How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Georgia in 2026?

A typical Physician Assistant in Georgia earns about $55.48 per hour, or roughly $115,390 per year, according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). That works out to close to $9,616 a month and $2,219 a week, both figures calculated from the annual number. Pay for this role varies by city, employer type, and years of experience across the state.

That pay runs 15% below the national figure of $135,880 a year, or $65.33 an hour, for the profession, and Georgia ranks 49th out of 51 states and territories on this measure. About 5,610 Physician Assistants work across the state, compared with 162,150 nationwide. The gap tracks Georgia's lower cost of living relative to many higher-paying states.

Entry-level positions typically offer around $29.92 an hour ($62,230 a year) for Physician Assistants just starting out in Georgia. Pay generally moves toward the state's typical figure of $115,390 within the first few years on the job. New graduates often start in primary care or hospital settings before moving into higher-paying specialties. Location and employer type also shape how quickly early pay climbs.

Experienced Physician Assistants in Georgia often earn upwards of $68.14 an hour ($141,740 a year), and the top 10% of earners make over $82.72 an hour ($172,050 a year). That leaves a spread of $109,820 between entry-level and top-tier pay. Setting, years of practice, and city location tend to separate the two groups more than any single factor.

Georgia's typical Physician Assistant pay rose from $95,720 in 2015 to $115,390 in 2025, a gain of $19,670. That amounts to a 21% increase over the decade. The climb wasn't perfectly steady, with pay dipping slightly in 2019, 2021, and 2024 before recovering each time. Even with those dips, the overall trend moved upward.

Nationally, Physician Assistant pay climbed 38% over the same ten years, faster than Georgia's rise. Someone starting out in Georgia today enters a field where pay has moved up steadily over the past decade, though nothing about future pay is guaranteed. Georgia's growth still added real dollars to typical paychecks even as it trailed the national pace.

Pay runs highest in Savannah, where Physician Assistants typically earn $125,500 a year, about 9% above the statewide figure. Athens and Clarke County follow closely at $125,460, with Macon not far behind at $122,670. These figures cover each city's full metro area, not just the city center. Smaller markets in central and coastal Georgia post some of the state's highest pay for this role.

Gainesville posts the lowest typical pay among Georgia's listed cities, at $111,440 a year ($53.58 an hour), putting the spread between the highest- and lowest-paying cities at $14,060. The Atlanta metro area, including Roswell and Sandy Springs, holds the state's largest Physician Assistant workforce at 3,970 workers, even though its pay sits below several smaller cities. Local living costs vary across Georgia, shaping what employers offer in each city.

Georgia's typical Physician Assistant pay trails most of its neighbors. Florida and North Carolina both pay about 12% more, with typical pay near $129,620 and $129,360 a year. South Carolina runs 6% higher at $122,490, and Tennessee sits close by at 2% higher, or $118,240. Alabama is the exception, paying 9% less than Georgia at $104,960 a year. Physician Assistant licensure can often be transferred or endorsed between neighboring states, easing a move across state lines.

Typical Physician Assistant pay in Georgia now stands at $115,390 a year, up 21% over the past decade. That places Georgia below the national figure but still marks steady growth since 2015. Readers considering this path in Georgia can check the state licensing board's requirements before applying, and compare local figures for Atlanta, Savannah, or other Georgia cities to see how pay varies by location.