How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Hickory, NC in 2026?
Typical pay for Physician Assistants in Hickory, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across North Carolina.
BLS OES May 2025 · Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton metro area
A typical Physician Assistant in Hickory, North Carolina earns $61.16 per hour, or $127,210 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $10,601 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $100,870, and the top 10% of earners make over $158,040.
That pay is 2% below the North Carolina figure of $129,360 and 6% below the national figure of $135,880. Hickory ranks 10th of 16 metro areas in North Carolina for Physician Assistant pay. About 190 Physician Assistants work in the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area. Hickory is part of the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Morganton and Lenoir share these figures.
Physician Assistant pay in Hickory at a glance
- Typical pay is $61.16 an hour, or $127,210 a year.
- That is 2% below the North Carolina figure, ranking 10th of 16 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $100,870; the top 10% make over $158,040.
- Typical pay rose +33% from 2015 to 2025, against +35% for North Carolina as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physician Assistant make in Hickory?
Pay in Hickory runs from entry-level positions at around $48.50 an hour to more than $75.98 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 Hickory
| Career stage | Hickory | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $100,870$48.50 an hour | $101,100$48.60 an hour | $99,380$47.78 an hour |
| First years | $108,330$52.08 an hour | $110,320$53.04 an hour | $120,670$58.02 an hour |
| Typical Physician Assistant | $127,210$61.16 an hour | $129,360$62.19 an hour | $135,880$65.33 an hour |
| Experienced | $135,520$65.16 an hour | $140,030$67.32 an hour | $163,980$78.84 an hour |
| Top 10% | $158,040$75.98 an hour | $164,770$79.22 an hour | $190,280$91.48 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area as BLS defines it
Physician Assistant pay growth in Hickory
Typical (median) annual wage for Physician Assistants in the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Physician Assistant pay in Hickory was $95,910 a year. By 2025 it had reached $127,210, a change of +33%, compared with +35% for North Carolina over the same years.
How Hickory compares with other North Carolina cities
Greenville pays Physician Assistants the most in North Carolina at $142,950 a year, $15,740 more than Hickory. The lowest-paying area in the state is Burlington at $113,200.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Hickory | Physician Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greenville | $142,950 | $68.72 | +12% | 190 |
| 2 | Fayetteville | $134,300 | $64.57 | +6% | 220 |
| 3 | Charlotte | $133,140 | $64.01 | +5% | 1,680 |
| 4 | Chapel Hill metro incl. Durham | $132,670 | $63.79 | +4% | 740 |
| 5 | Pinehurst metro incl. Southern Pines | $131,770 | $63.35 | +4% | 130 |
| 6 | Wilmington | $131,270 | $63.11 | +3% | 270 |
| 7 | Asheville | $131,260 | $63.11 | +3% | 460 |
| 8 | Winston metro incl. Salem | $130,730 | $62.85 | +3% | 730 |
| 9 | Goldsboro | $128,370 | $61.72 | +1% | 60 |
| 10 | Hickory | $127,210 | $61.16 | this city | 190 |
| 11 | Chesapeake metro incl. Norfolk | $126,430 | $60.78 | -1% | 780 |
| 12 | Raleigh metro incl. Cary | $124,300 | $59.76 | -2% | 1,220 |
| 13 | High Point metro incl. Greensboro | $120,540 | $57.95 | -5% | 420 |
| 14 | Rocky Mount | $116,930 | $56.22 | -8% | 50 |
| 15 | Jacksonville | $116,300 | $55.91 | -9% | 60 |
| 16 | Burlington | $113,200 | $54.42 | -11% | 50 |
Every metro area in North Carolina with Physician Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · North Carolina typical pay $129,360
Is Hickory a good place to work as a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistants in Hickory earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $127,210 a year, 6% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area, about 1.2 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 Hickory, NC?
- A typical Physician Assistant in Hickory earns $127,210 a year, or $61.16 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $100,870 and the top 10% earn over $158,040.
- How much does a Physician Assistant make an hour in Hickory?
- Typical hourly pay for Physician Assistants in Hickory is $61.16. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $48.50, and the top 10% earn over $75.98 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Physician Assistant in Hickory?
- Entry-level Physician Assistant positions in Hickory typically offer around $48.50 an hour, or $100,870 a year.
- Is Physician Assistant pay in Hickory higher than in the rest of North Carolina?
- Hickory pay is 2% below the North Carolina figure of $129,360 a year, ranking 10th of 16 metro areas in the state. Greenville pays the most in North Carolina at $142,950.