PA Profession Continues to Gain Nationwide Momentum as Workforce Numbers and Salaries Increase

This is the fifth year that NCCPA has published the Statistical Report on Recently Certified PAs — information that has never been more relevant. The health care industry faces so many challenges including physician shortages, skyrocketing demand for services, dire shortages in underserved areas, and the mandate to deliver value-based care. Today, employers, policymakers, insurers and patients all have a vested interest in the data in this report, because it offers insight into the future PA workforce. The goal is to have the right workforce available to provide the right care at the right time. This is the ideal to deliver the quality metrics of increased productivity, improved patient satisfaction and decreased cost. That is why NCCPA segments recently certified PAs— so that all interested parties can understand supply and demand. The big pictures is that the demand remains high for certified PAs, and that they are well-compensated in terms of both salary and other benefits. However, the details are important to analyze. Are there enough new PAs in the pipeline to fill current and forecasted openings? What is the cost of hiring? What specialties, geographies and clinical setting are applicants seeking? This report answers those questions and more. We could not offer this valuable resource without the survey responses provided by 78% of the 8,788 PAs who were newly certified in 2017. We thank them for their input and for the contributions they are on their way to making in every state, specialty and clinical setting.

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About the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants

The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) is the only certifying organization for the 139,000 physician assistants (PAs) in the United States. The PA-C credential is awarded by NCCPA to PAs who fulfill certification, certification maintenance and recertification requirements. NCCPA also administers the Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) program for experienced, Certified PAs practicing in seven specialties. For more information, visit https://www.nccpa.net