Physician Assistants pay in California
$169,110avg. a year
$81.30 an hour · 13,600 employed
Physician Assistants in California earn an average of $169,110 a year. That is $27,830 (20%) more than the U.S. average of $141,280. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $207,660.
$165,650Median pay
$81.30Average hourly
+25%Avg. pay since 2020
#1Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for physician assistants by metro area. Swipe to see all 25.
11,030 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$207,660
$99.84 an hour
2130 jobs
Salinas, CA
$202,320
$97.27 an hour
31,830 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$182,610
$87.79 an hour
4150 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$182,520
$87.75 an hour
5350 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$177,840
$85.50 an hour
640 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$174,990
$84.13 an hour
750 jobs
Napa, CA
$174,120
$83.71 an hour
8140 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$171,940
$82.66 an hour
9210 jobs
Modesto, CA
$168,960
$81.23 an hour
10150 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$166,570
$80.08 an hour
111,370 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$165,450
$79.54 an hour
123,890 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$163,340
$78.53 an hour
1340 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$161,690
$77.74 an hour
14100 jobs
Visalia, CA
$160,630
$77.23 an hour
151,020 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$160,390
$77.11 an hour
16100 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$159,630
$76.75 an hour
17130 jobs
Chico, CA
$159,600
$76.73 an hour
18120 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$159,550
$76.71 an hour
191,070 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$155,340
$74.68 an hour
2040 jobs
El Centro, CA
$151,160
$72.67 an hour
21210 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$150,990
$72.59 an hour
22210 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$150,490
$72.35 an hour
2350 jobs
Merced, CA
$148,620
$71.45 an hour
24360 jobs
Fresno, CA
$146,150
$70.27 an hour
2570 jobs
Redding, CA
$146,050
$70.22 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Physician Assistants pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California physician assistants work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $131k$131k–$137k$137k–$146k$146k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $141,280 | $67.92 |
| California | $169,110 | $81.30 |
| Oregon | $155,300 | $74.66 |
| Arizona | $140,850 | $67.72 |
| Nevada | $135,790 | $65.29 |
Related jobs in California
- Registered Nurses$150,280
- Physicians, All Other$249,620
- Nurse Practitioners$176,760
- Pharmacists$162,340
- Physical Therapists$122,580
- Dental Hygienists$128,110
Average pay, California, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do physician assistants make in California?
The average is $169,110 a year, and the median is $165,650. That is $27,830 (20%) more than the U.S. average of $141,280.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$81.30 an hour on average; the median is $79.64.
Where in California do they earn the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($207,660), followed by Salinas, CA ($202,320). The lowest average among 25 metro areas with data is Redding, CA ($146,050).
How does California rank?
California ranks #1 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 29-1071. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national physician assistants page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.