Pay, location & work-life context
Physician Assistant Salary Map by State (2026)
Median physician assistant pay across 48 states from real job listings — switch views to adjust for cost of living or overlay burnout scores. Medians blend permanent salaries with annualized locums/contract rates. National median: $146,297.
Highest median
Maine
$175,000
Best real purchasing power
Maine
$180,319 adjusted
Best lifestyle score
Maine
7.4/10 avg burnout score
Compare state markets
Choose a metric, then select a state to see its figures and available breakdown.
Tile positions are approximate, not geographic boundaries. Selection adds an outline without changing the metric color. Work-life scores describe listings, not surveyed clinician burnout.
Physician Assistant pay by state
Sorted by median advertised pay. On smaller screens, scroll the table sideways to compare all metrics.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Take-home, COL-adj. | Work-life score | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | $175,000 | $180,319 | $167,427 | 7.4/10 | 38 |
| California | $166,400 | $150,289 | $136,312 | 5.2/10 | 574 |
| Hawaii | $164,705 | $149,799 | $133,321 | 2.9/10 | 6 |
| New York | $163,714 | $151,698 | $141,307 | 4.9/10 | 958 |
| Alaska | $159,276 | $155,605 | $155,605 | 4.5/10 | 10 |
| Vermont | $157,500 | $160,783 | $146,715 | 5.7/10 | 12 |
| Washington | $157,135 | $146,837 | $146,837 | 5.4/10 | 196 |
| Wyoming | $155,000 | $167,222 | $167,222 | 5.8/10 | 11 |
| Connecticut | $153,000 | $147,669 | $137,347 | 5.6/10 | 72 |
| Massachusetts | $150,353 | $142,168 | $135,060 | 4.6/10 | 239 |
| Illinois | $146,297 | $146,358 | $139,114 | 5.7/10 | 294 |
| North Dakota | $145,018 | $163,017 | $158,941 | 5.8/10 | 6 |
| Arizona | $145,000 | $144,025 | $140,424 | 5.7/10 | 137 |
| Minnesota | $143,572 | $145,580 | $131,240 | 4.8/10 | 147 |
| Oregon | $142,500 | $137,866 | $124,218 | 5.9/10 | 66 |
| New Jersey | $140,816 | $129,421 | $121,176 | 5.1/10 | 108 |
| Texas | $140,000 | $144,245 | $144,245 | 5.6/10 | 167 |
| Wisconsin | $140,000 | $148,786 | $140,900 | 5.1/10 | 69 |
| Delaware | $140,000 | $140,269 | $131,012 | 4.4/10 | 8 |
| New Mexico | $137,500 | $149,113 | $140,315 | 6.6/10 | 27 |
| Nevada | $137,259 | $137,288 | $137,288 | 6.1/10 | 26 |
| New Hampshire | $137,259 | $131,771 | $131,771 | 6.7/10 | 21 |
| Virginia | $137,248 | $135,749 | $127,944 | 5.6/10 | 107 |
| Rhode Island | $136,750 | $133,702 | $125,693 | 6.4/10 | 16 |
| Tennessee | $135,000 | $146,947 | $146,947 | 5.9/10 | 25 |
| Maryland | $135,000 | $128,622 | $121,226 | 4.9/10 | 114 |
| Louisiana | $135,000 | $153,049 | $148,458 | 4.7/10 | 19 |
| Pennsylvania | $133,755 | $137,083 | $132,875 | 4.6/10 | 125 |
| Colorado | $132,500 | $128,576 | $122,919 | 5.2/10 | 190 |
| South Carolina | $132,500 | $141,335 | $132,572 | 5.0/10 | 36 |
| Missouri | $130,550 | $143,751 | $136,994 | 5.0/10 | 48 |
| Kansas | $130,000 | $144,335 | $136,281 | 4.4/10 | 26 |
| Oklahoma | $127,500 | $145,145 | $138,251 | 4.6/10 | 34 |
| Ohio | $126,880 | $136,762 | $131,976 | 5.2/10 | 59 |
| Indiana | $126,000 | $135,006 | $130,956 | 6.0/10 | 28 |
| Florida | $125,000 | $120,873 | $120,873 | 5.7/10 | 111 |
| Mississippi | $125,000 | $143,756 | $137,431 | 4.0/10 | 8 |
| Alabama | $125,000 | $140,729 | $133,693 | 4.5/10 | 16 |
| Utah | $123,521 | $124,940 | $119,256 | 6.2/10 | 20 |
| South Dakota | $123,521 | $139,436 | $139,436 | 5.1/10 | 7 |
| Nebraska | $123,521 | $137,089 | $129,960 | 5.2/10 | 11 |
| Idaho | $123,521 | $129,349 | $121,983 | 5.3/10 | 9 |
| West Virginia | $123,521 | $138,017 | $131,365 | 5.4/10 | 10 |
| Georgia | $123,500 | $128,254 | $121,341 | 6.0/10 | 54 |
| North Carolina | $122,500 | $129,869 | $124,349 | 5.0/10 | 87 |
| Kentucky | $120,000 | $133,098 | $127,774 | 4.5/10 | 7 |
| Michigan | $119,704 | $124,410 | $119,123 | 5.8/10 | 64 |
| Iowa | $115,000 | $131,036 | $126,057 | 4.5/10 | 40 |
Common questions
Which state pays physician assistants the most?
Maine currently has the highest median physician assistant salary at $175,000, based on 38 real job listings.
Which state offers the best after-tax physician assistant pay?
Maine currently leads the take-home view at $167,427 — the state median after its state income tax (Tax Foundation state income tax rates (2025)), divided by the local cost-of-living index. No-income-tax states like Texas, Florida and Tennessee often outrank nominally higher-paying states here.
Why adjust physician assistant salaries for cost of living?
Prices differ across states. The adjusted view divides each state's pay benchmark by its regional price index (U.S. average = 100). Source: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). This is a state-level comparison, not a personal budget or a city-level cost estimate. Missing price data is shown as unavailable.
Which state has the best physician assistant lifestyle scores?
Maine currently has the highest average WeekdayDoc burnout score (7.4/10, higher is better) for physician assistant listings — a measure of call burden, weekend requirements, and schedule flexibility across postings.
More salary maps
See the full percentile breakdown on the Physician Assistant salary page.