopaedic Spine Physician at Des Moines Orthopaedic Surgeons, P.C., you will provide our patients the orthopedic spine care they need to get back to daily life and the activities they love. No two days are the same working alongside a Physician.

PA's do everything from care coordination to clinic to surgery. This position will support clinic at Ankeny, West Des Moines and Urbandale. Anticipated clinic days are every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Anticipated surgery days are every Monday and Tuesday.

Here’s What You Can Expect

  • A fast-paced, specialized learning environment. You’ll spend part of your week in the Operating Room and part of your week in the clinic working directly with the Physician. This is an opportunity to gain rare, hands-on surgical experience working one-on-one with a physician.
  • Your schedule will require one on-call day each week and one weekend every six to eight weeks. Our rotation schedule requires that everyone do their part to help everyone create work life balance.
  • You will act as the patient's kind guide during their intake and follow-up appointments, asking questions to diagnose, then providing treatment options and explaining each step of their recovery journey.
  • You will be on your feet a good portion of the day, sometimes assisting in transporting, positioning, or holding patients when necessary.

What We’re Looking For

  • Certifications. A master’s from an accredited Physician’s Assistant program and a License to practice in the state of Iowa. Our in-house credentialing team can help you obtain the DEA and CSA.
  • Calmness. Ability to communicate calmly and provide reassurance when patients are nervous.
  • Curiosity. You practice the art of listening, asking clarifying questions, and avoiding interrupting your patients.
  • For credentialing at a hospital, you must be up to date on vaccinations and meet all requirements necessary for credentialing.

Why DMOS?

  • Limited on-call hours.
  • Friendly, fun, and dedicated peers.
  • Outstanding 401k with an annual company profit sharing contribution (even if you don't participate in the match program).
  • Health, dental, and vision insurance including six paid holidays and a generous PTO accrual, anticipated to earn up to 27 days a year.
  • We celebrated 70 years of orthopaedic care in 2025!

Apply today by viewing our opportunities from the dmos.com/about/careers page. Qualified candidates will hear from our recruiting team within two business days of a completed application to start the selection process.

Key Responsibilities

The Physician Assistant will provide orthopedic spine care, supporting the physician across clinic and surgery settings, which includes care coordination, patient interaction, diagnosis, and treatment explanation. Responsibilities also involve hands-on surgical experience and occasional physical assistance with patients.

Requirements

Candidates must possess a Master's degree from an accredited Physician’s Assistant program and hold a valid License to practice in Iowa, with assistance available for DEA and CSA credentialing. Essential soft skills include maintaining calmness under pressure and demonstrating curiosity through active listening and asking clarifying questions.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Certifications

DEA License

Key Skills

Clinic SupportSurgical AssistancePatient IntakeTreatment PlanningRecovery ExplanationPatient TransportPatient PositioningCommunication

Orthopedic Surgery — Physician Assistant Career Context

Of the 50 active Physician Assistant listings this role was benchmarked against, 6% are remote, 72% have no call, 74% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Iowa is 87.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 59.8% of Iowa clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Physician Assistant by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedPhysician Assistant median $126k (middle half $110k–$155k)36 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost of livingIowa index 87.8US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Physician Assistant listings in Iowa53 active4,639 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 6% remote · 72% no call · 74% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Physician Assistant Jobs

32 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

29 jobs · 24 employers
7
<$145k
3
$145k-165k
13
$165k-185k
5
$185k-205k
1
$212k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

26 jobs · 24 employers
CME allowance
73%
401k / retirement match
73% this job
Sign-on bonus
46%
Loan repayment
8%
Relocation assistance
8%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Physician Assistant- Dr. Fealy

Hospital for Special Surgery · New York, New York

$195k-$212k
#2

Urgent Care Advanced Practice Clinician (PA-C or ARNP)

Evergreen Emergency Services · Snohomish, Washington

$92-$96/hr
#3

Physician Assistant (PA) or Nurse Practitioner (NP)

$95/hr
#4

Physician Assistant FLOAT

$165k-$190k
+ 30 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.9this job 1.5
Below most Orthopedic Surgery (PA) listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 316 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends
DMOS Orthopaedic Centers logo

About DMOS Orthopaedic Centers

Hospitals and Health Care
West Des Moines, IA
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

401k
Profit Sharing
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
Paid Holidays
PTO

Living in Ankeny

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$314k
Typical market rent
$1,526/mo
Residents’ average commute
21 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
91.7
State income tax
Up to 6%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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