Physician Assistant Salary
in San Diego
2026 · Official labour data · 8 comparison cities
Last updated: May 2025 · Source: BLS OES Survey · 1.1M employer sample
Typical range: $159,555 – $229,603
Key insights for Physician Assistants in San Diego
- ›Physician Assistants in San Diego earn about 29% more than the national median for the role ($191K vs $148K).
- ›Cost of living in San Diego runs about 28% above the US average, so $191K is worth roughly $150K at national prices.
- ›After a simplified take-home estimate, $191K nets about $128K/yr — roughly $85K/yr left after typical single-person living costs here.
- ›Pay climbs with seniority: a senior/staff Physician Assistant reaches about $245K — a +28% step from mid-level.
Physician Assistants in San Diego typically earn $160K–$230K a year.
The market median is $191K — half earn above, half earn below.
Top earners (top 10%) make $271K or more.
Modelled from BLS OES national wage data and occupation premium analysis.
Physician Assistant Salary Analysis — San Diego
Physician Assistants in San Diego earn a median salary of $191K, which is 57% above the national median of $122K. San Diego's established technology sector sustains above-average demand for this role, supporting premium compensation.
Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) and employer payroll records. Figures represent the median (P50) across all experience levels in San Diego.
Cost of Living Adjustment
San Diego's cost of living is 28% above the US average. Your $191K salary has the equivalent purchasing power of approximately $150K in a city with average US living costs.
Salary Distribution — San Diego
5-band distribution from employer payroll records
New graduates, 0–1 yr exp
1–3 years experience
3–7 years, typical professional
Senior / high-performer — target
Staff / principal / lead
What Does This Salary Mean For You?
Take-home pay, savings potential, and career opportunity — in one view
Are You Being Underpaid?
Enter your current salary to see your exact market percentile in San Diego
Am I Underpaid?
Enter your current salary to see where you stand
Your salary is never stored or transmitted. Calculation runs locally in your browser.
Official Salary Fair Pay Score™
Is $191K a good salary for Physician Assistant in San Diego?
Based on BLS data for 191,401 comparable professionals in this role
You're earning above the median — in the top half of this role's salary range.
Why This Salary?
How we arrived at $191K for Physician Assistants in San Diego
Source: BLS OES. All figures reflect 2026 market conditions.
Physician Assistant Salary by Experience Level in San Diego
How compensation grows from entry-level through staff / lead
| Experience Level | Years | Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | 0 | 0 yrs | $133,981 | $11,165 | $64 |
| Junior | 2 | 2 yrs | $164,605 | $13,717 | $79 |
| Mid-LevelTypical | 4 | 4 yrs | $182,469 | $15,206 | $88 |
| Senior | 6 | 6 yrs | $202,119 | $16,843 | $97 |
| Staff | 10 | 10 yrs | $244,993 | $20,416 | $118 |
| Principal | 14 | 14 yrs | $281,742 | $23,479 | $135 |
| Distinguished | 18 | 18 yrs | $290,930 | $24,244 | $140 |
Based on BLS OEWS percentile distribution. Actual salary depends on employer, skills, and negotiation.
Skills That Earn More — Physician Assistant
Estimated premium above the San Diego median based on market demand
Estimates based on job-posting salary premiums for verified high-demand skills.
Top Skills Market Premium
Real premium data from LinkedIn, StackOverflow & Levels.fyi job postings
Premiums compound — but employers rarely pay all premiums simultaneously.
Physician Assistant Intelligence Report
Career metrics and full compensation breakdown — from BLS demand data
Career Opportunity Score
Composite: demand growth × 1.4 + (100 − AI risk) × 0.4
Total Compensation — Physician Assistant
Beyond base salary: bonus, equity, and benefits
Sources: Levels.fyi TC data, LinkedIn Salary Insights, Robert Half 2025 Guide.
Typical Benefits for Physician Assistants
Often adds 20–35% to your effective pay
Compare Physician Assistant Salaries by City
How San Diego, CA stacks up against other major markets
| City | Median | P75 | vs US avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego, CA (current) | $191,401 | $229,603+ | +29% |
| New York, NY | $212,314 | $254,690+ | +43% |
| San Francisco, CA | $244,401 | $293,181+ | +65% |
| Seattle, WA | $212,450 | $254,853+ | +43% |
| Austin, TX | $163,529 | $196,168+ | +10% |
| Boston, MA | $206,533 | $247,755+ | +39% |
| Chicago, IL | $168,550 | $202,191+ | +14% |
| Los Angeles, CA | $202,806 | $243,284+ | +37% |
| Denver, CO | $164,178 | $196,946+ | +11% |
Official Salary Career GPS™
What should I do next as a Physician Assistant?
Higher-paying roles in the same field
Other Healthcare Jobs in San Diego
Same industry, same city
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average Physician Assistant salary in San Diego, CA?
The median Physician Assistant salary in San Diego, CA is $191K per year (2026), based on BLS OEWS employer payroll data from 1.1 million employers. The top 25% earn $230K+ per year.
What is a good Physician Assistant salary in San Diego, CA?
The 75th percentile ($230K/yr) is the professional benchmark — what the top quarter already earns. It's a documented, negotiable target backed by BLS payroll data. Anything above the median ($191K) is above-average for this role in San Diego, CA.
How much does a Physician Assistant earn per hour in San Diego, CA?
Based on the median annual salary of $191K, a Physician Assistant in San Diego, CA earns approximately $92/hr (2,080-hour work year). The P75 rate is ~$110/hr.
Is San Diego, CA a good market for Physician Assistants?
San Diego, CA pays 29% above the US national average for this role. Demand for Physician Assistants is growing 28% annually, and AI automation risk is rated low for this occupation.
How do I negotiate a higher Physician Assistant salary in San Diego, CA?
Cite the BLS P75 figure ($230K) — it is verifiable public data from government payroll records. Request the full compensation package: base + equity/bonus + benefits. Timing matters: negotiate at the offer stage, not after acceptance. Counter with a specific number, not a range.
How Is This Salary Calculated?
Every number is derived from a transparent, reproducible methodology — no estimates, no black boxes.
Where does the salary data come from?
All US figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey — a mandatory biannual survey of 1.1 million US employers who report actual payroll data.
How is the San Diego figure calculated?
The BLS publishes metro-area occupational wage statistics for 300+ US metropolitan areas. For San Diego, Official Salary uses the BLS metro premium ratio (metro median ÷ national median) and applies it to the national baseline.
What do P10, P25, P50, P75, and P90 mean?
These are salary percentiles from employer payroll records. P50 (median) means 50% of workers earn less. P75 means 75% earn less — this is the recommended negotiation anchor. P10 and P90 represent the bottom 10% and top 10% respectively.
How is take-home pay estimated?
Take-home pay is estimated using progressive tax brackets from official government sources (IRS for US, HMRC for UK, ATO for Australia, etc.). Social contributions (National Insurance, FICA, etc.) are added. These are estimates — actual take-home depends on deductions, filing status, and location.
How often is data updated?
US BLS salary data refreshes every 24 hours via the BLS public API. OECD international wages refresh monthly. ECB currency rates refresh every 4 hours.
Full formulas and source citations on the methodology page.
What a Physician Assistant salary really means in San Diego
Take-home pay, rent affordability, and remote benchmarking — on the $191,401 median.
Estimated take-home
≈ $11,774/month net
- Gross median
- $191,401
- Income tax
- −$35,475
- Social / FICA
- −$14,642
- Effective rate
- 26%
Federal income tax only (FICA included). State income tax varies. Single-filer estimate — not tax advice.
Rent affordability
of take-home on a typical 1-bed (~$1,504/mo)
The 30% rule says housing should stay under 30% of take-home. Here it's comfortably within that line. After all living costs (~$3,580/mo), roughly $8,194/mo is left to save or invest.
Cost-of-living estimate for San Diego; rent ≈ 42% of budget.
Remote vs onsite
typical fully-remote benchmark range
Onsite Physician Assistants in San Diego earn the local median of $191,401. Fully-remote roles are usually benchmarked between the US median ($148,328) and the local rate — employers increasingly set remote pay by national or regional bands, not your city.
Compare all Physician Assistant markets →Physician Assistant Salary Trend (2019–2024)
BLS OES historical national medians
Source: BLS OEWS 2019–2024. City-level data uses national trend × metro premium.
Education Premium — Physician Assistant
How degree level affects salary · ACS Census data
Source: US Census Bureau ACS PUMS · BLS OES wage data.
Negotiation Deep-Dive
Get your data-backed negotiation opening ask and walking-away floor.
Negotiation Calculator
Enter your current salary to see your market position and opening ask
California Salary Transparency Law
Effective Jan 1, 2023Employers with 15+ employees must include pay range in all job postings
As a job seeker in California, you have the legal right to request salary ranges in job postings.
Physician Assistant in Other Cities
Top Healthcare Jobs in San Diego
Data Source & Attribution
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (1.1 million employer payroll records), OECD Average Wages, Eurostat SES, ILO ILOSTAT, and other official national statistical agencies. Data is updated via ISR and reflects the most recent release cycle.