Healthcare · 70 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Physician Assistant (2025)

The median Physician Assistant salary is $223,640 in San Jose, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Bakersfield, CA offers the best purchasing power at $196,889 adjusted.

The 70 cities below are ranked by median wage for Physician Assistant, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Physician Assistant relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$138,339

National Median

$223,640

Highest City

$105,440

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	San Jose, CA	$223,640	$100,240, $287,420	195.8	$114,219	1,030
2	Bakersfield, CA	$198,070	$126,200, $219,990	100.6	$196,889	350
3	San Francisco, CA	$184,380	$106,150, $237,980	179.6	$102,661	1,830
4	New York, NY	$167,650	$124,470, $207,000	187.2	$89,557	16,800
5	Seattle, WA	$167,290	$130,820, $218,970	149.4	$111,975	1,920
6	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$165,490	$77,310, $224,010	122.4	$135,204	1,020
7	San Diego, CA	$165,160	$109,750, $214,570	160.2	$103,096	1,370
8	Portland, OR	$163,810	$105,180, $216,960	130.1	$125,911	1,110
9	Los Angeles, CA	$161,890	$99,570, $220,580	166	$97,524	3,890
10	Sacramento, CA	$161,470	$72,440, $225,400	124.7	$129,487	1,070
11	Fresno, CA	$155,440	$64,400, $206,250	105.5	$147,336	360
12	Anchorage, AK	$152,710	$106,060, $199,810	127	$120,244	460
13	Washington, DC	$148,200	$108,030, $213,750	152.8	$96,990	3,020
14	Spokane, WA	$147,570	$114,400, $195,700	97.4	$151,509	350
15	Bridgeport, CT	$145,400	$106,540, $198,650	137.5	$105,745	940
16	Minneapolis, MN	$145,030	$109,190, $183,520	106.2	$136,563	2,340
17	Boston, MA	$142,410	$65,220, $205,620	152.1	$93,629	3,550
18	San Antonio, TX	$140,160	$113,840, $201,640	91.5	$153,180	650
19	Providence, RI	$139,930	$96,870, $187,080	119.4	$117,194	950
20	Albuquerque, NM	$139,920	$69,430, $179,420	94	$148,851	380
21	Oklahoma City, OK	$138,920	$102,890, $170,340	86.5	$160,601	1,020
22	Baltimore, MD	$138,790	$110,190, $172,540	114.2	$121,532	1,660
23	Hartford, CT	$138,680	$99,470, $173,130	112.6	$123,162	1,460
24	Albany, NY	$137,850	$116,990, $161,720	100.7	$136,892	770
25	Columbus, OH	$137,550	$97,820, $212,220	93.1	$147,744	1,140
26	Houston, TX	$137,240	$90,920, $168,240	96.5	$142,218	2,390
27	St. Louis, MO	$136,120	$77,620, $170,960	90	$151,244	1,260
28	Philadelphia, PA	$135,640	$103,720, $170,140	118.4	$114,561	3,390
29	Colorado Springs, CO	$135,200	$104,990, $163,990	104.5	$129,378	440
30	Milwaukee, WI	$135,040	$97,090, $169,360	97.4	$138,645	1,220
31	Dallas, TX	$134,900	$96,770, $171,660	104.1	$129,587	3,230
32	Boise, ID	$134,800	$97,310, $160,120	102.1	$132,027	650
33	Las Vegas, NV	$134,660	$65,060, $179,070	109	$123,541	650
34	Phoenix, AZ	$134,650	$106,860, $173,920	100.7	$133,714	3,050
35	Austin, TX	$134,550	$111,830, $170,450	103	$130,631	680
36	Reno, NV	$134,550	$46,290, $173,380	106.5	$126,338	300
37	Denver, CO	$134,540	$105,560, $175,590	112.8	$119,273	1,650
38	Tulsa, OK	$134,380	$59,290, $178,120	86.8	$154,816	350
39	Omaha, NE	$134,130	$106,690, $168,400	91.8	$146,111	720
40	Madison, WI	$133,950	$57,980, $164,900	103.8	$129,046	490
41	Des Moines, IA	$133,830	$99,990, $188,860	93.3	$143,441	340
42	Kansas City, MO	$133,350	$101,600, $165,740	95.4	$139,780	540
43	Charlotte, NC	$133,140	$99,610, $169,220	96.7	$137,684	1,680
44	Miami, FL	$132,360	$101,870, $181,620	123.1	$107,522	2,190
45	Jacksonville, FL	$132,350	$104,550, $170,440	95.1	$139,169	1,100
46	Indianapolis, IN	$131,950	$105,970, $177,240	90.1	$146,448	700
47	Detroit, MI	$131,830	$103,800, $157,870	95.1	$138,623	2,400
48	Louisville, KY	$130,830	$103,490, $165,500	90.2	$145,044	380
49	Rochester, NY	$130,430	$109,130, $155,390	92.9	$140,398	1,230
50	Salt Lake City, UT	$130,240	$82,770, $171,310	101.4	$128,442	810
51	Tucson, AZ	$129,880	$99,760, $206,680	95.4	$136,143	290
52	Nashville, TN	$129,050	$104,990, $150,780	100.3	$128,664	750
53	Cincinnati, OH	$128,520	$68,300, $179,120	91.2	$140,921	920
54	Chicago, IL	$127,940	$105,160, $164,200	107.3	$119,236	3,050
55	Tampa, FL	$127,820	$98,530, $173,680	99.6	$128,333	1,420
56	Orlando, FL	$127,200	$82,060, $178,600	103.1	$123,375	1,200
57	Richmond, VA	$126,810	$93,040, $171,850	102.1	$124,202	620
58	Buffalo, NY	$126,360	$98,820, $160,880	92.5	$136,605	1,040
59	Pittsburgh, PA	$125,230	$98,630, $146,930	92.3	$135,677	2,560
60	New Orleans, LA	$124,580	$108,740, $169,060	95.9	$129,906	400
61	Raleigh, NC	$124,300	$105,730, $156,000	99.8	$124,549	1,220
62	Greenville, SC	$123,310	$51,850, $164,990	90.1	$136,859	440
63	Memphis, TN	$121,900	$94,700, $148,570	84	$145,119	290
64	Wichita, KS	$121,640	$95,900, $161,750	84	$144,810	240
65	Greensboro, NC	$120,540	$102,590, $188,940	91.3	$132,026	420
66	Lexington, KY	$112,230	$52,010, $187,220	91.3	$122,924	300
67	Atlanta, GA	$111,810	$62,230, $172,110	99.2	$112,712	3,970
68	Little Rock, AR	$109,110	$49,970, $145,970	88.2	$123,707	340
69	Knoxville, TN	$107,980	$91,640, $141,670	90.3	$119,579	240
70	Birmingham, AL	$105,440	$59,500, $163,630	90.4	$116,637	280

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Physician Assistant paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Bakersfield, CA	$196,889	$198,070	100.6
2	Oklahoma City, OK	$160,601	$138,920	86.5
3	Tulsa, OK	$154,816	$134,380	86.8
4	San Antonio, TX	$153,180	$140,160	91.5
5	Spokane, WA	$151,509	$147,570	97.4
6	St. Louis, MO	$151,244	$136,120	90
7	Albuquerque, NM	$148,851	$139,920	94
8	Columbus, OH	$147,744	$137,550	93.1
9	Fresno, CA	$147,336	$155,440	105.5
10	Indianapolis, IN	$146,448	$131,950	90.1
11	Omaha, NE	$146,111	$134,130	91.8
12	Memphis, TN	$145,119	$121,900	84
13	Louisville, KY	$145,044	$130,830	90.2
14	Wichita, KS	$144,810	$121,640	84
15	Des Moines, IA	$143,441	$133,830	93.3
16	Houston, TX	$142,218	$137,240	96.5
17	Cincinnati, OH	$140,921	$128,520	91.2
18	Rochester, NY	$140,398	$130,430	92.9
19	Kansas City, MO	$139,780	$133,350	95.4
20	Jacksonville, FL	$139,169	$132,350	95.1
21	Milwaukee, WI	$138,645	$135,040	97.4
22	Detroit, MI	$138,623	$131,830	95.1
23	Charlotte, NC	$137,684	$133,140	96.7
24	Albany, NY	$136,892	$137,850	100.7
25	Greenville, SC	$136,859	$123,310	90.1
26	Buffalo, NY	$136,605	$126,360	92.5
27	Minneapolis, MN	$136,563	$145,030	106.2
28	Tucson, AZ	$136,143	$129,880	95.4
29	Pittsburgh, PA	$135,677	$125,230	92.3
30	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$135,204	$165,490	122.4
31	Phoenix, AZ	$133,714	$134,650	100.7
32	Boise, ID	$132,027	$134,800	102.1
33	Greensboro, NC	$132,026	$120,540	91.3
34	Austin, TX	$130,631	$134,550	103
35	New Orleans, LA	$129,906	$124,580	95.9
36	Dallas, TX	$129,587	$134,900	104.1
37	Sacramento, CA	$129,487	$161,470	124.7
38	Colorado Springs, CO	$129,378	$135,200	104.5
39	Madison, WI	$129,046	$133,950	103.8
40	Nashville, TN	$128,664	$129,050	100.3
41	Salt Lake City, UT	$128,442	$130,240	101.4
42	Tampa, FL	$128,333	$127,820	99.6
43	Reno, NV	$126,338	$134,550	106.5
44	Portland, OR	$125,911	$163,810	130.1
45	Raleigh, NC	$124,549	$124,300	99.8
46	Richmond, VA	$124,202	$126,810	102.1
47	Little Rock, AR	$123,707	$109,110	88.2
48	Las Vegas, NV	$123,541	$134,660	109
49	Orlando, FL	$123,375	$127,200	103.1
50	Hartford, CT	$123,162	$138,680	112.6
51	Lexington, KY	$122,924	$112,230	91.3
52	Baltimore, MD	$121,532	$138,790	114.2
53	Anchorage, AK	$120,244	$152,710	127
54	Knoxville, TN	$119,579	$107,980	90.3
55	Denver, CO	$119,273	$134,540	112.8
56	Chicago, IL	$119,236	$127,940	107.3
57	Providence, RI	$117,194	$139,930	119.4
58	Birmingham, AL	$116,637	$105,440	90.4
59	Philadelphia, PA	$114,561	$135,640	118.4
60	San Jose, CA	$114,219	$223,640	195.8
61	Atlanta, GA	$112,712	$111,810	99.2
62	Seattle, WA	$111,975	$167,290	149.4
63	Miami, FL	$107,522	$132,360	123.1
64	Bridgeport, CT	$105,745	$145,400	137.5
65	San Diego, CA	$103,096	$165,160	160.2
66	San Francisco, CA	$102,661	$184,380	179.6
67	Los Angeles, CA	$97,524	$161,890	166
68	Washington, DC	$96,990	$148,200	152.8
69	Boston, MA	$93,629	$142,410	152.1
70	New York, NY	$89,557	$167,650	187.2

Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose, CA pays the highest median Physician Assistant salary at $223,640. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Bakersfield, CA offers the most purchasing power at $196,889 adjusted.

The national median Physician Assistant salary is $138,339 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $105,440 to $223,640 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.