How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in El Centro, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Physician Assistants in El Centro, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · El Centro metro area
A typical Physician Assistant in El Centro, California earns $75.35 per hour, or $156,730 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $13,061 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $124,020, and the top 10% of earners make over $193,750.
That pay is 5% below the California figure of $165,650 and 15% above the national figure of $135,880. El Centro ranks 22nd of 25 metro areas in California for Physician Assistant pay. About 40 Physician Assistants work in the El Centro area.
Physician Assistant pay in El Centro at a glance
- Typical pay is $75.35 an hour, or $156,730 a year.
- That is 5% below the California figure, ranking 22nd of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $124,020; the top 10% make over $193,750.
- Typical pay rose +46% from 2015 to 2025, against +51% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physician Assistant make in El Centro?
Pay in El Centro runs from entry-level positions at around $59.63 an hour to more than $93.15 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Physician Assistant pay by career stage in El Centro
| Career stage | El Centro | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $124,020$59.63 an hour | $99,380$47.78 an hour | $99,380$47.78 an hour |
| First years | $136,290$65.52 an hour | $136,730$65.73 an hour | $120,670$58.02 an hour |
| Typical Physician Assistant | $156,730$75.35 an hour | $165,650$79.64 an hour | $135,880$65.33 an hour |
| Experienced | $172,220$82.80 an hour | $206,990$99.52 an hour | $163,980$78.84 an hour |
| Top 10% | $193,750$93.15 an hour | $225,190$108.27 an hour | $190,280$91.48 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the El Centro area as BLS defines it
Physician Assistant pay growth in El Centro
Typical (median) annual wage for Physician Assistants in the El Centro area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Physician Assistant pay in El Centro was $107,190 a year. By 2025 it had reached $156,730, a change of +46%, compared with +51% for California over the same years.
How El Centro compares with other California cities
Sunnyvale pays Physician Assistants the most in California at $223,640 a year, $66,910 more than El Centro. The lowest-paying area in the state is Redding at $150,010.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs El Centro | Physician Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunnyvale metro incl. Santa Clara · San Jose | $223,640 | $107.52 | +43% | 1,030 |
| 2 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $198,070 | $95.23 | +26% | 350 |
| 3 | Oakland metro incl. San Francisco · Fremont | $184,380 | $88.65 | +18% | 1,830 |
| 4 | Yuba City | $183,460 | $88.20 | +17% | 40 |
| 5 | Vallejo | $179,520 | $86.31 | +15% | 150 |
| 6 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $172,750 | $83.05 | +10% | 140 |
| 7 | Napa | $172,170 | $82.78 | +10% | 50 |
| 8 | Salinas | $170,180 | $81.82 | +9% | 130 |
| 9 | Visalia | $166,510 | $80.05 | +6% | 100 |
| 10 | Modesto | $165,730 | $79.68 | +6% | 210 |
| 11 | Ontario metro incl. Riverside · San Bernardino | $165,490 | $79.56 | +6% | 1,020 |
| 12 | Chula Vista | $165,160 | $79.41 | +5% | 1,370 |
| 13 | Chico | $164,780 | $79.22 | +5% | 130 |
| 14 | Merced | $164,080 | $78.88 | +5% | 50 |
| 15 | San Luis Obispo metro incl. Paso Robles | $162,790 | $78.27 | +4% | 100 |
| 16 | Stockton metro incl. Lodi | $162,110 | $77.94 | +3% | 150 |
| 17 | Long Beach metro incl. Anaheim · Los Angeles | $161,890 | $77.83 | +3% | 3,890 |
| 18 | Sacramento | $161,470 | $77.63 | +3% | 1,070 |
| 19 | Corcoran metro incl. Hanford | $161,470 | $77.63 | +3% | 40 |
| 20 | Watsonville metro incl. Santa Cruz | $159,030 | $76.46 | +1% | 120 |
| 21 | Santa Maria metro incl. Santa Barbara | $158,360 | $76.14 | +1% | 210 |
| 22 | El Centro | $156,730 | $75.35 | this city | 40 |
| 23 | Fresno | $155,440 | $74.73 | -1% | 360 |
| 24 | Thousand Oaks | $154,760 | $74.41 | -1% | 210 |
| 25 | Redding | $150,010 | $72.12 | -4% | 70 |
Every metro area in California with Physician Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $165,650
Is El Centro a good place to work as a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistants in El Centro earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $156,730 a year, 15% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the El Centro area, about 0.6 are Physician Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.0. That makes Physician Assistants a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Physician Assistant make in El Centro, CA?
- A typical Physician Assistant in El Centro earns $156,730 a year, or $75.35 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $124,020 and the top 10% earn over $193,750.
- How much does a Physician Assistant make an hour in El Centro?
- Typical hourly pay for Physician Assistants in El Centro is $75.35. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $59.63, and the top 10% earn over $93.15 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Physician Assistant in El Centro?
- Entry-level Physician Assistant positions in El Centro typically offer around $59.63 an hour, or $124,020 a year.
- Is Physician Assistant pay in El Centro higher than in the rest of California?
- El Centro pay is 5% below the California figure of $165,650 a year, ranking 22nd of 25 metro areas in the state. Sunnyvale pays the most in California at $223,640.