Employers look for several qualifications when selecting candidates for a PA role. They seek candidates who have strong communication skills, compassion and empathy, a focus on patient care, and the ability to solve problems and work well under pressure.
PAs enter the field with a master’s degree from an accredited PA program. In addition, most have previous experience working with patients and a strong desire to advance their health care career.
Higher education requirements
While everyone’s path to becoming a PA is different, after high school most start with a bachelor’s degree focusing on science coursework.
The typical pathway to becoming a certified PA (PA-C) includes:
Obtaining a bachelor’s degree, with emphasis in the sciences. Most universities have Pre-PA degrees.
Completing a physician assistant program that has been accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). These programs are typically two years in length, focus on both classroom education and clinical rotations, and result in a master’s degree in PA studies.
Completing a licensure requirement. After successful completion of a PA program, candidates must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Once certified, PAs can practice under the credentials of Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C).
Similar to most health care careers, in order to maintain certification, PAs must participate in continuing education every two years and take a recertification exam every 10 years.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for a PA is $121,530. This is dependent on location, experience, and if they work in a specialty area.
Employment of PAs is expected to grow by 31% from 2020 to 2030. This is much faster than average and due to expanding health services and focus on cost savings.
Physicians and institutions are expected to employ more PAs to provide primary care and assist with medical and surgical procedures. Technology and increased use of one-on-one, direct communication with patients will also expand the use of physician assistants.
In addition, state-imposed legal limitations on the numbers of hours worked by physician residents are increasingly common and encourage hospitals to use PAs to supply some physician resident services. Opportunities will be best in states that allow PAs a wider scope of practice.
