Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
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.
Also called: Cardiology Physician Assistant, Certified Physician Assistant (PA-C), Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant (Emergency Medicine PA), Family Practice Physician Assistant, Orthopaedic Physician Assistant, Orthopedic Physician Assistant
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $142,410
- $68.47/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 3,550
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- +18.2%
- 320 openings a year
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- Master's degree
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $65,220 | $128,020 | $142,410 | $172,610 | $205,620 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
- Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal.
- Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval.
- Obtain, compile, and record patient medical data, including health history, progress notes, and results of physical examination.
- Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition.
- Administer or order diagnostic tests, such as x-ray, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Moderate exposure41 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 50
- Language-model AIOE 49
- GPTs-are-GPTs 25
Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)
AI exposure for physician assistants is moderate, and observed AI use is little or none so far. AI tools may help with recording patient information and reading test results. Examining patients, making treatment decisions, and counseling people still rely on a trained person working with a physician.
Likely to change
- Recording health history and progress notes
- Flagging unusual diagnostic test results
Still relies on people
- Examining patients in person
- Making treatment decisions with a supervising physician
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
0 programs near Boston (plus 5 graduate)
No programs below a master’s degree near Boston map to this job. Tick the box above to see graduate programs.
Related occupations
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