Looking more broadly at the past five years provides a larger snapshot of the growth from pre-pandemic to present day.
Primary care nurse practitioners and physician assistants have seen the largest increase in compensation from 2021-22, at 8.10 percent and 9.22 percent respectively. However, nonsurgical/nonprimary care NPs and PAs have seen the largest overall increase from 2018-22, at 15.48 percent and 15.47 percent respectively.
Below are the percent increases in median total compensation for nurse practitioners and physician assistants for 2021-22 and 2018-22.
Nurse practitioner (NP)
2021-2022 change
1. Surgical NP: 4.08 percent
2. Primary care NP: 8.10 percent
3. Nonsurgical/nonprimary care NP: 6.30 percent
2018-2022 change
4. Surgical NP: 11.51 percent
5. Primary care NP: 13.62 percent
6. Nonsurgical/nonprimary care NP: 15.48 percent
Physician assistant (PA)
2021-2022 change
7. Surgical PA: 7.58 percent
8. Primary care PA: 9.22 percent
9. Nonsurgical/nonprimary care PA: 4.34 percent
2018-2022 change
10. Surgical PA: 11.32 percent
11. Primary care PA: 12.44 percent
12. Nonsurgical/nonprimary care PA: 15.47 percent