How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Asheville, NC in 2026?
Typical pay for Physician Assistants in Asheville, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across North Carolina.
BLS OES May 2025 · Asheville metro area
A typical Physician Assistant in Asheville, North Carolina earns $63.11 per hour, or $131,260 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $10,938 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $102,420, and the top 10% of earners make over $174,370.
That pay is 1% above the North Carolina figure of $129,360 and 3% below the national figure of $135,880. Asheville ranks 7th of 16 metro areas in North Carolina for Physician Assistant pay. About 460 Physician Assistants work in the Asheville area.
Physician Assistant pay in Asheville at a glance
- Typical pay is $63.11 an hour, or $131,260 a year.
- That is 1% above the North Carolina figure, ranking 7th of 16 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $102,420; the top 10% make over $174,370.
- Typical pay rose +26% from 2015 to 2025, against +35% for North Carolina as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physician Assistant make in Asheville?
Pay in Asheville runs from entry-level positions at around $49.24 an hour to more than $83.83 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the North Carolina and national figures.
Physician Assistant pay by career stage in Asheville
| Career stage | Asheville | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $102,420$49.24 an hour | $101,100$48.60 an hour | $99,380$47.78 an hour |
| First years | $121,590$58.46 an hour | $110,320$53.04 an hour | $120,670$58.02 an hour |
| Typical Physician Assistant | $131,260$63.11 an hour | $129,360$62.19 an hour | $135,880$65.33 an hour |
| Experienced | $140,110$67.36 an hour | $140,030$67.32 an hour | $163,980$78.84 an hour |
| Top 10% | $174,370$83.83 an hour | $164,770$79.22 an hour | $190,280$91.48 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Asheville area as BLS defines it
Physician Assistant pay growth in Asheville
Typical (median) annual wage for Physician Assistants in the Asheville area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Physician Assistant pay in Asheville was $103,970 a year. By 2025 it had reached $131,260, a change of +26%, compared with +35% for North Carolina over the same years.
How Asheville compares with other North Carolina cities
Greenville pays Physician Assistants the most in North Carolina at $142,950 a year, $11,690 more than Asheville. The lowest-paying area in the state is Burlington at $113,200.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Asheville | Physician Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greenville | $142,950 | $68.72 | +9% | 190 |
| 2 | Fayetteville | $134,300 | $64.57 | +2% | 220 |
| 3 | Charlotte | $133,140 | $64.01 | +1% | 1,680 |
| 4 | Chapel Hill metro incl. Durham | $132,670 | $63.79 | +1% | 740 |
| 5 | Pinehurst metro incl. Southern Pines | $131,770 | $63.35 | 0% | 130 |
| 6 | Wilmington | $131,270 | $63.11 | 0% | 270 |
| 7 | Asheville | $131,260 | $63.11 | this city | 460 |
| 8 | Winston metro incl. Salem | $130,730 | $62.85 | 0% | 730 |
| 9 | Goldsboro | $128,370 | $61.72 | -2% | 60 |
| 10 | Morganton | $127,210 | $61.16 | -3% | 190 |
| 11 | Chesapeake metro incl. Norfolk | $126,430 | $60.78 | -4% | 780 |
| 12 | Raleigh metro incl. Cary | $124,300 | $59.76 | -5% | 1,220 |
| 13 | High Point metro incl. Greensboro | $120,540 | $57.95 | -8% | 420 |
| 14 | Rocky Mount | $116,930 | $56.22 | -11% | 50 |
| 15 | Jacksonville | $116,300 | $55.91 | -11% | 60 |
| 16 | Burlington | $113,200 | $54.42 | -14% | 50 |
Every metro area in North Carolina with Physician Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · North Carolina typical pay $129,360
Is Asheville a good place to work as a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistant pay in Asheville sits close to the national figure: $131,260 a year, 3% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Asheville area, about 2.5 are Physician Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.0. 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 Asheville, NC?
- A typical Physician Assistant in Asheville earns $131,260 a year, or $63.11 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $102,420 and the top 10% earn over $174,370.
- How much does a Physician Assistant make an hour in Asheville?
- Typical hourly pay for Physician Assistants in Asheville is $63.11. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $49.24, and the top 10% earn over $83.83 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Physician Assistant in Asheville?
- Entry-level Physician Assistant positions in Asheville typically offer around $49.24 an hour, or $102,420 a year.
- Is Physician Assistant pay in Asheville higher than in the rest of North Carolina?
- Asheville pay is 1% above the North Carolina figure of $129,360 a year, ranking 7th of 16 metro areas in the state. Greenville pays the most in North Carolina at $142,950.