Physician Assistants
Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. May, in some cases, prescribe medication. Must graduate from an accredited educational program for physician assistants.
- Median pay
- $135,880
- Doing it now
- 168,900
- By 2035
- Up 21.1%
- Usually needs
- Master's degree
a year
across the country
11,500 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition.
- Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal.
- Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
- Obtain, compile, and record patient medical data, including health history, progress notes, and results of physical examination.
- Administer or order diagnostic tests, such as x-ray, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests.
- Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval.
- Perform therapeutic procedures, such as injections, immunizations, suturing and wound care, and infection management.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsSee 589 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Helping and teaching
Organised and precise
Analytical and curious
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $135,880 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.