Physician Assistants salary in Denver, CO
Median pay for physician assistants in Denver, CO: $128,790/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $103,320 – $170,800 · about 1,550 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($125,700) by +$3,090 (+2%).
What it's really worth in Denver
With Denver's cost of living at 106 (US=100), that $128,790 has the buying power of about $121,767 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $96,920 · median home $573,221 · median rent $1,910/mo.
How Denver ranks for this job
On raw pay, Denver, CO is 65th of the 180 metros we hold physician assistants wages for. Once Denver's cost of living is applied, it ranks 139th.
The headline number flatters Denver. 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 Denver
A median home in Denver, CO costs $573,221 — about 4.5× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,910/mo works out at 18% 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 Denver.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Denver | Rent vs Denver |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $208,000 | +62% | 1.9× |
| Vallejo, CA | $174,670 | +36% | 1.3× |
| Modesto, CA | $171,600 | +33% | 1.1× |
| San Francisco, CA | $171,470 | +33% | 1.7× |
Same job elsewhere in CO
| Metro | Median pay | vs Denver | Rent vs Denver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | $133,260 | +3% | 1.2× |
| Fort Collins, CO | $130,630 | +1% | 1× |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $123,160 | −4% | 0.9× |
| Greeley, CO | $109,680 | −15% | 0.9× |
Staying in CO keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires physician assistants around Denver
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- CommonSpirit Health · Healthcare
- Denver Public Schools · Education
Other jobs in Denver
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.