In 2014, the United States Department of Labor named physician assisting among Louisiana’s top 50 highest-paying occupations. In that year, the Louisiana Workforce Commission reported that physician assistants employed in the state earned an average annual salary of $81,082 and an average hourly wage of $38.98.
More Jobs Expected for Physician Assistants in Louisiana
The United States Department of Labor published occupational projections predicting that the number of physician assistants working in Louisiana will rise steadily from 700 in 2012 to 880 by 2022. The 26% bump in employment is expected to create around 30 annual job openings during this ten-year period. This fast-paced employment growth has established physician assisting among Louisiana’s 50 fastest-growing occupations through 2022.
According to the Louisiana Workforce Commission, the following local employers posted the largest number of online job advertisements for physician assistants statewide in September 2015:
- Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital
- Our Lady of Lake College
- Department of Veteran Services
- Christus St. Patrick Hospital
- Comprehensive Health Services, Inc.
- United States Army
- Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center
- Baton Rouge Clinic AMC
- Akima Global Services
- STGi Inc.
The Correlation Between Experience and Pay
In 2014, the United States Department of Labor discovered that entry-level physician assistants in Louisiana earned an average annual salary of $29,500 and an average hourly wage of $14.17. Mid-level physician assistants with more accumulated field experience were paid a greater average annual salary of $82,200 and an average hourly wage of $39.50. The most experienced physician assistants in the state earned an average annual salary of $128,900 and an average hourly wage of $128,900.
Physician assistants should also use work experience to demonstrate value in a competitive job market. In 2014, the Louisiana Workforce Commission found that only 17.14% of local employers posted online job advertisements looking for entry-level physician assistants or physician assistants with less than two years of field experience.
It is quite commonplace for employers to consult surveys that show what PAs expect to earn. Simply put, employers want to ensure that an applicant’s anticipated pay rate reasonably correlates to the salaries being offered. In 2015, the Louisiana Workforce Commission found that physician assistants looking for work expected to earn:
- $35,000-$49,999: 37.50%
- $20,000-$34,999: 25.00%
- Not Specified: 25.00%
- $65,000-$79,999: 12.50%
Where to Find the Highest Paying Physician Assistant Jobs in Louisiana
Some aspiring physician assistants in Louisiana pay close attention to which areas in the state offer the highest salary averages before accepting a job offer.
In 2014, the United States Department of Labor found the best paid physician assistants to be working in the New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner metropolitan division. Employers in this area paid physician assistants an average annual salary of $97,260. Other high-salaried locations included Baton Rogue and the New Iberia nonmetropolitan area: