Physician Assistants vs Family Medicine Physicians
Median pay is about $108k higher for Family Medicine Physicians. The usual entry education is master's for Physician Assistants and doctoral (MD) plus residency for Family Medicine Physicians.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Physician Assistants | Family Medicine Physicians |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $135,880 | $244,180, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $120,670 | $162,420, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $163,980 | $334,270, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +21% Growing fast, higher | +3.3% Growing |
| Openings a year | 11,500 | 2,900 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Master's | Doctoral (MD) plus residency |
| Difficulty modeled | 4.2 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Very low | Very low |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 28th pct | 43rd pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Physician Assistants
- Monitoring
Only Family Medicine Physicians
- Writing
Both lean on active listening, reading comprehension, critical thinking, speaking, active learning.
More comparisons
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Compare Family Medicine Physicians with
Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.