As you weigh the physician assistant vs .nurse practitioner career decision (or, if you’re just plain curious like me…), a quick salary comparison in the state where you plan to practice can help nail down your profession pick. Some states are more NP friendly while others traditionally favor physician assistants. In most locations, the decision to become either an NP or PA won’t make a significant difference when it comes to your wallet. But, in a few it may mean a more than $10K salary difference, on average, each year. Check out this state-by-state comparison of nurse practitioner and physician assistant salaries.
Alabama
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $89,890
Hourly Rate: $43.22
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $91,000
Hourly Rate: $43.75
Alaska
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $106,080
Hourly Rate: $51.00
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $115,670
Hourly Rate: $55.61
Arkansas
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $102,800
Hourly Rate: $36.40
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $97,680
Hourly Rate: $46.96
California
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $102,800
Hourly Rate: $49.43
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $115,460
Hourly Rate: $55.51
Colorado
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $93,070
Hourly Rate: $44.74
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $101,290
Hourly Rate: $48.70
Connecticut
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $106,760
Hourly Rate: $51.33
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $99,180
Hourly Rate: $47.68
Delaware
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $105,210
Hourly Rate: $50.58
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $97,300
Hourly Rate: $46.78
District of Columbia
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $92,550
Hourly Rate: $44.50
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $91,430
Hourly Rate: $43.96
Florida
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $97,710
Hourly Rate: $46.98
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $92,530
Hourly Rate: $44.49
Georgia
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $94,910
Hourly Rate: $45.63
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $90,490
Hourly Rate: $43.50
Hawaii
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $90,880
Hourly Rate: $43.69
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $115,870
Hourly Rate: $55.71
Idaho
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $95,180
Hourly Rate: $45.76
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $94,040
Hourly Rate: $45.21
Illinois
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $83,770
Hourly Rate: $40.28
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $85,410
Hourly Rate: $41.06
Indiana
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $95,940
Hourly Rate: $46.12
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $93,200
Hourly Rate: $44.81
Iowa
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $92,000
Hourly Rate: $44.23
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $92,770
Hourly Rate: $44.60
Kansas
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $94,580
Hourly Rate: $44.23
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $84,270
Hourly Rate: $40.51
Kentucky
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $96,260
Hourly Rate: $46.28
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $93,230
Hourly Rate: $44.82
Louisiana
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $81,290
Hourly Rate: $39.08
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $96,510
Hourly Rate: $46.40
Maine
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $100,110
Hourly Rate: $48.13
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $94,400
Hourly Rate: $45.39
Maryland
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $84,550
Hourly Rate: $40.65
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $93,020
Hourly Rate: $44.72
Massachusetts
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $102,290
Hourly Rate: $49.18
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $107,230
Hourly Rate: $51.55
Michigan
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $95,690
Hourly Rate: $46.01
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $92,260
Hourly Rate: $44.36
Minnesota
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $103,890
Hourly Rate: $49.95
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $102,640
Hourly Rate: $49.35
Mississippi
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $49,900
Hourly Rate: $23.99
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $99,080
Hourly Rate: $47.64
Missouri
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $95,060
Hourly Rate: $45.70
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $89,690
Hourly Rate: $43.12
Montana
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $95,550
Hourly Rate: $45.94
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $92,800
Hourly Rate: $44.61
Nebraska
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $91,040
Hourly Rate: $43.77
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $90,240
Hourly Rate: $43.38
Nevada
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $112,700
Hourly Rate: $54.19
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $95,450
Hourly Rate: $45.89
New Hampshire
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $109,760
Hourly Rate: $52.77
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $100,000
Hourly Rate: $48.08
New Jersey
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $89,890
Hourly Rate: $43.22
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $106,060
Hourly Rate: $50.99
New Mexico
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $101,130
Hourly Rate: $48.62
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $100,490
Hourly Rate: $48.31
New York
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $100,290
Hourly Rate: $48.22
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $104,510
Hourly Rate: $50.24
North Carolina
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $95,190
Hourly Rate: $45.76
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $96,020
Hourly Rate: $46.16
North Dakota
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $96,010
Hourly Rate: $45.76
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $88,520
Hourly Rate: $42.56
Ohio
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $101,310
Hourly Rate: $48.71
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $92,830
Hourly Rate: $44.63
Oklahoma
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $96,810
Hourly Rate: $46.54
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $82,880
Hourly Rate: $39.85
Oregon
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $104,990
Hourly Rate: $50.48
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $111,160
Hourly Rate: $53.44
Pennsylvania
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $87,020
Hourly Rate: $41.84
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $88,480
Hourly Rate: $42.54
Rhode Island
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $111,180
Hourly Rate: $53.45
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $101,130
Hourly Rate: $48.62
South Carolina
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $84,350
Hourly Rate: $40.55
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $88,460
Hourly Rate: $42.53
South Dakota
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $92,960
Hourly Rate: $44.69
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $90,210
Hourly Rate: $43.37
Tennessee
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $90,150
Hourly Rate: $43.34
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $91,950
Hourly Rate: $44.21
Texas
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $107,390
Hourly Rate: $51.63
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $102,070
Hourly Rate: $49.07
Utah
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $92,600
Hourly Rate: $44.52
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $93,110
Hourly Rate: $44.76
Vermont
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $107,050
Hourly Rate: $51.47
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $91,030
Hourly Rate: $43.77
Virginia
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $86,550
Hourly Rate: $41.61
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $96,420
Hourly Rate: $46.35
Washington
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $107,390
Hourly Rate: $51.63
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $100,530
Hourly Rate: $48.33
West Virginia
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $87,750
Hourly Rate: $42.19
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $88,780
Hourly Rate: $42.68
Wisconsin
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $92,300
Hourly Rate: $44.38
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $93,170
Hourly Rate: $44.79
Wyoming
Physician Assistant
Annual Salary: $95,880
Hourly Rate: $46.10
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $90,400
Hourly Rate: $43.46
*Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
How do physician assistant and nurse practitioner salaries compare in your state?
You Might Also Like: And the Worst Nurse Practitioner Job Market in America Is…
Red says:
I am wondering if the Mississippi salary is an error?
erin says:
The data posted is correct according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics although it seems low to me as well! Indeed.com lists the average PA salary in Mississippi as $68,000 which also seems low but is likely more accurate.
Anonymous says:
I’m curious to know the difference in salaries for the state of Arizona.
Nikki says:
What about Arizona?
CW says:
Hi Erin,
Are these starting salaries or just an average of all paid NP/PAs? This would make a significant difference. If these are not starting salaries, do you have a list of starting salaries for NPs?
Thank you
erin says:
Hi CW,
These are overall averages published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. I will look into information about average starting salaries!
Chris G says:
Im not convinced of the accuracy of all these numbers. Some seem like starting salaries. Of note however, what may account for the higher salaries for NP’s in certain areas is that they get credit for their years as nurses before becoming an advanced provider. So even as new grad hires, their scale is higher.
kregan@stanfordhealthcare.org says:
Starting salaries for new grad nurse practitioners with zero RN experience in Northern California at an academic center is $73 an hour, just like a new grad RN. NPs with 10-20 yrs of experience are making $90-100 an hour.
Advanced Practice Administrator says:
@kregan is absolutely incorrect about starting salaries for both RNs and NPs in northern California–she’s overinflating them considerably. $73 /hr equates to over $150k a year–for a new nurse?! Way off. An no NP/PA is making over $200k a year. Maybe she’s mistaken or really bad at math? Definitely not the case at Stanford.
As an executive who has managed PAs and NPs in California and nationally, the starting salary for a new grad RN in northern CA at an AMC is around $75,000 annually ($36 hourly); the starting NP (and PA) scale varies more, but begins around $100-$110,000 annually ($48-$52 hourly). Range for an NP/PA can go up to around $180,000 ($86 hourly).
Shanda Moore NP says:
Just wondering how many years of experience is correlated with these salaries?