Occupations/29-1071.00
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.
Usually a graduate or professional degree.
AI automation risk
22%
More resilient
Human characteristics
81%
Strong human-characteristic mix
Task orientation
49%
Mixed exposure
A day in this job
- Mostly human
Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
- Mostly human
Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal.
- Mostly human
Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition.
The tasks we can read here lean on people, judgment, or hands-on work. The AI risk number is still this job’s rank against other occupations.
Core tasks
- 01Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
- 02Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal.
- 03Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval.
- 04Obtain, compile, and record patient medical data, including health history, progress notes, and results of physical examination.
- 05Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition.
- 06Administer or order diagnostic tests, such as x-ray, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests.
Model drivers (O*NET 1–5)
- Repeating same tasks3.16
- Degree of automation1.54
- Time sitting3.19
- Originality (ability)2.88
- Conflict situations3.65
- Hands-on objects/tools3.27
- Outdoors / weather1.25
- Disease exposure4.72
- Decision freedom4.73
Top abilities
- Problem Sensitivity4.12
- Oral Comprehension4.12
- Inductive Reasoning4.12
- Deductive Reasoning4.12
- Written Expression4.00
- Written Comprehension4.00
- Speech Recognition4.00
- Speech Clarity4.00
Essential skills
- Reading Comprehension4.12
- Active Listening4.00
- Writing4.00
- Speaking4.00
- Mathematics3.00
- Science3.62
- Critical Thinking4.12
- Active Learning3.88
- Learning Strategies3.12
- Monitoring3.88
CIP matches
Schools offering related programs
12 of 64 shown
Earnings are College Scorecard medians for that program, 1 and 2 years after completion. A dash means the Department suppressed the cell or the campus is not in the field file.
| Institution | Program | Tuition | Admit | Grad 6-yr | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | Physician Assistant 51.0912 | $68,200 | 12% | 92% | 1 yr $122,902 2 yr $112,319 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA · Public | Physician Assistant 51.0912 | $12,600 | 48% | 84% | 1 yr $116,414 2 yr $113,228 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
Augsburg University Minneapolis, MN · Private nonprofit | Physician Assistant 51.0912 | $43,600 | 76% | 64% | 1 yr $111,992 2 yr $111,435 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
North Dakota State University Fargo, ND · Public | Physician Assistant 51.0912 | $10,900 | 96% | 68% | 1 yr $110,432 2 yr $101,645 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA · Public | Physician Assistant 51.0912 | $19,600 | 55% | 86% | 1 yr $110,432 2 yr — Master's · CIP 51.09 |
Emory University Atlanta, GA · Private nonprofit | Physician Assistant 51.0912 | $60,800 | 11% | 91% | 1 yr $108,746 2 yr $104,440 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
Howard University Washington, DC · Private nonprofit | Physician Assistant 51.0912 | $33,200 | 53% | 65% | 1 yr $103,555 2 yr $104,061 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College Chicago, IL · Public | Physician Assistant 51.0912 | $4,600 | 100% | 27% | 1 yr $103,078 2 yr $106,838 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC · Public | Physician Assistant 51.0912 | $2,900 | 100% | 31% | 1 yr $101,645 2 yr $98,551 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
Madison Area Technical College Madison, WI · Public | Physician Assistant 51.0912 | $4,700 | 100% | 34% | 1 yr $98,795 2 yr $101,308 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee, WI · Public | Physician Assistant 51.0912 | $4,900 | 100% | 27% | 1 yr $98,784 2 yr $105,529 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI · Public | Physician Assistant 51.0912 | $11,200 | 49% | 89% | 1 yr $98,766 2 yr $100,213 Professional · CIP 51.09 |