Physician Assistants salary in Philadelphia, PA
Median pay for physician assistants in Philadelphia, PA: $133,020/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $103,480 – $161,450 · about 3,170 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($125,700) by +$7,320 (+6%).
What it's really worth in Philadelphia
With Philadelphia's cost of living at 102 (US=100), that $133,020 has the buying power of about $129,949 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $85,555 · median home $390,463 · median rent $1,914/mo.
How Philadelphia ranks for this job
On raw pay, Philadelphia, PA is 38th of the 180 metros we hold physician assistants wages for. Once Philadelphia's cost of living is applied, it ranks 92nd.
The headline number flatters Philadelphia. 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 Philadelphia
A median home in Philadelphia, PA costs $390,463 — about 2.9× 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 $1,914/mo works out at 17% 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 Philadelphia.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Philadelphia | Rent vs Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $208,000 | +56% | 1.9× |
| Vallejo, CA | $174,670 | +31% | 1.3× |
| Modesto, CA | $171,600 | +29% | 1.1× |
| San Francisco, CA | $171,470 | +29% | 1.7× |
Same job elsewhere in PA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Philadelphia | Rent vs Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown, PA | $123,500 | −7% | 1× |
| Reading, PA | $122,060 | −8% | 0.8× |
| York, PA | $120,730 | −9% | 0.7× |
| Scranton, PA | $116,270 | −13% | 0.7× |
Staying in PA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires physician assistants around Philadelphia
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- University of Pennsylvania · Education
- Virtua Health · Healthcare
Other jobs in Philadelphia
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.