The average income for physician assistants in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery is the highest among specialties tracked in the "2022 Statistical Profile of Board Certified PAs by Specialty," a report on 24 specialties and primary care published by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
The report, released Aug. 21, found that the average income among all specialties is $120,204.
Here is average income for physician assistants, by specialty:
Cardiothoracic and vascular surgery: $143,807
Dermatology: $136,749
Critical care medicine: $134,027
Neurosurgery: $131,883
Emergency medicine: $130,689
Orthopedic surgery: $126,640
General surgery: $124,661
Plastic surgery: $123,169
Hospital medicine: $120,615
Psychiatry: $119,416
Pain medicine: $118,013
Cardiology: $117,636
Oncology: $117,394
Occupational medicine: $117,178
Urology: $117,007
Geriatrics: $116,544
Internal medicine-general practice: $113,727
Otolaryngology: $112,803
Family medicine/general practice: $112,074
Neurology: $111,496
Primary care: $111,477
Physical medicine/rehabilitation: $110,993
Gastroenterology: $110,544
Obstetrics and gynecology: $107,790
Pediatrics-general: $100,392
Note: The report is based on aggregated responses from physician assistants who were board certified as of Dec. 31, 2022, and have made updates to their profile between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2022. Physician assistants were asked to estimate their total income in the last calendar year from all PA positions combined.