Ascend Healthcare logo
Ascend Healthcare
Sacramento, California

Psychiatric Physician Assistant- Sacramento, CA

Physician AssistantNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$170k-$180k

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Ascend Healthcare is committed to providing fully integrated, quality psychiatric and behavioral health services in a compassionate, convenient, and affordable manner.

We work with external partners to provide services to patients across the country through integrated psychiatric medication management, substance use disorder treatment, counseling services, peer support and care coordination for seamless patient care.

We believe in a “no wrong door” treatment model which finds ways to say “yes” to any patient referral rather than a multitude of exclusionary criteria found elsewhere. This approach reflects our values of improved patient and clinician experience, better outcomes, and lower costs.

The Ascend Story

Founded to transform mental health care access, Ascend Healthcare delivers integrated psychiatric and behavioral health solutions with a commitment to equity, compassion, and operational excellence. We partner directly with health centers to build fully integrated, sustainable behavioral health programs—bringing deep clinical expertise, operational support, and long-term stability.

Our Work Environment Fosters

  • Collaboration and teamwork
  • Patient-First Mindset
  • Career Growth and Professional Development Training

Why Ascend?

You’ll be joining a team delivering innovative, compassionate care to communities that need it most. At Ascend, your work drives real impact—and your career grows alongside it. We believe in a “no wrong door” treatment model that finds ways to say “yes” to any patient referral rather than a multitude of exclusionary criteria found elsewhere.

Position Summary

We are looking for a Psychiatric PA-C to provide psychiatric and substance use disorder treatment to our patients. Services will be provided in-person to patients of our Community Health Center partner in Sacramento, CA. We are a "say yes" first clinical provider and look to treat patients where they are and guide them along their journey to recovery and stabilization.

*Providers must be able to work in-person in Sacramento, CA

Key Areas of Ownership

Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluations for General Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder across all age spectrums.

  • Psychopharmacological management of all psychiatric diagnosed treatment conditions
  • Provide medication-assisted treatment to those with OUD in active withdrawal or recovery.
  • Supportive psychotherapy, motivational interviewing and proficiency in trauma informed approach, harm reduction modeling and patient-centered treatments.
  • Demonstrate proficiency and care coordination between psych, substance use tx and medical integration.

Direct Support for Scheduled and Walk-in Patients

Completion of validated rating scales documentation and treatment plans to assist in determining level of care.

Care coordination for patients including psychological testing, medical referrals, resources, peer supports, housing and other social determinants otherwise identified.

Direct involvement with multidisciplinary team including PCP's, Pediatricians, OB/GYN, counseling, peer support staff and care coordinators.

Qualifications

  • Active and unrestricted Medical License in CA
  • 2+ years of experience as a Psych provider (prefered)
  • DEA License
  • Bilingual- English and Spanish (preferred)

A Patient-first Mindset

  • Physical Requirements: This is a in-person position. Please be aware the below physical requirements should be considered prior to applying to the position:
  • Prolonged Sitting: Ability to sit for extended periods during working hours.
  • Manual Dexterity: Good hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity for using a computer keyboard, mouse, and other office equipment.
  • Visual Requirements: Adequate vision for reading computer screens and documents.
  • Communication: Clear verbal and written communication skills for virtual meetings and correspondence.
  • Hearing: Sufficient hearing ability for participating in phone calls or virtual meetings.

Work Environment

Access to a quiet, dedicated workspace free from distractions with reliable internet connectivity.

Perks

  • Monthly Bonus Program
  • Medical, Dental, Vision, Life and LTD benefits
  • PTO + Company Holidays
  • Yearly CEU Stipend
  • Collaborative Environment
  • Clinician Owned and Operated
  • Job Type: Full-time
  • Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm PST
  • Salary: $170,000-$180,000
  • Clinic Location: Sacramento, California.
  • Monthly Bonus Program

Benefits

  • 401(k)
  • 401(k) matching
  • Dental Insurance
  • Flexible schedule
  • Health insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Professional development assistance

Vision Insurance

Ascend Healthcare is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.

Ascend Healthcare participates in conducting comprehensive background checks and drug screenings for all potential employees as a contingency to gaining employment status.

Key Responsibilities

The Psychiatric PA-C will provide psychiatric diagnostic evaluations, psychopharmacological management, and substance use disorder treatment to patients in an in-person clinical setting. They will also coordinate care across multidisciplinary teams and maintain accurate documentation for treatment plans and rating scales.

Key Skills

Patient-Centered CareTreatment PlanningMultidisciplinary Collaboration

Psychiatry — Physician Assistant Career Context

Of the 50 active Psychiatry listings this role was benchmarked against, 16% are remote, 56% have no call, 72% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$175k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $158k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

What does the Psychiatry market look like in California?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score6.0 / 10 · above average in physician assistant rolesranked against 4,605 Physician Assistant roles listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$170k–$180kPsychiatry median $126k (middle half $110k–$155k)40 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$158k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Psychiatry listings in California9 active69 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 16% remote · 56% no call · 72% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentsign-on bonusCalifornia Physician Assistant listings: 25% state a sign-on bonus · 11% offer loan repayment411 active listings, Nov 2026
Psychiatry hiring demandnot ranked this monthpostings stay open a median 40 daysWeekdayDoc Hiring Index, October 2026 · 23 postings, 28 closed
New Psychiatry listings1,345 in the last 30 days1,054 the 30 days before (+28%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Psychiatry pay trend+7.1% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Ascend Healthcaresilver tier, 73/100 · #3 of 13 for payTop Employers work-life index21 active listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (4,605 Physician Assistant roles listings), Top Employers work-life index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024), WeekdayDoc Hiring Index; as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Psychiatric Physician Assistant- Sacramento, CA at Ascend Healthcare a 6.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Physician Assistant roles — ranked against 4,605 active Physician Assistant roles listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements.

Top Physician Assistant Jobs

44 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

44 jobs · 34 employers
10
<$155k
13
$155k-175k
12
$175k-195k
5
$195k-215k
4
$215k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

39 jobs · 34 employers
401k / retirement match
79% this job
CME allowance
67% this job
Sign-on bonus
54% this job
Relocation assistance
21%
Loan repayment
15%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Physician AssistantContract

Akicita Federal · Rosebud, South Dakota

$229k-$239k
#2

Outpatient Advanced Practice Provider (APP), Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant/Associates

Oregon Health & Science University · Portland, Oregon

$172k-$229k
#3

Advanced Practice Provider (APP), Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant/Associate

$172k-$229k
#4

Physician Assistant

$160k-$220k
+ 42 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.4this job 6.0
Better work-life than 50% of Psychiatry (PA) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 69 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends
Ascend Healthcare logo

About Ascend Healthcare

Mental Health Care
Encino, CA
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Monthly Bonus Program
Medical, Dental, Vision, Life and LTD benefits
PTO + Company Holidays
Yearly CEU Stipend
401(k)
401(k) matching
Flexible schedule
Professional development assistance

Living in Sacramento

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$452k≈ 2.7× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,045/mo≈ 14% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
106.7
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.