Last year, a record 12,400 physician assistants became certified, up nearly 25% from 2020, according to an Oct. 28 report from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
The NCCPA’s 2024 Statistical Profile of Recently Board Certified PAs reflects responses from PAs who became certified for the first time in 2024, along with additional NCCPA data. While 12,400 newly certified PAs had access to the survey, about 8,600 responded.
Five key findings:
1. States with the highest number of newly certified PAs were New York (1,145), California (1,049) and Pennsylvania (811).
2. States with the lowest numbers were Vermont (12) and Wyoming (16).
3. More than 94% of respondents said they felt prepared to begin their careers.
4. More than 70% reported that many jobs were available nationally, up from 48.3% in the 2020 group.
5. Among those who had secured a job, nearly 78% had received multiple offers, with respondents spending an average of 2.6 months finding a position.
More information about the report is available here.
