How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Tacoma, WA in 2026?
Typical pay for Physician Assistants in Tacoma, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Washington.
BLS OES May 2025 · Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue metro area
A typical Physician Assistant in Tacoma, Washington earns $80.43 per hour, or $167,290 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $13,941 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $130,820, and the top 10% of earners make over $218,970.
That pay is 2% above the Washington figure of $164,360 and 23% above the national figure of $135,880. Tacoma ranks 2nd of 10 metro areas in Washington for Physician Assistant pay. About 1,920 Physician Assistants work in the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue area. Tacoma is part of the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Seattle and Bellevue share these figures.
Physician Assistant pay in Tacoma at a glance
- Typical pay is $80.43 an hour, or $167,290 a year.
- That is 2% above the Washington figure, ranking 2nd of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $130,820; the top 10% make over $218,970.
- Typical pay rose +51% from 2015 to 2025, against +53% for Washington as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physician Assistant make in Tacoma?
Pay in Tacoma runs from entry-level positions at around $62.89 an hour to more than $105.27 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Washington and national figures.
Physician Assistant pay by career stage in Tacoma
| Career stage | Tacoma | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $130,820$62.89 an hour | $125,580$60.38 an hour | $99,380$47.78 an hour |
| First years | $156,830$75.40 an hour | $138,050$66.37 an hour | $120,670$58.02 an hour |
| Typical Physician Assistant | $167,290$80.43 an hour | $164,360$79.02 an hour | $135,880$65.33 an hour |
| Experienced | $180,720$86.88 an hour | $177,930$85.54 an hour | $163,980$78.84 an hour |
| Top 10% | $218,970$105.27 an hour | $218,150$104.88 an hour | $190,280$91.48 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue area as BLS defines it
Physician Assistant pay growth in Tacoma
Typical (median) annual wage for Physician Assistants in the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Physician Assistant pay in Tacoma was $111,050 a year. By 2025 it had reached $167,290, a change of +51%, compared with +53% for Washington over the same years.
How Tacoma compares with other Washington cities
East Wenatchee pays Physician Assistants the most in Washington at $168,080 a year, $790 more than Tacoma. The lowest-paying area in the state is Yakima at $136,570.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Tacoma | Physician Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Wenatchee metro incl. Wenatchee | $168,080 | $80.81 | 0% | 60 |
| 2 | Tacoma | $167,290 | $80.43 | this city | 1,920 |
| 3 | Vancouver metro incl. Hillsboro | $163,810 | $78.76 | -2% | 1,110 |
| 4 | Walla Walla | $161,980 | $77.88 | -3% | 30 |
| 5 | Bellingham | $161,260 | $77.53 | -4% | 120 |
| 6 | Richland metro incl. Kennewick | $154,230 | $74.15 | -8% | 120 |
| 7 | Lacey | $153,940 | $74.01 | -8% | 90 |
| 8 | Silverdale metro incl. Bremerton · Port Orchard | $153,810 | $73.95 | -8% | 70 |
| 9 | Spokane metro incl. Spokane Valley | $147,570 | $70.95 | -12% | 350 |
| 10 | Yakima | $136,570 | $65.66 | -18% | 120 |
Every metro area in Washington with Physician Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Washington typical pay $164,360
Is Tacoma a good place to work as a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistants in Tacoma earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $167,290 a year, 23% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue area, about 0.9 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 Tacoma, WA?
- A typical Physician Assistant in Tacoma earns $167,290 a year, or $80.43 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $130,820 and the top 10% earn over $218,970.
- How much does a Physician Assistant make an hour in Tacoma?
- Typical hourly pay for Physician Assistants in Tacoma is $80.43. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $62.89, and the top 10% earn over $105.27 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Physician Assistant in Tacoma?
- Entry-level Physician Assistant positions in Tacoma typically offer around $62.89 an hour, or $130,820 a year.
- Is Physician Assistant pay in Tacoma higher than in the rest of Washington?
- Tacoma pay is 2% above the Washington figure of $164,360 a year, ranking 2nd of 10 metro areas in the state. East Wenatchee pays the most in Washington at $168,080.