Hospitalist Physician Assistant (PA) Salary Guide

The average annual hospital medicine PA salary is $120,615, according to the 2023 Becker’s Hospital Review highest paid specialties for PAs report. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the job outlook for physician assistants is growing by 27% over the next decade, making this a viable employment opportunity.

Locum tenens hospitalist PAs can make upwards of $80-$115 per hour on average, however, there are many factors that impact rates including location, years of experience, and the level of demand.

If you were to extrapolate the low end of this range over a year (at 40 hours per week), a locum tenens hospitalist PA could make $166,400 per year or more.

That means locum tenens hospitalist PAs could make 38% more per year than the average PA. Making direct salary comparisons between locum tenens and permanent providers can be complicated. While perms are more likely to be salaried, locum tenens hospitalist PAs are independent contractors earning an hourly rate, which can vary based on which assignments they take in a year.

Furthermore, because locum tenens hospitalist PAs are paid by the hour, the hours they work are directly reflected in their pay, while a salaried hospitalist PAs additional hours may not be reflected in their salary.

Finally, paid time off and insurance may be reflected in the perm hospitalist PAs salary structure, but locum tenens providers do have options when it comes to health insurance.

The most recent state breakdown of PAs salaries comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, though the BLS was not able to collect enough data for all 50 states. While the BLS was unable to report on hospitalist PAs specifically, , the top 5 highest paying states for PAs salary are:

• Nevada (Average PA Salary: $154,800)
• California (Average PA Salary: $153,560)
• Washington (Average PA Salary: $152,800)
• Connecticut (Average PA Salary: $149,300)
• Alaska (Average PA Salary: $148,480)

This data can provide insight into the possible highest paying states for hospitalist PAs.

Hospitalist PAs are within the top 9 highest paid specialties in the 2022 Becker’s Hospital Review highest paid specialties for PAs. The top 3 highest paying specialties include cardiothoracic and vascular surgery PAs, dermatology PAs, and critical care PAs, all reporting an annual salary over $130,000.

According to the Medscape Physician Assistant Compensation Report, the average PA increased their earnings by $3,000 between 2021 and 2022. If this trend continues, the average hospitalist PA can expect to make around $135,000 in 2024.