Demand is expected to remain high for physician assistants, especially in areas that have difficulty recruiting physicians, such as rural areas and inner city clinics.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) newly released employment projections, the PA profession will be the third fastest growing occupation between 2002 and 2012. The BLS predicts that while total employment is projected to increase by 15 percent during this period, the number of PA jobs will grow by 49 percent. To read the BLS report go to www.bls.gov/news.release/ecopro.toc.htm
PAs should find a growing number of jobs in institutional settings such as hospitals, academic medical centers, and public clinics. Additionally, PAs may be needed to augment medical staffing in inpatient teaching hospitals if the number of physician residents is reduced. Physicians and institutions are expected to employ more PAs to provide primary care and to assist with medical and surgical procedures since PAs are cost-effective and productive members of the health-care team.
Many PAs work in primary care areas such as general internal medicine, pediatrics, and family practice. Others work in specialty areas such as general and thoracic surgery, emergency medicine, orthopedics, and geriatrics. PAs specializing in surgery may provide pre- and post-operative care and may work as first or second assistants during major surgery. Some PAs pursue additional training to practice in specialty areas like neonatology, surgery, or emergency medicine.
According to the latest data from the American Academy of physician assistants (AAPA), there are approximately 55,061 physician assistants currently practicing nationally. This number is expected to grow to 87,000 by 2010. There are an estimated 5,324 physician assistants employed in the State of California.
Nationally, 57 percent of physician assistants work in physician offices or clinics. About 22 percent work in hospitals, and 10 percent are employed by a government agency (local, state, or federal).
The latest data (AAPA 2004) indicates that the mean total annual income from a primary employer for respondents who work at least 32 hours per week for their primary employer and who are not self-employed is $78,257. The comparable figure for respondents who graduated in 2001 is $63,168. (Income varies by specialty, practice setting, geographic location, and years of experience. Earnings generally range from $65,000 to $87,000 per year.
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Last Revised: Mon, Jul 31, 2006