How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in San Diego, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Physician Assistants in San Diego, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad metro area
A typical Physician Assistant in San Diego, California earns $79.41 per hour, or $165,160 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $13,763 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $109,750, and the top 10% of earners make over $214,570.
That pay is right at the California figure of $165,650 and 22% above the national figure of $135,880. San Diego ranks 12th of 25 metro areas in California for Physician Assistant pay. About 1,370 Physician Assistants work in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area. San Diego is part of the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Chula Vista and Carlsbad share these figures.
Physician Assistant pay in San Diego at a glance
- Typical pay is $79.41 an hour, or $165,160 a year.
- That is right at the California figure, ranking 12th of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $109,750; the top 10% make over $214,570.
- Typical pay rose +58% from 2015 to 2025, against +51% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physician Assistant make in San Diego?
Pay in San Diego runs from entry-level positions at around $52.76 an hour to more than $103.16 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 San Diego
| Career stage | San Diego | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $109,750$52.76 an hour | $99,380$47.78 an hour | $99,380$47.78 an hour |
| First years | $135,720$65.25 an hour | $136,730$65.73 an hour | $120,670$58.02 an hour |
| Typical Physician Assistant | $165,160$79.41 an hour | $165,650$79.64 an hour | $135,880$65.33 an hour |
| Experienced | $204,920$98.52 an hour | $206,990$99.52 an hour | $163,980$78.84 an hour |
| Top 10% | $214,570$103.16 an hour | $225,190$108.27 an hour | $190,280$91.48 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area as BLS defines it
Physician Assistant pay growth in San Diego
Typical (median) annual wage for Physician Assistants in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Physician Assistant pay in San Diego was $104,620 a year. By 2025 it had reached $165,160, a change of +58%, compared with +51% for California over the same years.
How San Diego compares with other California cities
Sunnyvale pays Physician Assistants the most in California at $223,640 a year, $58,480 more than San Diego. The lowest-paying area in the state is Redding at $150,010.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs San Diego | Physician Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunnyvale metro incl. Santa Clara · San Jose | $223,640 | $107.52 | +35% | 1,030 |
| 2 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $198,070 | $95.23 | +20% | 350 |
| 3 | Oakland metro incl. San Francisco · Fremont | $184,380 | $88.65 | +12% | 1,830 |
| 4 | Yuba City | $183,460 | $88.20 | +11% | 40 |
| 5 | Vallejo | $179,520 | $86.31 | +9% | 150 |
| 6 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $172,750 | $83.05 | +5% | 140 |
| 7 | Napa | $172,170 | $82.78 | +4% | 50 |
| 8 | Salinas | $170,180 | $81.82 | +3% | 130 |
| 9 | Visalia | $166,510 | $80.05 | +1% | 100 |
| 10 | Modesto | $165,730 | $79.68 | 0% | 210 |
| 11 | Ontario metro incl. Riverside · San Bernardino | $165,490 | $79.56 | 0% | 1,020 |
| 12 | San Diego metro incl. Chula Vista · Carlsbad | $165,160 | $79.41 | this city | 1,370 |
| 13 | Chico | $164,780 | $79.22 | 0% | 130 |
| 14 | Merced | $164,080 | $78.88 | -1% | 50 |
| 15 | San Luis Obispo metro incl. Paso Robles | $162,790 | $78.27 | -1% | 100 |
| 16 | Stockton metro incl. Lodi | $162,110 | $77.94 | -2% | 150 |
| 17 | Long Beach metro incl. Anaheim · Los Angeles | $161,890 | $77.83 | -2% | 3,890 |
| 18 | Sacramento | $161,470 | $77.63 | -2% | 1,070 |
| 19 | Corcoran metro incl. Hanford | $161,470 | $77.63 | -2% | 40 |
| 20 | Watsonville metro incl. Santa Cruz | $159,030 | $76.46 | -4% | 120 |
| 21 | Santa Maria metro incl. Santa Barbara | $158,360 | $76.14 | -4% | 210 |
| 22 | El Centro | $156,730 | $75.35 | -5% | 40 |
| 23 | Fresno | $155,440 | $74.73 | -6% | 360 |
| 24 | Thousand Oaks | $154,760 | $74.41 | -6% | 210 |
| 25 | Redding | $150,010 | $72.12 | -9% | 70 |
Every metro area in California with Physician Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $165,650
Is San Diego a good place to work as a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistants in San Diego earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $165,160 a year, 22% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area, about 0.9 are Physician Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.0. Physician Assistant jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Physician Assistant make in San Diego, CA?
- A typical Physician Assistant in San Diego earns $165,160 a year, or $79.41 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $109,750 and the top 10% earn over $214,570.
- How much does a Physician Assistant make an hour in San Diego?
- Typical hourly pay for Physician Assistants in San Diego is $79.41. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $52.76, and the top 10% earn over $103.16 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Physician Assistant in San Diego?
- Entry-level Physician Assistant positions in San Diego typically offer around $52.76 an hour, or $109,750 a year.
- Is Physician Assistant pay in San Diego higher than in the rest of California?
- San Diego pay is right at the California figure of $165,650 a year, ranking 12th of 25 metro areas in the state. Sunnyvale pays the most in California at $223,640.