How the AAPA Salary Report Helped This PA in Her Job Search

“The AAPA Salary Report influenced my overall job satisfaction.”

July 31, 2024

The AAPA Digital Salary Report includes both national- and state-level PA compensation data collected annually from thousands of PAs. This platform allows PAs to customize data tables to fit their unique employment situation and compare salaries to years prior.

[Access the AAPA Digital Salary Report today!]

Catherine Santizo, MPAP, PA-C, currently practices primary care at a community health clinic in the San Fernando Valley. After graduating the Primary Care PA Program at USC’s Keck School of Medicine in 2023, she, like many other graduates, was nervous entering the job market. AAPA’s Salary Report became an essential tool in her job search, and she is happy to share her experience.

Q: What has been your experience with the AAPA Salary Report?

A: Coming out as a new graduate, I wasn’t sure what my initial compensation would look like. The AAPA Salary Report helped me negotiate my salary and benefits.

Thanks to the AAPA Salary Report, I was able to look at numbers and compare compensation based on experience, location, and what was appropriate for someone practicing in my field. That helped me go into my interview with confidence.

Q: How has the AAPA Salary Report helped you secure your desired compensation and benefits?

A: Going into my first interview, I felt well equipped when it came to talking about numbers. Thanks to the AAPA Salary Report, I knew what the average salary was for someone in primary care with my level of experience, and what was reasonable for me to ask for.

The AAPA Salary Report helped me understand what those numbers were and feel confident going into my interview.

As my yearly evaluation approaches, I plan to use it to compare my salary to others in my area and negotiate for the best possible compensation.

Q: Besides your financial success, how has the AAPA Salary Report impacted your career trajectory as a PA?
A: The AAPA Salary Report allowed me to understand how numbers and salaries fluctuate over time, and I am now better equipped when it comes to my annual evaluations. I know what is fair and appropriate for me to ask for.

It has also helped me evaluate if my current employment is right for me, or if I should look to move to a different employer.

Q: How has incorporating the AAPA Salary Report into your negotiations influenced your overall job satisfaction?
A: Going into my initial job interviews, I felt confident and competent when negotiating my salary and was able to get my desired compensation and benefits. Now, six months in, I am happy with what I’m earning.

As I approach my yearly evaluation, I know I will be using the AAPA Salary Report again and feel confident having that information at my fingertips.

Q: What would you say to a PA considering using the AAPA Salary Report to negotiate their salary and benefits?
A: I highly recommend all PAs and recent graduates to use the AAPA Salary Report to negotiate their salary and benefits. It is a pearl of information!

The Salary Report allows you to compare what the median range is for someone practicing in your specific field, your specific region, and in your state. Not everyone has that information and you’re missing out if you’re not using this tool to your advantage!

Access the 2024 AAPA Salary Report!
The AAPA Salary Report is FREE to AAPA fellow, student, and retired members and available for purchase for pre-PA, affiliate, and associate members. Non-members are also able to purchase the report.

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The AAPA Salary Report is the only PA salary resource that provides detailed information about base salary, base hourly wage, bonuses, and benefits. The 2024 report provides detailed breakdowns based on experience, specialty, setting, and employer and reflects 2023 data. Findings are based on the 12,207 PAs who responded to the survey.

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