How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Salem, OR in 2026?
Typical pay for Physician Assistants in Salem, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Oregon.
BLS OES May 2025 · Salem metro area
A typical Physician Assistant in Salem, Oregon earns $69.32 per hour, or $144,190 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $12,016 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $103,470, and the top 10% of earners make over $197,380.
That pay is 7% below the Oregon figure of $155,780 and 6% above the national figure of $135,880. Salem ranks 7th of 8 metro areas in Oregon for Physician Assistant pay. About 190 Physician Assistants work in the Salem area.
Physician Assistant pay in Salem at a glance
- Typical pay is $69.32 an hour, or $144,190 a year.
- That is 7% below the Oregon figure, ranking 7th of 8 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $103,470; the top 10% make over $197,380.
- Typical pay rose +47% from 2015 to 2025, against +50% for Oregon as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physician Assistant make in Salem?
Pay in Salem runs from entry-level positions at around $49.74 an hour to more than $94.89 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Oregon and national figures.
Physician Assistant pay by career stage in Salem
| Career stage | Salem | Oregon | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $103,470$49.74 an hour | $123,100$59.18 an hour | $99,380$47.78 an hour |
| First years | $129,960$62.48 an hour | $134,390$64.61 an hour | $120,670$58.02 an hour |
| Typical Physician Assistant | $144,190$69.32 an hour | $155,780$74.89 an hour | $135,880$65.33 an hour |
| Experienced | $168,300$80.91 an hour | $169,550$81.51 an hour | $163,980$78.84 an hour |
| Top 10% | $197,380$94.89 an hour | $198,490$95.43 an hour | $190,280$91.48 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Salem area as BLS defines it
Physician Assistant pay growth in Salem
Typical (median) annual wage for Physician Assistants in the Salem area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Physician Assistant pay in Salem was $98,160 a year. By 2025 it had reached $144,190, a change of +47%, compared with +50% for Oregon over the same years.
How Salem compares with other Oregon cities
Portland pays Physician Assistants the most in Oregon at $163,810 a year, $19,620 more than Salem. The lowest-paying area in the state is Albany at $142,220.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Salem | Physician Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland | $163,810 | $78.76 | +14% | 1,110 |
| 2 | Medford | $155,110 | $74.57 | +8% | 210 |
| 3 | Grants Pass | $152,350 | $73.24 | +6% | 30 |
| 4 | Bend | $148,610 | $71.45 | +3% | 220 |
| 5 | Corvallis | $146,710 | $70.53 | +2% | 80 |
| 6 | Eugene metro incl. Springfield | $145,030 | $69.72 | +1% | 240 |
| 7 | Salem | $144,190 | $69.32 | this city | 190 |
| 8 | Albany | $142,220 | $68.38 | -1% | 30 |
Every metro area in Oregon with Physician Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Oregon typical pay $155,780
Is Salem a good place to work as a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistants in Salem earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $144,190 a year, 6% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Salem area, about 1.0 are Physician Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.0. Physician Assistant jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Physician Assistant make in Salem, OR?
- A typical Physician Assistant in Salem earns $144,190 a year, or $69.32 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $103,470 and the top 10% earn over $197,380.
- How much does a Physician Assistant make an hour in Salem?
- Typical hourly pay for Physician Assistants in Salem is $69.32. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $49.74, and the top 10% earn over $94.89 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Physician Assistant in Salem?
- Entry-level Physician Assistant positions in Salem typically offer around $49.74 an hour, or $103,470 a year.
- Is Physician Assistant pay in Salem higher than in the rest of Oregon?
- Salem pay is 7% below the Oregon figure of $155,780 a year, ranking 7th of 8 metro areas in the state. Portland pays the most in Oregon at $163,810.