The number of physician assistants practicing in the United States reached 83,466 in 2010, a 100 percent increase over the last 10 years.
The American Academy of Physician Assistants released its 2010 Census Report and Salary Report this week, revealing that the profession is growing rapidly and salaries are increasing as well.
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More than 30 percent of PAs practice in primary care, making it the largest specialty in the profession. Nearly 30 percent of PAs practice in single-specialty physician group practices, and 40 percent have been in their current primary specialty for at least six years.
According to the report, while the majority of PAs are in clinical practice, an estimated 5,079 PAs work either alone or concurrently in healthcare education, administration, research and public health.
The census also showed that female PAs outnumber their male counterparts by nearly 20,000, and that 66 percent of PAs are satisfied or mostly satisfied with their career.
PAs earn a median annual salary of $90,000, according to the salary report, an increase of 2.8 percent from the 2009 survey. The three states with the highest salary increase in 2010 were Rhode Island, South Dakota and Missouri. Each had increases of more than 9 percent over the previous year.
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