What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Physician Assistants in the U.S. earn more than $135,880 a year — the middle 80% land between $99,380 and $190,280. About 162,150 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Physician Assistants”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$135,880typical pay / year
162,150people in this work
$190,280+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Get approval3
Assist in surgery
+Scrub and assist Dr. Lee for tomorrow morning's appendectomy on patient Samuel Torres, review anaesthetic…
Assist in surgery
+Scrub and assist Dr. Lee for tomorrow morning's appendectomy on patient Samuel Torres, review anaesthetic plan, confirm instrument and suture availability, prepare intraoperative medication list and document anticipated tasks in the procedure note.
The tools that do the workChartWare EMRESCOjob descriptionsO*NET
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Prescribe medications
+Prescribe oxycodone short course and acetaminophen for post-op pain for Linh Nguyen, verify allergies and…
Prescribe medications
+Prescribe oxycodone short course and acetaminophen for post-op pain for Linh Nguyen, verify allergies and kidney function, choose lowest effective dose with clear taper, send e-prescription to patient's pharmacy and counsel patient on risks today.
The tools that do the workEpicjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Adjust treatment plans
+Update Mr. Ahmed Khan’s knee osteoarthritis treatment plan: document today’s pain scores, change NSAID dosing…
Adjust treatment plans
+Update Mr. Ahmed Khan’s knee osteoarthritis treatment plan: document today’s pain scores, change NSAID dosing to naproxen 500 mg twice daily with PPI cover, add physiotherapy referral for three sessions, flag for orthopedics review in four weeks and notify Dr. Lee.
The tools that do the workEpicjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Analysing2
Order diagnostic tests
+Order an ECG and comprehensive metabolic panel for Daniel Brooks with syncope this morning, include clinical…
Order diagnostic tests
+Order an ECG and comprehensive metabolic panel for Daniel Brooks with syncope this morning, include clinical indication, request stat processing, notify cardiology fellow of request, and ensure copy of order appears in the team inbox before noon.
The tools that do the workMEDITECHjob descriptionsO*NET
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Examine patients
+Perform focused physical exam on 68-year-old Rosa Alvarez with new lower abdominal pain, document vitals,…
Examine patients
+Perform focused physical exam on 68-year-old Rosa Alvarez with new lower abdominal pain, document vitals, abdominal and pelvic findings, safety screen, and immediately escalate to supervising physician if peritoneal signs or hemodynamic instability are present.
The tools that do the workElectronic medical record EMRjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Care1
Monitor patient progress
+Review Ms. Garcia’s admission notes and vitals from the last 72 hours, summarise trends in pain, mobility and…
Monitor patient progress
+Review Ms. Garcia’s admission notes and vitals from the last 72 hours, summarise trends in pain, mobility and labs, note response to current analgesia, escalate rising white cell count to the attending, and plan follow-up nursing checks every four hours.
The tools that do the workeClinicalWorks EHRjob descriptionsO*NET
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The daily work16
Process medical insurance claims
+Submit the day's outpatient visits for insurance adjudication: verify each chart has the signed consent,…
Process medical insurance claims
+Submit the day's outpatient visits for insurance adjudication: verify each chart has the signed consent, correct diagnosis and procedure codes, attach the operative note and labs, correct any mismatches, then batch-send claims to the payer by 5pm so billing can post tomorrow.
The tools that do the workElectronic medical record EMRHealthcare common procedure coding system HCPCSESCOsee the evidence ↗
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Accept own accountability
+Acknowledge and document my responsibility for the adverse medication event yesterday: write a note in the…
Accept own accountability
+Acknowledge and document my responsibility for the adverse medication event yesterday: write a note in the patient record accepting accountability, describe what I did, list steps taken to mitigate harm, notify the supervising physician and risk management, and schedule the team debrief for Friday.
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Diagnose and treat disease
+Assess Mr. Alvarez's chest pain today: take focused history, perform cardiopulmonary exam, order troponin and…
Diagnose and treat disease
+Assess Mr. Alvarez's chest pain today: take focused history, perform cardiopulmonary exam, order troponin and ECG now, start aspirin if ischemia suspected, document differential and plan in the patient record, and notify Dr. Singh of changes.
The tools that do the workEpicjob descriptionsO*NET
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Perform medical procedures
+Prepare the procedure tray and consent for Ms. Patel's lumbar puncture at 10:30, perform analgesia and…
Perform medical procedures
+Prepare the procedure tray and consent for Ms. Patel's lumbar puncture at 10:30, perform analgesia and sterile technique, collect CSF samples in labelled tubes, record findings and complications, and hand results to Neurology registrar.
The tools that do the workeClinicalWorks EHRjob descriptionsO*NET
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Supervise and coordinate activities of technicians and technical assistants.
+Stand by for the morning dialysis session: assign techs to vascular access checks, confirm machine settings…
Supervise and coordinate activities of technicians and technical assistants.
+Stand by for the morning dialysis session: assign techs to vascular access checks, confirm machine settings and infection-control steps, review individual patient care issues on the whiteboard, escalate any staffing or equipment problems to Nurse Manager by 0830.
The tools that do the workMEDITECHO*NET
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Provide preventive care
+Run the diabetes prevention clinic this afternoon: review overdue screenings, update immunisations for…
Provide preventive care
+Run the diabetes prevention clinic this afternoon: review overdue screenings, update immunisations for eligible patients, provide brief lifestyle counselling, order HbA1c and lipid panels where due, and add follow‑up appointments before patients leave.
The tools that do the workChartWare EMRjob descriptions
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Support the work of the healthcare team
+Cover the orthopedic trauma list: triage new consults, coordinate imaging and pain control, brief…
Support the work of the healthcare team
+Cover the orthopedic trauma list: triage new consults, coordinate imaging and pain control, brief physiotherapy and ward nurses on mobility precautions, document the overnight plan, and check in with the consultant on any uncertain cases.
The tools that do the workElectronic medical record EMRWikipedia
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Assist with standardised point-of-care tests
+Run point-of-care glucose and urine dip tests for the morning clinic: supervise the assistants, confirm…
Assist with standardised point-of-care tests
+Run point-of-care glucose and urine dip tests for the morning clinic: supervise the assistants, confirm controls are within range, record results in each patient's chart, and flag any abnormal values for same-day provider review.
The tools that do the workMedical procedure codingESCO
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Ensure surgery hygiene
+Confirm the operating room sterilisation checklist for Dr. Martinez's 0800 appendectomy on Thursday, verify…
Ensure surgery hygiene
+Confirm the operating room sterilisation checklist for Dr. Martinez's 0800 appendectomy on Thursday, verify instrument trays and air exchanges are documented, flag any missing items to the nursing lead before the patient arrives.
The tools that do the workElectronic medical record EMRESCO
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Maintain medical devices
+Schedule the quarterly maintenance and safety check for the anaesthesia machine in OR2, record serial numbers…
Maintain medical devices
+Schedule the quarterly maintenance and safety check for the anaesthesia machine in OR2, record serial numbers and next service date, notify biomedical engineering and the OR manager if any component fails the functional test.
The tools that do the workMEDITECHESCO
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Professional documentation in health care
+Complete and sign the postoperative encounter note for Mrs. Patel including procedure details, indwelling…
Professional documentation in health care
+Complete and sign the postoperative encounter note for Mrs. Patel including procedure details, indwelling lines, antibiotic dosing and plan, then file it under her active inpatient record and send to Dr. Kim for countersignature.
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Provide test results to medical staff
+Upload the morning troponin and CBC results for Mr. Alvarez, annotate abnormal values with my interpretation…
Provide test results to medical staff
+Upload the morning troponin and CBC results for Mr. Alvarez, annotate abnormal values with my interpretation and recommended actions, and alert the cardiology fellow and bedside nurse by message if troponin rise exceeds institutional threshold.
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Work in multidisciplinary health teams
+Set a multidisciplinary care meeting for Mr. Johnson on Friday 1500 including orthopedics, physio, social…
Work in multidisciplinary health teams
+Set a multidisciplinary care meeting for Mr. Johnson on Friday 1500 including orthopedics, physio, social work and nursing, attach current meds, imaging summary and my assessment, and invite the team with action items to prepare.
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Apply context specific clinical competences
+Prepare a focused competency note for the perioperative regional block I performed yesterday, list…
Apply context specific clinical competences
+Prepare a focused competency note for the perioperative regional block I performed yesterday, list indications, technique, neurovascular checks and complications absent, file it in the procedural competency log and notify my supervisor for review.
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Medical procedure coding
+Update the patient's medical procedure coding in the chart for John Martinez, DOB 03/12/1986, ensure CPT and…
Medical procedure coding
+Update the patient's medical procedure coding in the chart for John Martinez, DOB 03/12/1986, ensure CPT and ICD entries match the operative report, flag missing consent forms, and save the medical procedure coding before end of shift.
The tools that do the workEpicO*NET
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Medical condition coding
+Update medical condition coding for the clinic roster before rounds: reconcile physician notes with diagnosis…
Medical condition coding
+Update medical condition coding for the clinic roster before rounds: reconcile physician notes with diagnosis codes, add any new conditions with dates, and notify the supervising physician of discrepancies before noon.
The tools that do the workMedical condition codingO*NET
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Says who?
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses