Demand for and the job market remain strong for newly certified PAs, according to new data released in the 2017 Statistical Profile of Recently Certified Physician Assistants by the National Commission of Certified Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

The robust report, which is based on survey responses received from 6,843 of the 8,788 PAs who obtained certification in 2017, aims to offer insight into the future of the PA workforce, as well as its current state.

Highlights from the report include:

• On average, PAs made $95,000 as a starting salary in 2017.
• Recently certified PAs are practicing in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
• The top states with the greatest number of recently Certified PAs are New York (902), Pennsylvania (699), Florida (567), California (548), North Carolina (440), and Texas (440).
• 67.2% of respondents accepted a clinical position as a PA in 2017.
• 77.4% of PAs who accepted a position received two or more job offers, and 79.3% of newly employed PAs indicated that they did not face any challenges when searching for a job.
• 52.8% of recently certified PAs who have accepted a position work in a hospital setting and 29.9% are working in an office-based private practice setting.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.