The number of certified physician assistants in the U.S. grew 6.6 percent between 2017 and 2018, from 122,555 to 130,620, according to a report issued Jan. 29 by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
Rhode Island had the greatest year-over-year increase in the number of certified PAs (13.7 percent), while the District of Columbia saw a decrease of 0.3 percent, according to the report, which was based on data from 130,620 PAs who were certified as of Dec. 31, 2018.
The PA workforce growth (or PA workforce decline) in each state and the District of Columbia are listed below:
Alabama
2017: 785
2018: 843
Alaska
2017: 574
2018: 582
Arizona
2017: 2,715
2018: 2,902
Arkansas
2017: 413
2018: 460
California
2017: 9,499
2018: 10,078
Colorado
2017: 3,268
2018: 3,468
Connecticut
2017: 2,121
2018: 2,284
Delaware
2017: 355
2018: 384
District of Columbia
2017: 269
2018: 261
Florida
2017: 7,723
2018: 8,226
Georgia
2017: 3,549
2018: 3,716
Hawaii
2017: 322
2018: 336
Idaho
2017: 1,041
2018: 1,113
Illinois
2017: 3,335
2018: 3,571
Indiana
2017: 1,416
2018: 1,563
Iowa
2017: 1,132
2018: 1,191
Kansas
2017: 1,098
2018: 1,129
Kentucky
2017: 1,351
2018: 1,407
Louisiana
2017: 1,138
2018: 1,211
Maine
2017: 819
2018: 843
Maryland
2017: 2,918
2018: 3,063
Massachusetts
2017: 3,237
2018: 3,505
Michigan
2017: 5,060
2018: 5,333
Minnesota
2017: 2,569
2018: 2,734
Mississippi
2017: 231
2018: 250
Missouri
2017: 1,089
2018: 1,177
Montana
2017: 631
2018: 688
Nebraska
2017: 1,105
2018: 1,189
Nevada
2017: 820
2018: 913
New Hampshire
2017: 768
2018: 824
New Jersey
2017: 2,796
2018: 3,040
New Mexico
2017: 750
2018: 765
New York
2017: 12,022
2018: 12,743
North Carolina
2017: 6,028
2018: 6,459
North Dakota
2017: 322
2018: 345
Ohio
2017: 3,399
2018: 3,711
Oklahoma
2017: 1,455
2018: 1,542
Oregon
2017: 1,721
2018: 1,859
Pennsylvania
2017: 8,184
2018: 8,818
Rhode Island
2017: 371
2018: 422
South Carolina
2017: 1,604
2018: 1,718
South Dakota
2017: 575
2018: 587
Tennessee
2017: 2,073
2018: 2,199
Texas
2017: 8,159
2018: 8,682
Utah
2017: 1,395
2018: 1,502
Vermont
2017: 374
2018: 375
Virginia
2017: 3,220
2018: 3,443
Washington
2017: 2,914
2018: 3,134
West Virginia
2017: 988
2018: 1,010
Wisconsin
2017: 2,606
2018: 2,775
Wyoming
2017: 248
2018: 247
Access more information about the 2018 report here. The 2017 report is available here.