Physician assistants
Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. May, in some cases, prescribe medication. Must graduate from an accredited educational program for physician assistants.
Physician assistants provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. May, in some cases, prescribe medication. The role reports a median annual salary of $133,260 in the US and is projected to grow 20% over the next decade (much faster than average). Entry typically requires a Master's degree, and shows low AI exposure (0.40 on a 0-1 scale) — the role's core work resists automation. The most in-demand skills for the role include Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making, Service Orientation.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £42,079 a year for Other health professionals n.e.c. (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £34,346 to £49,077 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2259). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Physician assistants, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 2. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification Bachelor of Physician Associates (B.PA), 4 years after Class 12[1]
- 2 · Registration Enrolment on the allied and healthcare professionals register under the NCAHP Act[2]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Biology
- English Language
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Sociology and Anthropology
A day in the life
You start the morning reviewing the list of patients booked into the clinic and the results that came in overnight. Your first patient has a persistent cough, so you take a history, examine his chest and order a blood test and an X-ray. You interpret the results with care and, after a quick discussion with the supervising doctor, start treatment. Through the morning you see a steady stream of people: a child with an ear infection, an older woman whose blood sugar is climbing and a young man with a sprained ankle. For each you record findings, explain the plan and give clear advice about medicines and follow-up. After lunch you assist in a minor procedure and later review test results, flagging any that need urgent attention. The pace is fast and the notes pile up, but being trusted to diagnose and care for patients, as part of a close team, is very fulfilling.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
- Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal.
- Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval.
- Obtain, compile, and record patient medical data, including health history, progress notes, and results of physical examination.
- Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition.
- Administer or order diagnostic tests, such as x-ray, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Physician assistants do?
Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. May, in some cases, prescribe medication. Must graduate from an accredited educational program for physician assistants.
What does a typical day look like in Physician assistants?
You start the morning reviewing the list of patients booked into the clinic and the results that came in overnight. Your first patient has a persistent cough, so you take a history, examine his chest and order a blood test and an X-ray. You interpret the results with care and, after a quick discussion with the supervising doctor, start treatment.
How much does Physician assistants earn?
The median annual salary for Physician assistants in the US is $133,260.
What is the job outlook for Physician assistants?
The role is projected to grow 20% over the next decade (much faster than average). Current US employment is approximately 162,700 workers.
How do I become physician assistants?
The typical entry education is a Master's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Physician assistants need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Physician assistants?
Our AI-durability model gives Physician assistants a score of 0.40 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at low AI exposure — the role's core work resists current-generation automation. It's a comparatively AI-durable choice within its field.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Physician assistants has high barrier to entry — highly gated — a graduate degree or extended training/apprenticeship is typically required.