Here are 10 statistics and facts about physician assistants.
1. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, PAs practice medicine on a team under the supervision of physicians and surgeons. In May 2012, their median annual wage was $90,930, and the outlook for job growth from 2012 to 2022 was 38 percent.
2. There were approximately 43,500 certified PAs at the end of 2003; the profession grew 219 percent over the next 10 years reaching 95,583 certified PAs at the end of 2013, according to the 2013 Statistical Profile of Certified Physician Assistants, a report by National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
3. Sean Hazzard, PA-C, a sports medicine PA at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, says in a Becker's Spine Review article that the demand for PAs in orthopedics is increasing due to the aging baby boomer population and newly insured patients. Additionally, Mr. Hazzard argues that PAs can take many duties off a physician's schedule, decrease physicians' out-of-balance workload and open up access for new patients.
4. Here are the numbers of certified PAs by practice setting, according to the 2013 Statistical Profile of Certified Physician Assistants:
• Office-based private practice — 24,439
• Hospital — 22,252
• Federal government facility/hospital/unit — 3,648
• Community health center — 2,133
• Rural health clinic — 1,638
• Public or community health clinic (non-federally qualified) — 937
• School-based or college-based health center or school clinic — 578
• Occupational health setting — 572
• Extended care facility/nursing home — 287
• Ambulatory surgical center — 219
• Behavioral/mental health facility — 211
• Rehabilitation facility —140
• Free clinic — 128
• Home healthcare agency — 57
• Hospice — 2
5. The top five drivers of nurse practitioner and PA satisfaction, according to the Jackson Healthcare's Advanced Practice Trends 2012-2013, are:
• Work environment and staff — 37 percent
• Working with patients and the ability to make a difference — 28 percent
• Pay and benefits — 27 percent
• Autonomy — 21 percent
• Variety of cases and the ability to grow — 14 percent
6. The average compensation for physician assistants rose 18 percent between 2005 and 2012, according to the Medscape Clinical & Office Staff Salary Report.
Forty-one percent of PAs reported less than $80,000 annual salary. Here is how they stack up:
1. 19 percent say they receive $100,000 or more
2. 39 percent say they make between $80,000 and $100,000
3. 28 percent say they make $60,000 to $80,000
4. 11 percent say they make $30,000 to $60,000
5. 3 percent say they make less than $30,000
7. The 2013 Statistical Profile of Certified Physician Assistants also notes the top 10 practice areas for certified PAs:
Family medicine/general practice — 20.5 percent
Surgical subspecialties — 19.1 percent
Emergency medicine — 13.9 percent
Internal medicine subspecialties — 7.7 percent
Internal medicine-general practice — 5.4 percent
Dermatology — 4.3 percent
Hospital medicine — 2.8 percent
Pediatrics — 1.9 percent
OB/GYN — 1.5 percent
Urology — 1.5 percent
8. The Clinical Advisor's 2013 Nurse Practitioner & Physician Assistant Salary Survey found that PAs earn the following in various practice settings:
• Hospital — $106,670
• Hospital clinic — $100,124
• Walk-in/ambulatory — $95,876
• Standalone clinic — $94,976
• Office — $94,846
9. According to an infographic by the American Academy of Physician Assistants, a study found that 93 percent of Americans who have seen a PA agree that they are trusted healthcare providers and 91 percent agree that PAs improve health outcomes for patients.
10. The PA role was named among the best jobs in healthcare in two different publications. U.S. News & World Report ranked the PA role as seventh on its list of 10 best jobs in healthcare for 2015. Additionally, Forbes named the PA position the number one most promising job of 2015. According to Forbes, there are 45,500 openings for this position in United States.
More articles on PAs:
Benefis Health System adds physician assistant
10 National Salary Averages of Medical Staff With 20+ Years of Experience
PAs in Orthopedic Surgery Growing in Numbers & Responsibilities