Quick answer:Physician Assistants in California earn a median $165,650 per year, above the national median of $135,880 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The state employs about 13,600 of them. Licensing runs through your state medical or physician assistant board.
Physician Assistant Pay and Employment in California at a Glance
Metric
California
National
Source
Median annual wage
$165,650
$135,880
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$99,380
$99,380
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$136,730
$120,670
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$206,990
$163,980
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$225,190
$190,280
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
13,600
162,150
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
0.72
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
20.4%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How California Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The California median of $165,650 sits above the national median of $135,880 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 0.72 puts California below the national average, so the occupation is less concentrated here than in the typical state. Expect a thinner local job market and fewer employers to move between (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. PAs are hired by hospital systems, physician groups and urgent care networks, so the local mix of those employers is what determines how many positions are open in a given market.
Physician Assistants Wages by Metro Area in California
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), physician assistants wages in California vary by metro area.
Metro Area
Employment
Median Annual Wage
Avg. Annual Wage
Entry Level (10th pctile)
Experienced (90th pctile)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
3,890
$161,890
$163,340
$99,570
$220,580
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
1,830
$184,380
$182,610
$106,150
$237,980
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
1,370
$165,160
$165,450
$109,750
$214,570
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
1,070
$161,470
$155,340
$72,440
$225,400
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
1,030
$223,640
$207,660
$100,240
$287,420
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
1,020
$165,490
$160,390
$77,310
$224,010
Fresno
360
$155,440
$146,150
$64,400
$206,250
Bakersfield-Delano
350
$198,070
$177,840
$126,200
$219,990
Modesto
210
$165,730
$168,960
$92,540
$224,310
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
210
$154,760
$150,490
$107,410
$196,870
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
210
$158,360
$150,990
$90,310
$204,280
Stockton-Lodi
150
$162,110
$166,570
$121,650
$204,470
Vallejo
150
$179,520
$182,520
$109,540
$227,060
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
140
$172,750
$171,940
$89,380
$223,660
Chico
130
$164,780
$159,600
$129,170
$202,110
Salinas
130
$170,180
$202,320
$146,500
$453,100
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
120
$159,030
$159,550
$126,690
$208,760
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
100
$162,790
$159,630
$126,750
$192,770
Visalia
100
$166,510
$160,630
$122,770
$203,200
Redding
70
$150,010
$146,050
$111,950
$173,750
Merced
50
$164,080
$148,620
$86,070
$199,140
Napa
50
$172,170
$174,120
$93,630
$216,570
El Centro
40
$156,730
$151,160
$124,020
$193,750
Hanford-Corcoran
40
$161,470
$161,690
$128,370
$199,140
Yuba City
40
$183,460
$174,990
$122,650
$210,450
Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .
Physician assistants are licensed state by state. The national framework is graduation from an ARC-PA-accredited master’s program and a passing score on the PANCE, the national certifying examination administered by the NCCPA. Supervision or collaboration requirements, prescriptive authority and the practice agreements a PA must hold with a physician are set by each state medical or PA board and differ meaningfully between them.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with your state medical or physician assistant board that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 220 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
How much do physician assistants make in California?
The median annual wage for physician assistants in California is $165,650, above the national median of $135,880 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $136,730 at the 25th percentile to $206,990 at the 75th.
How many physician assistants work in California?
California holds about 13,600 physician assistant jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 162,150, and BLS projects about 12,000 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a physician assistant in California?
Physician assistants are licensed state by state. The national framework is graduation from an ARC-PA-accredited master's program and a passing score on the PANCE, the national certifying examination administered by the NCCPA. Supervision or collaboration requirements, prescriptive authority and the practice agreements a PA must hold with a physician are set by each state medical or PA board and differ meaningfully between them. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with your state medical or physician assistant board before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn a ARC-PA-accredited master's degree online while working in California?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies your state medical or physician assistant board.
What is the highest-paying area of California for physician assistants?
Among California metro areas with published data, San Jose reports the highest median at $223,640 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is California a good state for physician assistants?
On pay, the state median of $165,650 sits above the national $135,880 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 0.72 means the occupation is less concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Physician Assistants (SOC 29-1071), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
