Physician Assistant Salary, Adjusted for Cost of Living
Physician assistants earn the most in New Jersey ($165,690/yr) — but once you adjust for what a dollar actually buys there, New Jersey drops to #5, and Oklahoma pays the most real money ($155,448 in U.S.-average buying power).
| # | State | Nominal / yr | Cost of living | Real pay / yr | COL shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | $136,550 | 88 | $155,448 | ▲ 17 | |
| Vermont | $150,490 | 98 | $153,627 | ▲ 7 | |
| Washington | $164,360 | 107 | $153,589 | — | |
| Iowa | $134,770 | 88 | $153,563 | ▲ 19 | |
| New Jersey | $165,690 | 109 | $152,282 | ▼ 4 | |
| New Mexico | $139,920 | 92 | $151,737 | ▲ 8 | |
| Oregon | $155,780 | 103 | $150,714 | ▼ 1 | |
| South Dakota | $133,200 | 89 | $150,362 | ▲ 24 | |
| North Dakota | $133,450 | 89 | $150,013 | ▲ 22 | |
| California | $165,650 | 111 | $149,612 | ▼ 8 | |
| Montana | $141,470 | 95 | $149,474 | — | |
| Hawaii | $164,050 | 110 | $149,203 | ▼ 8 | |
| New York | $160,880 | 108 | $149,072 | ▼ 8 | |
| Missouri | $135,130 | 91 | $148,794 | ▲ 8 | |
| Nebraska | $133,040 | 90 | $147,653 | ▲ 18 | |
| Alaska | $150,700 | 102 | $147,227 | ▼ 8 | |
| Wyoming | $136,080 | 93 | $146,810 | ▲ 2 | |
| Louisiana | $128,870 | 88 | $146,100 | ▲ 23 | |
| New Hampshire | $150,960 | 104 | $144,924 | ▼ 12 | |
| West Virginia | $128,610 | 90 | $143,703 | ▲ 22 | |
| Minnesota | $141,190 | 99 | $143,164 | ▼ 9 | |
| Ohio | $132,090 | 93 | $142,378 | ▲ 12 | |
| Wisconsin | $133,950 | 94 | $142,356 | ▲ 6 | |
| Indiana | $132,050 | 93 | $141,489 | ▲ 11 | |
| Idaho | $133,790 | 96 | $140,103 | ▲ 5 | |
| Delaware | $139,350 | 100 | $139,618 | ▼ 10 | |
| Kansas | $125,640 | 90 | $139,495 | ▲ 17 | |
| Texas | $134,550 | 97 | $138,630 | ▼ 1 | |
| North Carolina | $129,360 | 94 | $137,141 | ▲ 11 | |
| Rhode Island | $139,930 | 102 | $136,811 | ▼ 17 | |
| Michigan | $131,510 | 96 | $136,681 | ▲ 6 | |
| Utah | $134,740 | 99 | $136,288 | ▼ 8 | |
| Arkansas | $118,430 | 87 | $136,225 | ▲ 14 | |
| Maine | $131,170 | 97 | $135,157 | ▲ 4 | |
| Connecticut | $139,860 | 104 | $134,987 | ▼ 20 | |
| Nevada | $134,660 | 100 | $134,688 | ▼ 11 | |
| Massachusetts | $142,410 | 106 | $134,658 | ▼ 27 | |
| Virginia | $135,940 | 101 | $134,456 | ▼ 18 | |
| Kentucky | $120,760 | 90 | $133,941 | ▲ 7 | |
| Arizona | $134,650 | 101 | $133,745 | ▼ 14 | |
| Illinois | $131,950 | 100 | $132,005 | ▼ 5 | |
| Maryland | $137,560 | 105 | $131,061 | ▼ 25 | |
| South Carolina | $122,490 | 94 | $130,657 | ▲ 2 | |
| Colorado | $134,540 | 103 | $130,555 | ▼ 16 | |
| Pennsylvania | $127,070 | 98 | $130,232 | ▼ 2 | |
| Tennessee | $118,240 | 92 | $128,704 | ▲ 2 | |
| Florida | $129,620 | 103 | $125,341 | ▼ 8 | |
| District of Columbia | $135,140 | 110 | $122,965 | ▼ 27 | |
| Mississippi | $105,920 | 87 | $121,813 | ▲ 1 | |
| Georgia | $115,390 | 96 | $119,832 | ▼ 1 | |
| Alabama | $104,960 | 89 | $118,168 | — |
How to read this
Nominal pay is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) median wage for physician assistants in each state. Real pay divides that by the state's cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parity, U.S. average = 100), so it reflects what the salary is actually worth locally. A state with high nominal pay but high costs can rank lower on real pay than a cheaper state — that's the COL shift column.
Methodology: nominal medians from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 release); cost of living from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (all items, 2024). Real pay = nominal ÷ (RPP ÷ 100). Cite as “WageAtlas Real Pay Index.”
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