Registered Nurses vs Physician Assistants
Median pay is about $38k higher for Physician Assistants. The usual entry education is associate's or Bachelor's plus license for Registered Nurses and master's for Physician Assistants.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Registered Nurses | Physician Assistants |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $97,550 | $135,880, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $80,330 | $120,670, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $112,350 | $163,980, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +5.6% Growing fast | +21% Growing fast, higher |
| Openings a year | 180,800 | 11,500 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Associate's or Bachelor's plus license | Master's |
| Difficulty modeled | 3 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Low | Very low |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 73rd pct | 28th pct |
Skills
Both lean on the same top skills: speaking, active listening, critical thinking, reading comprehension, monitoring, active learning.
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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.