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Physician Assistant federal salary series 0603

Full-time federal employees in the Physician Assistant series earned a median of $174,866 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 59% above the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $157,411 and $192,001.

Median pay
$174,866
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$157,411–$192,001
25th–75th percentile
Employees
3,859
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+3%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Physician Assistant
All federal (full-time)

What shapes physician assistant pay

The most common grade with published pay is VN-3 (2,649 employees, median $177,355). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Veterans Affairs (3,121 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in California ($234,217) and lowest in South Dakota ($147,745), a gap that partly reflects locality pay differences. Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.

OPM withheld pay for 12% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).

Physician Assistant pay by grade

Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.

Physician Assistant pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-11 91 $110,308 $103,673–$119,431
GS-12 336 $161,914 $147,193–$164,017
GS-13 284 $154,263 $146,143–$158,322
VN-1 59 $124,227 $115,654–$131,878
VN-2 69 $137,645 $126,421–$148,354
VN-3 2,649 $177,355 $161,437–$192,687
VN-4 127 $199,004 $184,784–$213,734

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Physician Assistant pay by agency

Physician Assistant pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of Veterans Affairs 3,121 $176,643 $158,863–$193,000
Department of Health and Human Services 213 $158,322 $145,596–$164,017
Department of Justice 63 $110,308 $103,673–$119,431

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Physician Assistant pay by state

The 10 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Physician Assistant pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Texas 300 $211,041 $191,841–$223,002
North Carolina 288 $180,766 $165,428–$189,492
Florida 270 $173,019 $156,856–$187,556
Pennsylvania 257 $162,936 $145,480–$176,028
California 129 $234,217 $205,772–$249,883
Ohio 125 $161,577 $150,645–$173,677
New York 125 $155,006 $147,672–$175,055
Arizona 113 $213,136 $190,483–$223,204
Virginia 113 $187,466 $166,489–$192,732
Georgia 103 $192,687 $168,802–$197,464

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Compare physician assistant pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +3.0% from $169,843 in September 2025 to $174,866 in September 2026. Headcount went from 3,882 to 3,859 (−0.6%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.

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