Physician Assistants

Also Called: Certified Physician Assistant (PA-C), Family Practice Physician Assistant, Physician Assistant Certified (PAC), Physician's Assistant

Master's Degree

usually needed

Not Available
(Students Only)
Match Percentage

$86,280

Entry Salary

Bright

Job outlook

What Physician Assistants do

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.

  • Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition.
  • Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
  • Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval.
Industry Areas:

Health Care

Expand For Additional Details

Work Context

  • Face-to-Face Discussions
  • Contact With Others
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  • Exposed to Disease or Infections
  • Frequency of Decision Making

Tools

  • Surgical clamps or clips or forceps or accessories
  • Surgical dissectors
  • Spirometers or its accessories or its supplies
  • Head or neck traction supplies
  • Central venous catheters

Technology

Medical software
Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
Medical condition coding software
Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Excel
Office suite software
Microsoft Office

The Education & Training You Need

Skills

  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Speaking
  • Service Orientation

Knowledge

Health
medicine and dentistry
therapy and counseling
Math and Science
biology
psychology
Arts and Humanities
English language
Business
customer service

Education

  • 50% Master's degree
  • 30% Bachelor's degree
  • 15% Professional degree

Experience

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

What are some related occupations at different educational levels?


Job Training Match

Administrative Services Managers

Educational Level

High School Diploma or Equivalent

 Job Training Match

Dental Assistants

Educational Level

Post-secondary, non-degree

Coroners

Educational Level

Associate's Degree

Orthoptists

Educational Level

Bachelor's Degree

Physician Assistants Currently Selected

Educational Level

Advanced Degree

What are your training options on the pathway to this occupation?

Advanced Training

There are currently no advanced training opportunities for this career.

ACT & College

  • Aaniiih Nakoda College

    Harlem, MT

  • Adult and Community Education-Hudson

    Columbus, OH

Apprenticeships

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Are You a Good Fit?

Occupation Traits

    • Investigative (Thinker)
    • Realistic (Doer)
    • Social (Helper)

Work Styles

  • Integrity
  • Attention to Detail
  • Concern for Others
  • Dependability
  • Cooperation
  • Stress Tolerance

Values

  • Relationships
  • Working Conditions
  • Achievement

Abilities

  • Verbal
  • Ideas and Logic
  • Visual Understanding
  • Math

This is what Physician Assistants across the country typically make.

$41.48 / hour
$86,280 /year

Entry Level

$62.51 / hour
$130,020 /year

Median Level

$82.11 / hour
$170,790 /year

Experienced Level

Income information reflects a regional average.
Income information reflects a national average.

This career’s National Job Outlook is

Bright

Please be sure to verify the outlook of this occupation with your instructor.

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