National median: $120K (range: 90K–160K). Salaries adjusted by state cost index. Ranked by cost-adjusted purchasing power. The difference between the best and worst state is $14,787/year in real purchasing power.
Physician assistants earn $90K–$160K, similar to pharmacists. The state tax impact at these salaries is substantial — often $5,000–$10,000/year between the best and worst states. PAs also have geographic flexibility since demand is nationwide.
The highest-paying state for physician assistants is Hawaii with an estimated salary of $230K and take-home of $153,689. But the best purchasing power goes to Tennessee \u2014 where a $108K salary, after taxes and cost adjustment, buys what $94,170 would buy nationally.
Regional averages show where physician assistants earn the most and where their money goes furthest:
| # | State | Est. Salary | Tax Rate | Take-Home | Monthly | Eff. Rate | Cost-Adj. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | $108K | 0% | $84,753 | $7,063 | 21.5% | $94,170 |
| 2 | Texas | $112K | 0% | $87,567 | $7,297 | 21.8% | $94,158 |
| 3 | Wyoming | $113K | 0% | $88,271 | $7,356 | 21.9% | $93,905 |
| 4 | South Dakota | $110K | 0% | $86,160 | $7,180 | 21.7% | $93,652 |
| 5 | Florida | $120K | 0% | $93,195 | $7,766 | 22.3% | $93,195 |
| 6 | Nevada | $121K | 0% | $93,899 | $7,825 | 22.4% | $92,969 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $130K | 0% | $100,081 | $8,340 | 23.0% | $92,668 |
| 8 | Washington | $132K | 0% | $101,448 | $8,454 | 23.1% | $92,225 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $110K | 2.5% | $84,373 | $7,031 | 23.3% | $91,709 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $100K | 4.82% | $75,992 | $6,333 | 24.0% | $91,557 |
| 11 | Arkansas | $103K | 3.9% | $78,624 | $6,552 | 23.7% | $91,424 |
| 12 | Ohio | $108K | 2.75% | $81,783 | $6,815 | 24.3% | $90,870 |
| 13 | Alabama | $106K | 5% | $79,901 | $6,658 | 24.6% | $90,797 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $104K | 4.5% | $78,897 | $6,575 | 24.1% | $90,686 |
| 15 | Alaska | $152K | 0% | $115,118 | $9,593 | 24.3% | $90,644 |
| 16 | Indiana | $108K | 2.95% | $81,567 | $6,797 | 24.5% | $90,630 |
| 17 | Mississippi | $100K | 4% | $75,125 | $6,260 | 24.9% | $90,512 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $109K | 4.55% | $82,233 | $6,853 | 24.6% | $90,366 |
| 19 | Louisiana | $109K | 3% | $82,187 | $6,849 | 24.6% | $90,315 |
| 20 | Arizona | $116K | 2.5% | $87,481 | $7,290 | 24.6% | $90,187 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $108K | 3.5% | $80,973 | $6,748 | 25.0% | $89,970 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $118K | 3.07% | $88,165 | $7,347 | 25.3% | $89,965 |
| 23 | Iowa | $107K | 3.8% | $79,984 | $6,665 | 25.2% | $89,869 |
| 24 | Kansas | $108K | 5.58% | $80,836 | $6,736 | 25.2% | $89,818 |
| 25 | Missouri | $107K | 4% | $79,770 | $6,647 | 25.4% | $89,629 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $109K | 5.9% | $81,276 | $6,773 | 25.4% | $89,315 |
| 27 | South Carolina | $110K | 6% | $81,870 | $6,823 | 25.6% | $88,989 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $114K | 3.99% | $84,425 | $7,035 | 25.9% | $88,869 |
| 29 | Michigan | $109K | 4.25% | $80,824 | $6,735 | 25.8% | $88,818 |
| 30 | Montana | $116K | 5.65% | $86,121 | $7,177 | 25.8% | $88,784 |
| 31 | Virginia | $124K | 5.75% | $91,346 | $7,612 | 26.3% | $88,685 |
| 32 | Illinois | $112K | 4.95% | $82,023 | $6,835 | 26.8% | $88,197 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $112K | 7.65% | $81,998 | $6,833 | 26.8% | $88,170 |
| 34 | Utah | $119K | 4.45% | $87,196 | $7,266 | 26.7% | $88,077 |
| 35 | Maine | $118K | 7.15% | $86,304 | $7,192 | 26.9% | $88,065 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | $126K | 5.99% | $92,441 | $7,703 | 26.6% | $88,039 |
| 37 | Georgia | $112K | 5.19% | $81,754 | $6,813 | 27.0% | $87,908 |
| 38 | Delaware | $122K | 6.6% | $89,368 | $7,447 | 26.7% | $87,616 |
| 39 | Colorado | $126K | 4.4% | $91,803 | $7,650 | 27.1% | $87,431 |
| 40 | Maryland | $134K | 5.75% | $97,807 | $8,151 | 27.0% | $87,327 |
| 41 | Idaho | $114K | 5.3% | $82,932 | $6,911 | 27.3% | $87,297 |
| 42 | Connecticut | $133K | 6.99% | $96,089 | $8,007 | 27.8% | $86,566 |
| 43 | Vermont | $126K | 8.75% | $90,181 | $7,515 | 28.4% | $85,886 |
| 44 | Massachusetts | $142K | 5% | $101,183 | $8,432 | 28.7% | $85,748 |
| 45 | Minnesota | $119K | 9.85% | $84,873 | $7,073 | 28.7% | $85,730 |
| 46 | Oregon | $132K | 9.9% | $92,954 | $7,746 | 29.6% | $84,503 |
| 47 | New Jersey | $138K | 10.75% | $95,906 | $7,992 | 30.5% | $83,397 |
| 48 | New York | $150K | 10.9% | $103,124 | $8,594 | 31.3% | $82,499 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $230K | 11% | $153,689 | $12,807 | 33.2% | $80,046 |
| 50 | California | $170K | 13.3% | $112,725 | $9,394 | 33.7% | $79,383 |