How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Columbia, MO in 2026?
Typical pay for Physician Assistants in Columbia, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Missouri.
BLS OES May 2025 · Columbia metro area
A typical Physician Assistant in Columbia, Missouri earns $63.57 per hour, or $132,220 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $11,018 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $107,340, and the top 10% of earners make over $161,670.
That pay is 2% below the Missouri figure of $135,130 and 3% below the national figure of $135,880. Columbia ranks 7th of 8 metro areas in Missouri for Physician Assistant pay. About 140 Physician Assistants work in the Columbia area.
Physician Assistant pay in Columbia at a glance
- Typical pay is $63.57 an hour, or $132,220 a year.
- That is 2% below the Missouri figure, ranking 7th of 8 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $107,340; the top 10% make over $161,670.
- Typical pay rose +55% from 2015 to 2025, against +45% for Missouri as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physician Assistant make in Columbia?
Pay in Columbia runs from entry-level positions at around $51.60 an hour to more than $77.73 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Missouri and national figures.
Physician Assistant pay by career stage in Columbia
| Career stage | Columbia | Missouri | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $107,340$51.60 an hour | $82,690$39.76 an hour | $99,380$47.78 an hour |
| First years | $108,610$52.22 an hour | $121,680$58.50 an hour | $120,670$58.02 an hour |
| Typical Physician Assistant | $132,220$63.57 an hour | $135,130$64.96 an hour | $135,880$65.33 an hour |
| Experienced | $152,270$73.21 an hour | $163,170$78.45 an hour | $163,980$78.84 an hour |
| Top 10% | $161,670$77.73 an hour | $169,650$81.56 an hour | $190,280$91.48 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Columbia area as BLS defines it
Physician Assistant pay growth in Columbia
Typical (median) annual wage for Physician Assistants in the Columbia area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Physician Assistant pay in Columbia was $85,120 a year. By 2025 it had reached $132,220, a change of +55%, compared with +45% for Missouri over the same years.
How Columbia compares with other Missouri cities
Joplin pays Physician Assistants the most in Missouri at $150,300 a year, $18,080 more than Columbia. The lowest-paying area in the state is Springfield at $129,270.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Columbia | Physician Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joplin | $150,300 | $72.26 | +14% | 70 |
| 2 | Cape Girardeau | $141,080 | $67.83 | +7% | 40 |
| 3 | St. Joseph | $138,060 | $66.38 | +4% | 50 |
| 4 | St. Louis | $136,120 | $65.44 | +3% | 1,260 |
| 5 | Jefferson City | $135,340 | $65.07 | +2% | 40 |
| 6 | Kansas City | $133,350 | $64.11 | +1% | 540 |
| 7 | Columbia | $132,220 | $63.57 | this city | 140 |
| 8 | Springfield | $129,270 | $62.15 | -2% | 300 |
Every metro area in Missouri with Physician Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Missouri typical pay $135,130
Is Columbia a good place to work as a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistant pay in Columbia sits close to the national figure: $132,220 a year, 3% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Columbia area, about 1.3 are Physician Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.1. That makes the local economy more reliant on Physician Assistants than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Physician Assistant make in Columbia, MO?
- A typical Physician Assistant in Columbia earns $132,220 a year, or $63.57 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $107,340 and the top 10% earn over $161,670.
- How much does a Physician Assistant make an hour in Columbia?
- Typical hourly pay for Physician Assistants in Columbia is $63.57. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $51.60, and the top 10% earn over $77.73 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Physician Assistant in Columbia?
- Entry-level Physician Assistant positions in Columbia typically offer around $51.60 an hour, or $107,340 a year.
- Is Physician Assistant pay in Columbia higher than in the rest of Missouri?
- Columbia pay is 2% below the Missouri figure of $135,130 a year, ranking 7th of 8 metro areas in the state. Joplin pays the most in Missouri at $150,300.