How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Pennsylvania in 2026?

A typical Physician Assistant in Pennsylvania earns about $61.09 per hour, or roughly $127,070 per year, according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). That works out to about $10,589 a month or $2,444 a week, figures calculated from the annual median. Pay varies by setting and location within the state, but this figure reflects the typical Physician Assistant role statewide.

Pennsylvania's typical pay runs about 6% below the national figure of $135,880 a year, placing the state 43rd among the 51 states and D.C. ranked for Physician Assistant pay. About 9,020 Physician Assistants work in the state, giving a sense of scale for the profession here. Lower pay in Pennsylvania compared with the national figure often tracks lower living costs in much of the state.

Entry-level Physician Assistant positions in Pennsylvania typically offer around $47.62 an hour, or about $99,050 a year. That range reflects pay for those just starting out or new to the state. Pay tends to move toward the statewide typical figure of $127,070 within the first few years on the job. Location and practice setting also shape how quickly that happens.

Experienced Physician Assistants in Pennsylvania often earn upwards of $65.97 an hour, or about $137,220 a year. The top 10% of earners make over $158,690 a year. That leaves a spread of $59,640 between entry-level and top-tier pay, one of the widest gaps in the profession. Practice setting, years on the job, and city all play a part in where someone lands within that range.

Physician Assistant pay in Pennsylvania has risen steadily over the past decade, climbing from $88,130 in 2015 to $127,070 in 2025. That is a gain of $38,940, or 44%, over ten years. The increase has not been perfectly steady each year; pay dipped slightly in 2021 before climbing again. Still, the overall direction over the decade has been upward.

Nationally, Physician Assistant pay rose 38% over the same ten-year stretch, so Pennsylvania's climb has outpaced the national trend. For someone starting a Physician Assistant career in Pennsylvania now, that decade of rising pay is a reasonable point of reference, though it is no guarantee of future gains. Past growth reflects what happened, not a promise of what comes next.

Pay for Physician Assistants runs highest in the Lebanon metro area, where the typical wage is $137,770 a year, about 8% above the statewide figure of $127,070. These figures cover the full metro area around each city, not just the city center. Reading and Johnstown also post strong pay, at $130,160 and $129,800 a year respectively, both above the state figure.

Erie pays the least among Pennsylvania's metro areas tracked, with a typical wage of $111,260 a year, a spread of $26,510 between the highest- and lowest-paying cities in the state. Philadelphia has the largest Physician Assistant workforce of any Pennsylvania city, with 3,390 working there, even though its pay of $135,640 sits below Lebanon's. Cities with lower pay generally also have a lower cost of living, which helps offset the difference in take-home pay.

Pennsylvania's neighboring states generally pay more for Physician Assistants. New Jersey pays the most among them, with a typical wage of $165,690 a year, about 30% higher than Pennsylvania's figure. West Virginia comes closest to matching Pennsylvania, at $128,610 a year, just 1% higher. New York and Delaware also pay more, at $160,880 and $139,350 respectively. A Physician Assistant license earned in Pennsylvania can often be endorsed or transferred into a neighboring state, making a move across state lines a realistic option.

Physician Assistants in Pennsylvania typically earn $127,070 a year, a figure that has climbed 44% over the past decade. Pay varies by city and experience level, from around $99,050 for those starting out to over $158,690 for the top 10% of earners. Anyone considering the profession in Pennsylvania can check the state licensing board or the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants for requirements, and review city-level pages for local pay figures before choosing where to practice.