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

A typical Physician Assistant in Wisconsin earns about $64.40 per hour, or $133,950 per year, according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Calculated from that annual figure, pay works out to roughly $11,162 a month and $2,576 a week. Full-time Physician Assistants in the state can expect earnings in this range before overtime, bonuses, or benefits are added.

That pay sits about 1% below the national figure of $135,880 for Physician Assistants, according to the same May 2025 data. Wisconsin ranks 29th among the 51 states and D.C. for Physician Assistant pay. The state employs about 3,580 Physician Assistants, a workforce large enough to offer a reliable picture of typical earnings across hospitals, clinics, and private practices.

Entry-level Physician Assistants in Wisconsin typically start around $49.24 an hour, or about $102,420 a year, according to the May 2025 wage data. Pay in these early positions tends to climb toward the typical $133,950 figure within the first several years on the job. New graduates often see the fastest gains as they move from supervised training into full clinical responsibilities.

Experienced Physician Assistants in Wisconsin often earn upwards of $75.39 an hour, or about $156,800 a year, and the top 10% of earners make over $169,150 a year ($81.32 an hour). That leaves a spread of $66,730 between entry-level and top pay in the state. Setting, years of experience, and city all play a part in where an individual lands within that range.

Wisconsin's typical pay for Physician Assistants has risen steadily over the past decade, from $93,070 in 2015 to $133,950 in 2025. That is a gain of $40,880, or 44%, over ten years. The increase has been fairly consistent year over year, without the sharp swings seen in some other occupations.

Nationally, Physician Assistant pay rose 38% over the same ten years, so Wisconsin's 44% gain outpaced the national trend. For someone starting a Physician Assistant career in Wisconsin now, the past decade shows pay has moved up consistently. Past growth does not guarantee future increases, but the trend line has been positive for ten straight years.

Pay runs highest in the Bloomington metro area, where Physician Assistants typically earn $145,030 a year, about 8% above the statewide figure. Fond du Lac and Janesville also post strong numbers, at $136,700 and $135,830 a year. Each of these figures covers the full metro area around the named city, not just the city limits.

At the other end, Physician Assistants in the Appleton area typically earn $128,270 a year, the lowest figure among Wisconsin's 18 metro areas tracked. That is a spread of $16,760 between the highest- and lowest-paying areas. Bloomington also has the largest Physician Assistant workforce in the state, with about 2,340 working there. Pay differences like these usually track differences in local living costs.

Among Wisconsin's neighbors, Minnesota pays the most, with Physician Assistants earning about $141,190 a year, roughly 5% above Wisconsin's figure. Michigan pays the least of the group, at $131,510 a year, about 2% below Wisconsin. Iowa ($134,770) and Illinois ($131,950) fall close to Wisconsin's own figure. Physician Assistants who hold a license in one of these states can often transfer or endorse it into a neighboring state rather than starting the licensing process from scratch.

Physician Assistants in Wisconsin typically earn $133,950 a year as of May 2025, up 44% from a decade earlier. Pay varies by city and experience level, but the overall trend has moved steadily upward since 2015. Readers weighing a move to Wisconsin, or a shift within it, can check the state licensing and registry page for requirements and the individual city pages for local pay figures.