How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Indiana in 2026?
Typical pay for Physician Assistants in Indiana, from federal wage data (May 2025), with pay by city, the ten-year trend, and how the state compares.
BLS OES May 2025 · Indiana · typical annual pay from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth
A typical Physician Assistant in Indiana earns about $63.49 per hour, or $132,050 per year, according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). That works out to roughly $11,004 a month. On a weekly basis, it comes to about $2,539, calculated from the annual figure. Actual pay varies by city, employer, and years of experience.
That figure sits 3% below the national typical pay of $135,880 a year, or $65.33 an hour. It also places Indiana 35th among the 51 states and D.C. ranked for this occupation. Indiana employs about 2,110 Physician Assistants in this role. That is a modest workforce compared with the national total of 162,150.
Physician Assistant pay in Indiana at a glance
- A typical Physician Assistant in Indiana earns $63.49 an hour ($132,050 a year), per government wage data (May 2025).
- Indiana's typical PA pay runs 3% below the national figure, ranking Indiana 35th among the 51 states and D.C.
- Lafayette and West Lafayette pay Indiana PAs the most, at $133,060 a year, about 1% above the state figure.
- Entry-level Indiana PAs typically start around $105,810 a year, while the top 10% earn over $196,280.
- Indiana's typical PA pay has risen 39% over the past decade, from $94,670 in 2015 to $132,050 in 2025.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physician Assistant make in Indiana?
Physician Assistant pay by career stage in Indiana
| Career stage | Indiana | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $105,810$50.87 an hour | $99,380$47.78 an hour |
| First years | $123,220$59.24 an hour | $120,670$58.02 an hour |
| Typical Physician Assistant | $132,050$63.49 an hour | $135,880$65.33 an hour |
| Experienced | $166,230$79.92 an hour | $163,980$78.84 an hour |
| Top 10% | $196,280$94.37 an hour | $190,280$91.48 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · starting out is the 10th percentile, first years the 25th, typical the median, experienced the 75th, top 10% the 90th
Physician Assistant pay by experience level in Indiana
Entry-level positions in Indiana typically offer around $50.87 an hour, or about $105,810 a year. That figure comes from the 10th-percentile mark in the May 2025 wage data. Pay tends to climb toward the state's typical $63.49 hourly rate within the first few years on the job. New PAs gain clinical experience and take on more responsibility as they advance.
Experienced Physician Assistants in Indiana often earn upwards of $94.37 an hour. The top 10% of earners make over $196,280 a year. That leaves a $90,470 spread between entry-level and top pay across the state. The gap usually reflects years of experience, practice setting, and which city a PA works in.
Physician Assistant pay growth in Indiana
Typical (median) annual wage for Physician Assistants in Indiana · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
Indiana's typical Physician Assistant pay rose from $94,670 in 2015 to $132,050 in 2025. That is a gain of $37,380 over the decade. In percentage terms, it comes to a 39% increase. The climb was mostly steady, with a notable jump between 2020 and 2021 as pay moved past $119,000.
Nationally, typical PA pay rose 38% over the same ten years, so Indiana's growth kept pace with the country as a whole. For someone starting a PA career in Indiana now, pay has moved up consistently over the past decade. That trend does not guarantee future increases, but the recent direction has been upward. Indiana's rate of growth was among the closer matches to the national trend.
Physician Assistant salary by city in Indiana
Pay runs highest in the Lafayette and West Lafayette metro area, where Physician Assistants typically earn $133,060 a year ($63.97 an hour). That is about 1% above the statewide figure of $132,050. These figures reflect each city's full metro area, not just the city center. Indianapolis, Carmel, and Greenwood follow closely at $131,950 a year, and Fort Wayne trails just behind at $131,400.
Terre Haute pays the least among Indiana's metro areas, at $109,950 a year. That puts the spread between the highest- and lowest-paying cities at $23,110. The Naperville-Elgin metro area, which extends into northwest Indiana, employs the most Physician Assistants of any metro in the data, at 3,050, with typical pay of $127,940 a year, or $61.51 an hour. Lower pay in a city usually tracks a lower cost of living there.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Indiana | Physician Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lafayette metro incl. West Lafayette | $133,060 | $63.97 | +1% | 50 |
| 2 | Indianapolis | $131,950 | $63.44 | 0% | 700 |
| 3 | Fort Wayne | $131,400 | $63.17 | 0% | 240 |
| 4 | Jefferson County | $130,830 | $62.90 | -1% | 380 |
| 5 | South Bend metro incl. Mishawaka | $129,620 | $62.32 | -2% | 100 |
| 6 | Naperville metro incl. Elgin | $127,940 | $61.51 | -3% | 3,050 |
| 7 | Columbus | $124,460 | $59.84 | -6% | 60 |
| 8 | Bloomington | $123,860 | $59.55 | -6% | 60 |
| 9 | Evansville | $123,410 | $59.33 | -7% | 120 |
| 10 | Terre Haute | $109,950 | $52.86 | -17% | 40 |
Each row is one BLS metro area; cities that share a metro share its figures · BLS OES May 2025 · Indiana typical pay $132,050
How Indiana compares with nearby states
Indiana's typical PA pay is close to Ohio ($132,090), Illinois ($131,950), and Michigan ($131,510), all landing within a few hundred dollars of Indiana's $132,050. Kentucky pays noticeably less, about 9% lower at $120,760 a year. That makes Kentucky the clearest outlier among Indiana's four neighboring states. PA licensure earned in one state can often be transferred or endorsed into a neighboring state, which can widen job options near a border.
| State | Typical pay | Vs Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | $132,050 | baseline |
| Ohio | $132,090 | 0% |
| Illinois | $131,950 | 0% |
| Michigan | $131,510 | 0% |
| Kentucky | $120,760 | -9% |
Bordering states, ranked by typical Physician Assistant pay · BLS OES May 2025
Is Indiana a good state for Physician Assistants?
Physician Assistant pay in Indiana sits below the middle of the national table: typical pay is $132,050 a year, 3% below the national figure, ranking 35th of 51. For every 1,000 jobs in Indiana, about 0.7 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. Overall, Indiana is a middle-of-the-table state for Physician Assistant pay, close to the national figure.
Summary
Indiana Physician Assistants typically earn $132,050 a year, or $63.49 an hour, up 39% from $94,670 a decade ago. Pay is highest in the Lafayette area and lowest in Terre Haute, with cost of living playing a large role in that gap. Anyone considering the role in Indiana should check the state licensing or PA registry page for current requirements. City pages covering Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and other Indiana metro areas offer more localized figures.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Physician Assistant make in Indiana?
- A typical Physician Assistant in Indiana earns about $132,050 a year, or $63.49 an hour, according to government wage data from May 2025. Pay varies by city, employer, and years of experience across the state.
- How much does a Physician Assistant make an hour in Indiana?
- A typical Physician Assistant in Indiana earns $63.49 an hour, based on May 2025 wage data. Hourly pay ranges from about $50.87 for entry-level positions up to $94.37 for the top 10% of earners.
- What is the starting pay for a Physician Assistant in Indiana?
- Entry-level Physician Assistants in Indiana typically start around $50.87 an hour, or about $105,810 a year, based on the 10th-percentile figure in the latest wage data. Pay generally rises toward the state's typical $132,050 annual rate within a few years of experience.
- Which city in Indiana pays Physician Assistants the most?
- Lafayette and West Lafayette pay Indiana Physician Assistants the most, at $133,060 a year, or $63.97 an hour, about 1% above the statewide figure. Indianapolis, Carmel, and Greenwood follow closely behind at $131,950 a year.
- Is Physician Assistant pay in Indiana higher than the national rate?
- Physician Assistant pay in Indiana runs slightly below the national rate. Indiana's typical pay of $132,050 a year is about 3% below the national figure of $135,880, which ranks Indiana 35th among the 51 states and D.C.