If you are considering enrolling on a course to become a qualified physician, you may already be aware that is an occupation that is suitably rewarding in terms of job satisfaction as well as physician assistant salary. As the demand for qualified professionals to fill these roles increases, the physician assistant salary more than matches most aspirants expectations. The actual income would depend upon a host of factors, for example experience and education.
Physician Assistant Salary Value
As it is a specialty field, a trained PA would play a vital role in providing healthcare services to the public. With a shortage of doctors now common place across various regions and districts, the value of being a physician assistant has become greater. It may be the case that the Physician Assistant is required to carry out duties which in the past would have been included in the role of a doctor. The training and qualifications required to practice as a PA are less than for more senior medical staff, therefore it can be seen of as an affordable and easier way to find work as a healthcare provider.
After completion of an accredited educational program and the successful completion of the national certification exam, a physician assistant will be eligible for a desirable number of openings. It is predicted that the available positions will grow by nearly thirty nine percent in the coming decade, a rate much faster than other occupations. This trend is primarily due to an expanding healthcare industry.
Average Physician Assistant Salary
In 2009, there were nearly seventy five thousand registered PAs employed in the US, according to information available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the first half of 2009 the median physician assistant salary for a certified physician assistant stood at $81,000. Those individuals employed in the private sector earn more than this figure while people working in a government establishment made slightly less.
First Year Physician Assistant Salary
A first year graduate can expect to command an average starting physician assistant salary of $74,000 today. Geographical location, the size of the medical practice, and specialty area can alter the income considerably. The demand for qualified physician assistants in large urban areas is greater therefore financial rewards are higher.
It is not just in medical centers that there is a need for PAs. They can also find employment in schools, colleges, prisons, and other sectors. It is not unheard of for a PA to work for more than a single employer. The physician assistant salary will be down to the individual’s desires and career aspirations.
