Wisconsin’s proclivity for awarding physician assistants great salary opportunities has garnered national attention in recent years. In fact, the United States Department of Labor ranked physician assistants among Wisconsin’s list of top 40 highest-paying professions in 2014. As of that year, physician assistants working statewide earned an average annual salary of $92,000 and an average hourly wage of $44.23.
Regional locations within Wisconsin were likewise recognized for granting generous pay rates to physician assistants. For instance, the West Central nonmetropolitan region was the fourth highest-paying nonmetropolitan area in the country for PAs as of 2014. Physician assistants employed here took home an average annual salary of $114,010 and an average hourly wage of $54.81.
Employment Trends for Physician Assistants in Wisconsin
Physician assistants in Wisconsin can expect a climate of employment stability in the coming years. Long-term occupational projections conducted by the United States Department of Labor indicate that the number of physician assistants working in Wisconsin will increase significantly, from 1,760 in 2012 to 2,410 by 2022. This 37% employment growth rate is expected to result in approximately 100 annual job openings during this growth period.
The following employers actively searched for physician assistants in Wisconsin using job aggregation sites in September 2015:
- BrightStar Healthcare
- CareHere, LLC
- Ministry Health Care
- Mercy Health System
- Green Bay Oncology
- Monroe Clinic
- ThedaCare
- Medical College of Wisconsin
- BayCare Clinic
- Tosa Health Center
Most jobseeking physician assistants in Wisconsin quickly learn that local employers typically determine salary offers based upon experience.
In 2014, the United States Department of Labor found that entry-level physician assistants in Wisconsin were paid an average annual salary of $66,700 and an average hourly wage of $32.05. Mid-level physician assistants with several years of experience were given an average annual salary of $92,000 and an average hourly wage of $44.23.
Physician Assistant Salaries by Location in Wisconsin
Just as experience can be a determining factor when it comes to physician assistant salaries in Wisconsin, geographic location of employment is likewise influential. In 2014, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development released the following physician assistant salary statistics for the ten most populated counties in the state:
- Milwaukee County: $85,080
- Dane County: $96,580
- Waukesha County: $99,760
- Brown County: $89,290
- Racine County: $91,680
- Outagamie County: $96,770
- Winnebago County: $89,700
- Kenosha County: $93,140
- Rock County: $84,820
- Marathon County: $98,240
The United States Department of Labor published additional salary figures for physician assistants practicing in several major metropolitan and nonmetropolitan regions of Wisconsin in 2014. These salary findings are as follows:
- Appleton: $96,670
- Green Bay: $89,080
- Janesville: $84,820
- Madison: $96,580
- Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis: $86,550
- Oshkosh-Neenah: $89,700
- Sheboygan: $92,530
- Wausau: $98,240
- Eastern nonmetropolitan area: $97,150
- South Central nonmetropolitan area: $88,170
- Northern nonmetropolitan area: $87,030
The data table included below creates a more complete picture of employment and salary details for physician assistants working in the abovementioned regions of Wisconsin as of May 2014 (US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics):