How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Philadelphia, PA in 2026?
Typical pay for Physician Assistants in Philadelphia, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Pennsylvania.
BLS OES May 2025 · Philadelphia · Camden · Wilmington metro area
A typical Physician Assistant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania earns $65.21 per hour, or $135,640 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $11,303 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $103,720, and the top 10% of earners make over $170,140.
That pay is 7% above the Pennsylvania figure of $127,070 and right at the national figure of $135,880. Philadelphia ranks 2nd of 16 metro areas in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant pay. About 3,390 Physician Assistants work in the Philadelphia · Camden · Wilmington area.
Physician Assistant pay in Philadelphia at a glance
- Typical pay is $65.21 an hour, or $135,640 a year.
- That is 7% above the Pennsylvania figure, ranking 2nd of 16 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $103,720; the top 10% make over $170,140.
- Typical pay rose +46% from 2015 to 2025, against +44% for Pennsylvania as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physician Assistant make in Philadelphia?
Pay in Philadelphia runs from entry-level positions at around $49.87 an hour to more than $81.80 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Pennsylvania and national figures.
Physician Assistant pay by career stage in Philadelphia
| Career stage | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $103,720$49.87 an hour | $99,050$47.62 an hour | $99,380$47.78 an hour |
| First years | $123,870$59.55 an hour | $107,260$51.57 an hour | $120,670$58.02 an hour |
| Typical Physician Assistant | $135,640$65.21 an hour | $127,070$61.09 an hour | $135,880$65.33 an hour |
| Experienced | $157,050$75.50 an hour | $137,220$65.97 an hour | $163,980$78.84 an hour |
| Top 10% | $170,140$81.80 an hour | $158,690$76.29 an hour | $190,280$91.48 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Philadelphia · Camden · Wilmington area as BLS defines it
Physician Assistant pay growth in Philadelphia
Typical (median) annual wage for Physician Assistants in the Philadelphia · Camden · Wilmington area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Physician Assistant pay in Philadelphia was $92,770 a year. By 2025 it had reached $135,640, a change of +46%, compared with +44% for Pennsylvania over the same years.
How Philadelphia compares with other Pennsylvania cities
Lebanon pays Physician Assistants the most in Pennsylvania at $137,770 a year, $2,130 more than Philadelphia. The lowest-paying area in the state is Erie at $111,260.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Philadelphia | Physician Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lebanon | $137,770 | $66.24 | +2% | 90 |
| 2 | Philadelphia | $135,640 | $65.21 | this city | 3,390 |
| 3 | Reading | $130,160 | $62.58 | -4% | 190 |
| 4 | Johnstown | $129,800 | $62.40 | -4% | 80 |
| 5 | Allentown | $129,680 | $62.35 | -4% | 560 |
| 6 | State College | $128,480 | $61.77 | -5% | 80 |
| 7 | York metro incl. Hanover | $126,530 | $60.83 | -7% | 290 |
| 8 | Barre | $126,230 | $60.69 | -7% | 310 |
| 9 | Pittsburgh | $125,230 | $60.21 | -8% | 2,560 |
| 10 | Williamsport | $124,920 | $60.06 | -8% | 150 |
| 11 | Gettysburg | $124,520 | $59.87 | -8% | 30 |
| 12 | Lancaster | $124,070 | $59.65 | -9% | 340 |
| 13 | Altoona | $123,270 | $59.27 | -9% | 190 |
| 14 | Harrisburg metro incl. Carlisle | $123,110 | $59.19 | -9% | 580 |
| 15 | Chambersburg | $120,030 | $57.71 | -12% | 70 |
| 16 | Erie | $111,260 | $53.49 | -18% | 170 |
Every metro area in Pennsylvania with Physician Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Pennsylvania typical pay $127,070
Is Philadelphia a good place to work as a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistant pay in Philadelphia sits close to the national figure: $135,640 a year, right at the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Philadelphia · Camden · Wilmington area, about 1.2 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 Philadelphia, PA?
- A typical Physician Assistant in Philadelphia earns $135,640 a year, or $65.21 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $103,720 and the top 10% earn over $170,140.
- How much does a Physician Assistant make an hour in Philadelphia?
- Typical hourly pay for Physician Assistants in Philadelphia is $65.21. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $49.87, and the top 10% earn over $81.80 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Physician Assistant in Philadelphia?
- Entry-level Physician Assistant positions in Philadelphia typically offer around $49.87 an hour, or $103,720 a year.
- Is Physician Assistant pay in Philadelphia higher than in the rest of Pennsylvania?
- Philadelphia pay is 7% above the Pennsylvania figure of $127,070 a year, ranking 2nd of 16 metro areas in the state. Lebanon pays the most in Pennsylvania at $137,770.