Physician Assistant.
Los Angeles.
$154,000
median salary, 16% above the national average
$132,000 to $185,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Physician Assistant in Los Angeles earns a median of $154,000 in 2026. That is 16% above the national average. The range runs from $132,000 to $185,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Surgical subspecialties and emergency medicine pay the highest PA salaries, often 20 to 30% above primary care. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Physician Assistant in Los Angeles, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $161,890 for Physician Assistants (SOC 29-1071) in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area, based on 3,890 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$99,570
25th percentile
$134,550
Median
$161,890
75th percentile
$204,970
90th percentile
$220,580
Workers surveyed
3,890
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Physician Assistants (SOC 29-1071) rather than Physician Assistant specifically. The Los Angeles range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 29-1071Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $139,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$100,000
to $123,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$131,000
to $162,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$169,000
to $200,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$193,000
to $239,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $41,000 to the total package.
Base
$154,000
Equity
$23,000
Bonus
$15,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $195,000
How Los Angeles compares.
Los Angeles, CA
$154,000
Cost of living: 18% above average
National Average
$133,000
Los Angeles is $21,000 above
Physician Assistant salary by city.
Salary by role in Los Angeles.
What you should know.
The Physician Assistant landscape in Los Angeles is not what most salary sites will tell you. Los Angeles blends a thriving entertainment industry with a growing tech and startup ecosystem, often called Silicon Beach. The city's diverse economy spans aerospace, healthcare, fashion, and gaming. LA offers strong salaries that, while below San Francisco levels, pair with a broader lifestyle appeal and lower housing costs relative to the Bay Area. Surgical subspecialties and emergency medicine pay the highest PA salaries, often 20 to 30% above primary care. Geographic location matters significantly, with rural and underserved areas offering premium pay to attract talent. Experience in procedural skills and first-assist certification further boost compensation.
Entry-level PAs earn $95,000 to $105,000 in their first role. Mid-career PAs with specialty experience reach $120,000 to $135,000. Senior PAs in surgical specialties or leadership positions can command $145,000 to $165,000 with additional administrative responsibilities. In Los Angeles, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 18% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. PAs commonly receive productivity bonuses, CME allowances of $2,000 to $5,000 annually, malpractice insurance, and relocation assistance. Hospital systems often add shift differentials for nights, weekends, and call coverage. And on the tax side: california's 13.3% top state income tax rate applies to LA earners as well. There is no city income tax, but the high state rate makes take home pay lower than cities in no income tax states. When someone quotes you $154,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight cross industry skills. LA employers value candidates who bridge entertainment and tech, so framing your experience across verticals can unlock higher offers. The range for Physician Assistants in Los Angeles runs from $132,000 to $185,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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Common questions.
Physician Assistant salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Los Angeles.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Physician Assistants in Los Angeles.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Physician Assistant Salary in Los Angeles, CA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/physician-assistant/los-angeles
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