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

A typical Physician Assistant in Washington earns about $79.02 per hour ($164,360 per year), according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Spread across the year, that works out to roughly $13,697 a month or $3,161 a week. These figures reflect the full range of settings where Physician Assistants work across the state, from hospitals to clinics.

That pay sits 21% above the national figure of $65.33 an hour ($135,880 a year). Washington ranks 3rd out of 51 states for Physician Assistant pay, one of the highest placements in the country. Roughly 3,540 Physician Assistants work across the state, giving these figures a solid base to draw from.

Entry-level positions in Washington typically offer around $60.38 an hour ($125,580 a year) for Physician Assistants just starting out. Pay tends to move toward the typical $164,360 figure within the first few years on the job, as new PAs gain clinical experience and licensure history. Many new graduates start in primary care or hospital settings before moving into higher-paying specialties.

Experienced Physician Assistants in Washington often earn upwards of $85.54 an hour ($177,930 a year), and the top 10% of earners make over $104.88 an hour ($218,150 a year). That leaves a spread of $92,570 between entry-level and top pay. Setting, years of experience, and city all play a part in where a given PA lands within that range.

In 2015, Physician Assistants in Washington typically earned $107,590 a year. By 2025, that figure had climbed to $164,360, a gain of $56,770 and a 53% rise over the decade. The increase has been fairly steady, with the biggest jumps coming between 2022 and 2023.

That 53% increase outpaces the national decade rise of 38% for Physician Assistants. Pay for the profession has moved up steadily in Washington over the past ten years, though past gains are no guarantee of future increases. Someone starting out now enters a field where pay has trended upward for a decade.

Pay runs highest in East Wenatchee, where Physician Assistants earn $168,080 a year ($80.81 an hour), about 2% above the statewide figure. Wenatchee posts the same figure, and Seattle and Bellevue follow closely at $167,290 a year. These figures reflect pay across each city's full metro area, not just the city center.

Yakima sits at the low end for the state, with Physician Assistants there earning $136,570 a year ($65.66 an hour), a spread of $31,510 between the top and bottom cities. Seattle employs the most Physician Assistants of any Washington city, with about 1,920 working there. Higher pay in cities like East Wenatchee and Seattle generally tracks a higher cost of living, not a different kind of work.

Washington's Physician Assistant pay outpaces its neighbors. Oregon's typical figure runs $155,780 a year, about 5% lower than Washington's, while Idaho trails further at $133,790, about 19% below. Alaska sits in between at $150,700, roughly 8% lower. Physician Assistant licensure earned in one of these states can often be endorsed into a neighboring one, which can simplify a move across state lines.

Physician Assistants in Washington typically earn $164,360 a year ($79.02 an hour), a figure that has climbed 53% over the past decade. Pay varies by city and experience level, but the overall trend has been upward. Readers considering the profession in Washington can check the state's licensing or registry page for current requirements, and city-level pages for more specific local figures.