Compensation Trends for Your Top Recruiting Physician Assistant Specialties
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Attracting top-level Physician Assistant talent can be challenging in today’s market, where demand often outpaces available candidates. That is why having a competitive compensation package is vital if you want to hire and retain Physician Assistants in the in-demand specialties of Family Medicine, Hospital Medicine, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine and Gastroenterology1.
Signing Bonuses- An aggressive signing bonus can go a long way when trying to attract in-demand PA’s. These bonuses are quickly becoming a mainstay in competitive compensation packages, with nearly half of all Advanced Practitioners reporting receipt of one during their recruitment process1. Trends show that these bonuses are on the rise, with current offers averaging $15,000 for Advanced Practitioners1.
Competitive Salaries- According to the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, today’s Physician Assistants can expect to make a median salary of $115,000 annually with specialty work demanding even higher salaries2.
Primary Care- Nearly a quarter of all Physician Assistants work in Primary Care specialties providing critical services to diverse patient populations2. Many of these PA’s have chosen to work in the areas of Family Medicine and Internal Medicine.
- Family Medicine-According to the results of an NCCPA Physician Assistant Specialty Salary Survey, most Family Med PA’s work in both rural and urban practices settings, seeing an average of 80 patients a week2. Salary expectations for PA’s working full-time in this specialty average $103,000 annually.
- Internal Medicine- IM Physician Assistants help provide general medical care to adult populations diagnosed with a variety of acute and long-term medical issues. These PA’s report seeing an average of 70 patients a week while earning around $102,000 annually2.
Hospital Medicine- Hospital Medicine is a relatively new medical field for PA practice that has increased considerably in popularity due to inpatient Physician shortages. While only a limited number of Physician Assistants currently work in this specialty, those who do average $111,000 a year in compensation, seeing about 50 patients a week2.
Emergency Medicine- Physician Assistants working in Emergency Medicine make some of the highest salaries found outside of the operating room, averaging $123,000 a year2. Although these PA’s often enjoy fewer working days a month compared to their colleagues, due to their longer shifts, they often see more patients averaging around 80 a week2.
Gastroenterology- The care of diseases related to the gastrointestinal track provide a healthy income for PA’s that choose to make gastroenterology their specialty of choice. GI Physician Assistants make around $100,000 annually while seeing an average of 60 patients a week2.
References:
1. The Medicus Firm 2019: Physician Placement Summary
2. National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, Inc. (2019, July). 2018 Statistical Profile of Certified Physician Assistants by Specialty: An Annual Report of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. www.nccpa.net/research