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Physician Assistant - Federal Salaries of 2021
Pay Rates for "Physician Assistant"
How much does a Physician Assistant in the federal government get paid? $62,989.20* *Based on the 2021 average.Physician Assistant was the 83rd most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2021, with 3,057 employed. The most common payscale was the nursing payscale.
In 2021, the Veterans Health Administration hired the most employees titled Physician Assistant, with an average salary of $47,649.
Agencies that have hired a Physician Assistant
| Agency | Employees Hired | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Health Administration | 2,697 | $47,648.59 |
| Office Secretary Health and Human Services | 163 | $76,287.33 |
| Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System | 91 | $96,333.35 |
| Indian Health Service | 66 | $121,826.83 |
| National Institutes of Health | 24 | $126,914.13 |
| U.S. Coast Guard | 6 | $125,004.50 |
| Immigration and Customs Enforcement | 3 | $0.00 |
| Department of State | 2 | $140,908.00 |
| Smithsonian Institution (Exchange Sep Boards of Trust) | 1 | $128,251.00 |
| Federal Aviation Administration | 1 | $136,667.00 |
| Program Support Center | 1 | $113,362.00 |
| U.S. Secret Service | 1 | $142,950.00 |
| Federal Bureau of Investigation | 1 | $151,850.00 |
Physician Assistant Pay Distribution
The average pay for a Physician Assistant is $62,989.20. The highest paid Physician Assistant made $172,500 in 2021.
Common Physician Assistant Payscales
| Payscale | Number of Physician Assistant Employees |
|---|---|
| VN - Nursing | 2,461 |
| GS - General Schedule | 359 |
| AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not Elsewhere Specified | 235 |
| FV - Federal Aviation Administration Core Compensation Plan | 1 |
| SR - Statutory Rates Not Elsewhere Specified | 1 |
Average Physician Assistant Pay Trend from 2004 to 2021
In 2004, the average pay for a Physician Assistant was $71,999. Since then, the average pay has decreased to $62,989 in 2021.
Data Sources
The information provided on these pages is sourced from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 
Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) dataset. Postal Service data is managed exclusively by the USPS . All information is displayed unmodified and as provided by the source agency.
Federal employee salaries are public information under open government laws (5 U.S.C. § 552). FederalPay provides this data in the interest of government transparency — employee data may not be used for commercial soliciting or vending of any kind. Learn more about the FederalPay Employees Dataset here.
The series code of this occupation is 0603.