AAPA

Overview:

Results of the 2001 AAPA Physician Assistant Census Survey indicate the mean total income for clinically practicing PAs who work full-time (32 or more hours per week) for their primary employer and who graduated in 2000 is $59,839 (standard deviation of $11,963); the median is $58,578. A summary of the personal and practice characteristics of the new graduate respondents and a set of tables showing summary measures of their incomes in total and by region of the country, population size of the geographic area, and general specialty practiced are presented below.

Personal Characteristics:

• Sex: 67 percent of these new graduate respondents were female.
• Ethnicity: 88 percent of these new graduate respondents were white.
• Age: The mean age of these respondents was 33 years; the median was 30.

Practice Characteristics:

• Employer Type: Forty-two percent of these respondents are employed by a single or multi-specialty physician group practice. Twenty-two percent of the respondents are employed by hospitals, and 18 percent are employed by a solo physician practice.
• Work Setting: The predominant work setting for the respondents is a solo or group practice office (44%). More than one-third of the respondents (36%) work in a hospital, and about another 11 percent of the respondents work in some type of Federally Qualified Health Center or community health facility.
• Hours Worked: The mean hours worked per week by these respondents was 45.6; the median was 45.
• Call: 26 percent of these respondents reported taking some call. The mean hours on call per month was 99; the median was 80.

Table 1. Summary Measures of Total Annual Income from Primary Employer for Respondents Who Graduated in 2000 and Work at Least 32 Hours per Week at Primary Clinical Job*

	Total
Respondents	1,705
Mean	$59,839
Std Deviation	$11,963
10th percentile	$46,882
25th percentile	$52,922
Median	$58,578
75th percentile	$64,948
90th percentile	$74,320

*Excludes self-employed PAs.

Table 2. Summary Measures of Total Annual Income from Primary Employer at Primary Clinical Job for Respondents Who Graduated in 2000, by Region*

	Northeast	Southeast	North Central	South Central	West	Total
Respondents	390	429	384	217	281	1,705
Mean	$57,324	$59,391	$60,020	$61,474	$62,703	$59,839
Std Deviation	$10,520	$12,781	$9,652	$13,841	$12,932	$11,963
10th percentile	$45,554	$46,536	$50,458	$46,504	$50,060	$46,882
25th percentile	$50,655	$52,293	$53,910	$53,898	$54,353	$52,922
Median	$56,842	$58,160	$58,313	$60,538	$61,571	$58,578
75th percentile	$63,381	$64,209	$64,376	$68,117	$69,148	$64,948
90th percentile	$70,269	$73,100	$72,751	$75,289	$79,641	$74,320

*Excludes self-employed PAs and part-time PAs.

Table 3. Summary Measures of Total Annual Income from Primary Employer at Primary Clinical Job for Respondents Who Graduated in 2000, by Population Size of Geographic Area*

	Over 1 Million	50,000-999,999	Under 50,000	Total
Respondents	369	829	430	1,705
Mean	$61,606	$61,046	$56,660	$59,839
Std Deviation	$10,810	$12,645	$11,226	$11,963
10th percentile	$50,198	$48,841	$43,573	$46,882
25th percentile	$54,481	$53,798	$50,403	$52,922
Median	$60,758	$59,182	$55,810	$58,578
75th percentile	$66,889	$66,050	$62,600	$64,948
90th percentile	$74,804	$76,105	$70,452	$74,320

*Excludes self-employed PAs and part-time PAs.

Table 4. Summary Measures of Total Annual Income from Primary Employer at Primary Clinical Job for Respondents Who Graduated in 2000, by General Specialty Practiced*

	Count	Mean	Std Dev	10th p-tile	25th p-tile	Median	75th p-tile	90th p-tile
Family/General Medicine	514	$55,987	$11,076	$42,602	$50,195	$55,294	$62,071	$69,152
General Internal Medicine	127	$58,605	$9,473	$49,052	$51,698	$57,086	$64,138	$70,658
Emergency Medicine	159	$65,496	$12,862	$50,329	$55,947	$63,760	$75,154	$81,925
General Pediatrics	40	$58,229	$12,171	$43,008	$51,944	$56,827	$68,307	$73,791
General Surgery	50	$59,499	$10,860	$48,244	$54,282	$59,130	$62,687	$73,330
Internal Medicine Subspecialties	208	$58,706	$8,472	$50,117	$52,976	$58,571	$63,208	$68,117
Pediatric Subspecialties	18	$55,688	$9,740	$38,050	$52,715	$56,475	$62,481	$67,360
Surgical Subspecialties	355	$64,179	$12,368	$51,880	$56,991	$62,096	$68,727	$77,481
Ob/Gyn	32	$55,183	$10,044	$42,421	$48,695	$55,116	$61,032	$68,603
Industrial/Occupational Medicine	29	$61,626	$9,801	$53,336	$54,498	$59,695	$63,246	$79,640
Other	141	$61,544	$14,418	$49,620	$54,246	$58,907	$65,287	$75,697

*Excludes self-employed PAs and part-time PAs.