Demand for physician assistants reached an all-time high in 2014, according to a recent report from the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
PAs represent one of the most sought-after healthcare providers; demand for PAs and nurse practitioners increased by more than 300 percent in the last three years, according to the report. The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants reported that of the 6,000 PAs entering the healthcare workforce each year, 78 percent of recent graduates are receiving multiple job offers and 52 percent are entertaining three or more.
Rural and underserved areas particularly benefit from the use of PAs, and state lawmakers have been encouraged by the National Governors Association to allow PAs to practice to the fullest extent of their experience and education to increase patients' access to medical care.
Find further statistics on the PA workforce, from the AAPA, below.
- The median age of PAs is 38
- PAs work for an average of 10.6 years
- The top specialty for PAs is primary care (32.1 percent), followed by surgical subspecialties (26.6 percent)
- The median salary for PAs is $90,000
- PAs are primarily employed through physician practices (60.4 percent) followed by hospitals (32.1 percent)
- Sixty-six percent of PAs are female, and 34 percent are male
- PAs see an average of 61-70 patients per week, and write an average of 51-100 prescriptions per week