PA Incomes, Results from the 1999 AAPA Physician Assistant Census

Overview

Results of the 1999 AAPA Physician Assistant Census Survey indicate that the mean total income from primary employer for clinically practicing PAs working full-time (32 or more hours per week) was $68,164 (standard deviation $17,408); the median was $64,780. The mean total income in 1999 is 5.2 percent greater than the mean total income observed on the 1998 AAPA Physician Assistant Census Survey. The rate of inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, was 2.6 percent for the 12 months ending September 1999; the index for professional medical services rose 3.0 percent for the same period.

Methodology

The data collection effort for the 1999 AAPA Physician Assistant Census Survey was initiated in March 1999. Survey forms were mailed to all individuals, both AAPA members and non-members, believed to be eligible to practice as PAs in the United States and for whom current address information was available. Of the 38,112 individuals surveyed, 22,733 were AAPA members and 18,688 were not. Completed surveys were received from 13,861 members (61% participation rate) and 4,169 non-members (22% participation rate).

Analyses were conducted of earnings from primary employer reported by clinically practicing PAs working full-time (32 or more hours per week). We excluded from the analysis data reported by PAs who were employed by the government or self-employed because their incomes were markedly different from those observed for other PAs. It is important to note that measures of income do not include the value of fringe benefits paid by the employer.

Findings

Income from Primary Employer

To answer the question "How much can a clinically practicing PA expect to be paid for full time work?", we analyzed the total income PAs earn from their primary employer. We also examined the change in income observed from 1998 to 1999 for several subpopulations of PAs.

The mean total income of PAs who met the criteria described above is $68,164 (standard deviation $17,408); the median is $64,780. This represents an increase of 5.2 percent over the mean that was observed on the 1998 census survey ($64,784). There are, however, variations in the earnings among groups of PAs defined by years of experience, specialty of practice, population of the geographic area, type of community served, whether call was taken, and whether the PA had supervisory responsibilities for other PAs.

Experience

Income tends to increase with years of experience (Table 1). While in the past larger increases were observed earlier in PA careers, in 1999 similar sized increases are observed throughout.
 
Table 1.   Mean Total Income from Primary Employer for 1998 and 1999, and Percent Change, by Years in Clinical Practice as a PA*
1998
1999
% Change
Total
$64,784
$68,164
5.2%
Less Than One Year
$54,777
$57,648 
5.2%
1-3 Years
$59,320
$62,598 
5.5%
4-6 Years
$63,932
$67,090 
4.9%
7-9 Years
$66,562
$69,987 
5.1%
10-12 Years
$67,497
$71,871 
6.5%
13-15 Years
$70,748
$73,180 
3.4%
16-18 Years
$70,477
$75,094 
6.6%
More Than 18 Years
$71,958
$76,136 
5.8%
* Excludes government-employed PAs, self-employed PAs, and PAs who report working fewer than 32 hours per week for their primary employer.

Specialty

The specialty in which a PA practices has a significant impact on earnings (Table 2). Specialties with incomes above the overall average include general surgery and the subspecialties of surgery, emergency medicine, and industrial/occupational medicine. Family practice PAs, as well as PAs in general internal medicine, obstetrics & gynecology, general pediatrics, and pediatric subspecialties have mean incomes below the overall average. The largest percentage increases in mean income are observed for PAs in the specialty fields of emergency medicine, family practice, general surgery, the subspecialties of pediatrics, and industrial/occupational medicine.
 
Table 2.   Mean Total Income from Primary Employer for 1998 and 1999, and Percent Change, by General Field of Primary Specialty*
1998
1999
% Change
Total
$64,784
$68,164
5.2%
Emergency Medicine
$70,949 
$75,769 
6.8%
Family/General Medicine
$61,493 
$64,951 
5.6%
General Internal Medicine
$60,380 
$62,994 
4.3%
General Pediatrics
$61,392 
$64,206 
4.6%
General Surgery
$64,314 
$68,286 
6.2%
Ind/Occ Medicine
$67,167 
$70,645 
5.2%
Int Med Subspecialties
$63,759 
$65,377 
2.5%
Ob/Gyn
$60,470 
$62,210 
2.9%
Other3
$63,196 
$66,160 
4.7%
Pediatric Subspecialties
$60,505 
$63,802 
5.4%
Surgical Subspecialties
$72,119 
$75,285 
4.4%
*Excludes government-employed PAs, self-employed PAs, and PAs who report working fewer than 32 hours per week for their primary employer.

Population and Community Type

While no meaningful differences in incomes are found between AAPA regions, PA incomes are greater in geographic areas with larger populations and greater urbanization. PAs practicing in areas with populations of less than 50,000 and PAs working in communities perceived to be "rural" have mean incomes less than the national average, while PAs in areas with populations of greater than 1,000,000, and PAs working in communities perceived to be "urban" or "suburban" have mean incomes greater than the national average (Figure 1 and Table 3).


 
Table 3.   Mean Total Income from Primary Employer for 1998 and 1999, and Percent Change, by Type of Neighborhood/Community Surrounding Primary Work Setting*
1998
1999
% Change
Total
$64,784
$68,164
5.2%
Inner City
$64,766
$68,283
5.4%
Urban
$65,916
$69,019
4.7%
Suburban
$65,598
$69,039
5.2%
Rural
$62,486
$66,025
5.7%
Other
$65,428
$67,342
2.9%
* Excludes government-employed PAs, self-employed PAs, and PAs who report working fewer than 32 hours per week for their primary employer.

Other Factors

Another factor that influences a PA's income is whether call is taken (Figure 2). More than one-third (36%) of PAs reported either taking some call or always being on call. PAs who took call earned 9 percent more, on average, than PAs who did not. The average number of hours on call per month is 104 for PAs who took call but were not always on call.

Supervisory responsibility for PAs also affects income (Figure 3). Eleven percent of PAs reported that they had supervisory responsibility for at least one other PA. These PAs earned incomes 21 percent higher on average, than PAs who did not have these responsibilities.

For More Information

The Division of Data Services and Statistics, through the salary profile service, offers AAPA members customized analyses of incomes earned by groups of PAs defined by specialty, geographic location, population of the geographic area, and years of experience. This service is just $35.00 for AAPA fellow and student members; other types of AAPA members pay $150. For more information or to order your salary profile, call 703/836-2272, extension 3802.

 

 

Last Revised: 2/1/02