Physician Assistant federal employee pay and staffing
This page shows how large the Physician Assistant series is across government, what the average pay looks like, and which agencies employ the biggest share of people in this occupation.
What this page helps you check
Use this page when you want to see where a federal occupation is concentrated, which agencies employ the most people in it, and what the average pay looks like across government.
Occupation family
Physician Assistant is reported under the "Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group" family in the latest OPM summary.
Agencies that employ the most Physician Assistant staff
These are the agencies with the biggest reported headcount in this occupation series.
| Agency | Department | Employees | Total salary expense | Average pay | Share of occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veterans Health Administration | Department of Veterans Affairs | 3,101 | $524,657,504 | $169,190 | 78.4% |
| Military Treatment Facilities Under DHA | Department of Defense | 434 | $58,097,044 | $133,864 | 11.0% |
| Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response | Department of Health and Human Services | 130 | $11,925,108 | $91,732 | 3.3% |
| Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System | Department of Justice | 72 | $7,945,200 | $110,350 | 1.8% |
| Indian Health Service | Department of Health and Human Services | 49 | $7,520,128 | $153,472 | 1.2% |
| National Institutes of Health | Department of Health and Human Services | 35 | $5,152,805 | $147,223 | 0.9% |
| U. S. Military Entrance Processing Command | Department of Defense | 19 | $2,256,269 | $118,751 | 0.5% |
| Air National Guard Units | Department of Defense | 15 | $1,766,370 | $117,758 | 0.4% |
Common pay plans for Physician Assistant
This shows the pay plans most commonly attached to this occupation series in the latest OPM summary.
| Pay plan | Employees | Average pay | Share of occupation |
|---|---|---|---|
| VN | 2,873 | $169,740 | 72.6% |
| GS | 754 | $125,548 | 19.1% |
| AD | 228 | $162,262 | 5.8% |
Occupation totals come from the latest OPM FedScope Employment Summary Data (March 2025).