The PA career is consistently ranked as one of the best in health care—recently, it was actually ranked the third best job overall by U.S. News & World Report. It’s easy to see why! The job itself is known for competitive salaries, high job security, job satisfaction, and work-life balance.
And the future of the PA profession looks bright, too—in fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 28% increase in PA employment between 2023 and 2033. It may not come as a surprise the PA profession is so up and coming, given it’s still relatively new. The first graduating class of physician assistants were from Duke University in 1967, which means the PA profession isn’t even 60 years old!
And yet, look at the impact we’ve had in such a short time. We diagnose patients, write prescriptions, and develop treatment plans. We are now key members of healthcare teams, and people rely on us for our clinical skills and medical expertise.
With all the things already accomplished by PAs in just under 60 years, you may be wondering, what’s next? What does the future of the PA profession look like? And what can we as healthcare providers expect over the next 10 years? While we can’t predict the future, we can take a look at some current trends that may continue into the future. Let’s dive in!
The Future of the PA Profession: 5 Things on the Horizon
1. More Respect
While the career already is respected, if you’re currently practicing as a PA or a student on clinical rotations, you may have been asked to explain your role as a PA to a curious patient. Or perhaps, you or a colleague may have had to accommodate a patient who “would rather see a doctor” likely due to misunderstanding of our role.
All this to say, as the job continues to grow we’ll likely see less and less of this. Patients may begin to know and understand a PA’s scope of practice and gain respect for their role in the healthcare setting.
2. Increased Responsibility
The standard PA school curriculum thoroughly prepares students to be competent clinicians. In addition, post-graduate on-the-job training and fellowship opportunities further prepare PAs for their clinical roles. This allows PAs to truly extend the reach of physicians and help reduce the overall cost of healthcare.
With continued shortages of physicians nationwide, I anticipate that PAs will continue to have increased autonomy. There are already pushes for continued legislative changes that reduce the amount of physician collaboration necessary in the position across many states. PAs are also being seen in more leadership positions across organizations and some are even finding their role in public health positions.
Did you know that the AAPA House of Delegates voted to change the title of “physician assistant” to “physician associate” in 2021 to reflect the autonomy of the profession? Learn more about it in this blog post!
3. Higher Compensation
With growing respect and increased responsibility, the future of the PA profession looks bright when it comes to wages. The 2025 AAPA salary report showed a 5.5% increase in median salary over the past year (2023 to 2024) for PAs. Of course, with continued increased cost of living, some increased compensation is expected. However, these same increases have been consistent over the past few years on the AAPA report and are expected to continue.
PAs also are finding even more roles in specialty positions, such as subsurgical specialties, dermatology, and orthopedics. These specialty positions often have increased compensation opportunities due to higher levels of reimbursement. Therefore, with more PAs pursuing these roles, the overall median compensation may continue to rise.
4. Telework Opportunities
The COVID pandemic had a huge impact on the way people in almost every field do their jobs. It influenced the medical profession significantly, and healthcare providers began scheduling telehealth appointments when possible. According to the AAPA, almost half of PAs endorse using telemedicine in their clinical practice, which is up from 9.6% prior to COVID.
Looking ahead, I think the future of the PA profession will trend even more heavily towards telehealth. Specialities like primary care are reported to utilize it the most. It’s a great way to encourage routine healthcare and health maintenance in patients with ease of appointments, and also reduce exposure to pathogens for our high risk populations by not having them come into the office.
5. Inclusion of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is slowly, but surely, becoming more integrated into our everyday lives. Whether you’re studying for a test, looking for recipe ideas, or even planning a trip, I’m sure you’ve turned to ChatGPT for advice in the past few weeks.
Everything is being impacted by the AI boom, and the healthcare industry is no exception. For example, new software allows providers to record their office visits and use AI to outline their note for the encounter, which speeds up the documentation process.
In addition to electronic medical records, AI is starting to aid in clinical decision-making as well. While it’s unlikely to replace clinicians anytime soon, it’ll inevitably play a bigger role in our profession in the years to come.
Final Thoughts
The bottom line is, the future of the PA profession looks bright! If you’re looking for a career that’s only projected to become more and more amazing over the next few years, pursuing the PA path is a great opportunity.
You’re unlikely to be without a job at any time in your career, and you have the ability to work in a variety of clinical and academic settings. If you decide to go into this exciting field of the future, be sure to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. Best of luck on your journey, whatever path you choose!
