How long does it take to become a physician assistant?

Typically about six years of study in total. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do physician assistants make?

The US median is $135,880 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree to become a physician assistant?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train to become a physician assistant?

250 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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How to become a physician assistant

Healthcare (clinical) · SOC 29-1071

$135,880US median pay, 2025

+21.1%Projected growth, 2025–35

11,500Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Master's degree
Work as a physician assistant

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Physician Assistant	CIP 51.0912	250
Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program, General	CIP 60.0901	0
Combined Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0902	0
Acute Care Medicine Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0903	0
Acute Care Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0904	0
Cardiology Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0905	0
Cardiothoracic Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0906	0
Critical Care Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0907	0
Critical Care and Trauma Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0908	0
Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0909	0
ENT Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0910	0
Family Medicine Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0911	0
Geriatrics Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0912	0
Hematology-Oncology Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0913	0
Hepatobiliary Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0914	0
Hospitalist Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0915	0
Neurosurgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0916	0
Orthopedic Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0917	0
Pediatric Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0918	0
Transplant Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0919	0
Urology Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0920	0
Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program, Other	CIP 60.0999	0

See the 250 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does it take to become a physician assistant?: Typically about six years of study in total. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do physician assistants make?: The US median is $135,880 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree to become a physician assistant?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train to become a physician assistant?: 250 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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