Physician Assistants salary in Boulder, CO
Median pay for physician assistants in Boulder, CO: $133,260/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $103,940 – $185,250 · about 180 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($125,700) by +$7,560 (+6%).
What it's really worth in Boulder
With Boulder's cost of living at 101 (US=100), that $133,260 has the buying power of about $132,447 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $99,770 · median home $727,954 · median rent $2,257/mo.
How Boulder ranks for this job
On raw pay, Boulder, CO is 36th of the 180 metros we hold physician assistants wages for. Once Boulder's cost of living is applied, it ranks 77th.
The headline number flatters Boulder. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, physician assistants here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Boulder
A median home in Boulder, CO costs $727,954 — about 5.5× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $2,257/mo works out at 20% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where physician assistants earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Boulder.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Boulder | Rent vs Boulder |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $208,000 | +56% | 1.6× |
| Vallejo, CA | $174,670 | +31% | 1.1× |
| Modesto, CA | $171,600 | +29% | 0.9× |
| San Francisco, CA | $171,470 | +29% | 1.4× |
Same job elsewhere in CO
| Metro | Median pay | vs Boulder | Rent vs Boulder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins, CO | $130,630 | −2% | 0.9× |
| Denver, CO | $128,790 | −3% | 0.8× |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $123,160 | −8% | 0.8× |
| Greeley, CO | $109,680 | −18% | 0.8× |
Staying in CO keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires physician assistants around Boulder
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- University of Colorado Boulder · Education
- Medtronic · Healthcare
Other jobs in Boulder
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 180 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.