Examine, diagnose, and treat patients and prescribe medicine, working alongside physicians.
You may also see this posted as: Certified Physician Assistant (PA-C), Family Practice Physician Assistant, Physician Assistant (PA), Physician's Assistant, Cardiology Physician Assistant, Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant (Emergency Medicine PA).
Clinics, hospitals, and surgical suites; steady, hands-on patient care.
Usually full-time; evenings, weekends, and on-call are common.
Social
helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people
Investigative
solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work
Conventional
organizing information, following systems, and getting details right
O*NET job zone 5 of 5
Extensive preparation—often graduate education and significant experience—is common.
Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.
May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
BLS estimates 1.5% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.
Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.
Master's degree
Training path: ~27-month PA program after prerequisites.
Related work experience: None.
On-the-job training: None.
Requires passing a national exam and holding a state license.
Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.
Physician-level work on a master's timeline.
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Standard Occupational Classification 29-1071. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.