Physician Assistants salary in Sacramento, CA
Median pay for physician assistants in Sacramento, CA: $147,680/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $88,790 – $209,260 · about 880 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($125,700) by +$21,980 (+17%).
What it's really worth in Sacramento
With Sacramento's cost of living at 109 (US=100), that $147,680 has the buying power of about $135,373 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $89,227 · median home $582,707 · median rent $2,283/mo.
How Sacramento ranks for this job
On raw pay, Sacramento, CA is 16th of the 180 metros we hold physician assistants wages for. Once Sacramento's cost of living is applied, it ranks 53rd.
The headline number flatters Sacramento. 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 Sacramento
A median home in Sacramento, CA costs $582,707 — about 3.9× 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 $2,283/mo works out at 19% 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 Sacramento.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Sacramento | Rent vs Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $208,000 | +41% | 1.6× |
| Vallejo, CA | $174,670 | +18% | 1.1× |
| Modesto, CA | $171,600 | +16% | 0.9× |
| San Francisco, CA | $171,470 | +16% | 1.4× |
Same job elsewhere in CA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Sacramento | Rent vs Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $208,000 | +41% | 1.6× |
| Vallejo, CA | $174,670 | +18% | 1.1× |
| Modesto, CA | $171,600 | +16% | 0.9× |
| San Francisco, CA | $171,470 | +16% | 1.4× |
Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires physician assistants around Sacramento
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Sutter Health · Healthcare
- UC Davis Health · Healthcare
Other jobs in Sacramento
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.