2022 PA Annual Salary Reports Comparison

After a down year in 2021, where most reports showed a decline in PA salaries from shutdowns in 2020, 2022 PA salaries have seen increases. These increases are more in line with what we saw before the pandemic, but with inflation hitting hard, it’s almost breakeven.  

There are multiple reports to compare PA salaries, and they can be a tool for PAs looking for a new position or wanting to negotiate a raise. Keep in mind that these reports show an average salary. Some PAs make well over this amount, and others make much less than this amount. Every job comes with additional benefits, and when evaluating a potential position, you should keep the total package in mind and not get fixated on base salary alone.

When using the reports to aid in negotiation, it is best to use multiple to corroborate the data. The two surveys I like to reference are the NCCPA and AAPA, but more can help determine the 2021 salary of a PA.

NCCPA PA Annual Report

Current 2022 PA Salary – $117,381

The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) is the certifying body for PAs. The 2021 Statistical Profile of Certified PAs Report used data from December 31, 2021, and they released it in 2022.

The PA salary is from NCCPA profiles of certified PAs. When PAs log into their profile on the NCCPA website, they answer several questions. Some PAs might not answer all the questions or have only partially completed the profile. However, this is a large sample size. There is a rolling collection, and it is reported based on total gross income from all PA positions.

The 2021 NCCPA Annual Report included responses from 133,905 of the 158,470 certified PAs and showed the mean income for certified PAs to be $117,381, with 3.3% of certified PAs earning more than $200,000.

PA Salary Report Pros

• Large sample size. – Since this report is from the NCCPA profiles of certified PAs, it included 84% of certified PAs.
•  Looks at PA salary over time – can see trends in PA salary

PA Salary Report Cons

• Not as comprehensive as other PA salary reports – does not go in-depth on the breakdown of base salary, bonus, and benefits.
• It uses a rolling cycle – It might not be the most recent year’s salaries.

AAPA PA Salary Survey

Current 2022 PA Salary – $115,000

The 2022 American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) salary report showed an increase in PA salary to $115,000 in 2021, a 4.5% increase from the previous year, which had a decrease in PA salaries during the 2020 pandemic. 

The AAPA  is the national organization representing PAs. The AAPA salary report typically has a lower response rate than the NCCPA and BLS reports, with only 6% of the 150,000 certified PAs responding to the survey. The data is from the previous calendar year, so the 2022 information is from 2021 salaries. The AAPA report shows the base, with different bonuses and production compensation information.

The AAPA salary survey is the most comprehensive report for PAs, breaking the data down by state. It even shows data for benefits, such as time off, insurance, retirement, etc.

There is an online version, making it much easier to search through the data and find information that is relevant to your situation.

PA Salary Report Pros

• Comprehensive data. – Shows data by state and specialty. Reports the breakdown of salary into base and bonus. It also includes benefits, such as time off, insurance, retirement, etc.
• Data collected is from the prior year (It should be the most up-to-date) and not averaged over multiple years.

PA Salary Report Cons

• Small sample size. – only 6% of PAs responded to the AAPA survey.
• Only available to AAPA members for free; non-members can purchase a copy.

BLS PA Employment Statistics

Current 2022 PA Salary – $121,530

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics is a source of salary information for all types of careers. The data is collected from employers over 2-3 years and averaged. The salary includes incentive pay and a production bonus. The BLS reported the 2022 salary for PAs to be $121,530.

The BLS report is an employer-reported survey and covers a wide range of employment settings.

PA Salary Report Pros

• Large sample size – As these surveys go out nationally and by the employers, the information covers most PA’s salaries.
• The data is from employers – The BLS reports are not a self-reported survey, which means there is less chance of self-inflation of the numbers.

PA Salary Report Cons

• Out-dated data. – The data averages over three years, including data from past years and not just the current year.
• Salary based on gross compensation – It is helpful to see compensation split into base salary and bonus, but this report is on total compensation.
• Does not give data on salary by specialty.

ZipRecruiter PA Salary Report

Current 2022 PA Salary – $107,038

ZipRecruiter is an online job search. It provides salary data based on job listings. ZipRecruiter uses an algorithm based on job title, location, and hiring company for salary estimates for listed positions.

The average 2022 PA base salary was $107,038, which was unchanged from 2020. The website allows you to see estimated salaries based on location.

PA Salary Report Pros

• You can view salary estimates based on location

PA Salary Report Cons

• Salaries are estimates based on job listings and not actual salaries
• It does not give a breakdown of the compensation

How Much do PAs Make? – Overview of 2022 PA Salary Reports

Use multiple PA salary reports to determine the current salary, as each collects data differently and provides varying data types.

The NCCPA report might be the most accurate as it has the highest response rate, reaching over 89% of certified PAs. The downside is that it does not have in-depth data on PA compensation and collects data over multiple years.

For an in-depth overview of PA compensation, look at the AAPA salary survey. This survey does a great job of showing base salary, bonus, and production pay. It provides salary data based on state and specialty; and other information, such as the buying power of your salary depending on the region of employment.

When or how it was collected can cause variations in reported salaries. The AAPA survey was from compensation earned the prior year and was collected in February. The NCCPA report is on a rolling cycle. These differences can affect the amount that PAs are reporting.

The lowest reported salary was from ZipRecruiter, but it uses data based on job postings and not actual salaries. If most people are negotiating salaries higher than listed, it could make this number low. The data collection methods can account for the slight differences in reported salaries. 

After a down year for PA salaries, we saw salaries increase in 2021, and when we look at PA salaries over time, they have been increasing. Even though they might not keep up with inflation, there is growing demand and plenty of opportunities for PAs. If you’re looking for a new job or just entering the market, know what you’re worth, and use multiple salary reports to help negotiate your salary.

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