There are many different reasons you may consider hiring a physician assistant or many physician assistants for your practice. They are highly skilled, adaptable, professionals and because of their shorter training time, are often more readily available than physicians. Physician assistants training mimic that of a physician within a team approach. If you’re deciding whether or not to hire a physician assistant for your practice, you need to know what the cost will be.
Costs for hiring a physician assistant can be broken down into the cost of going through the hiring process and the cost of employing a physician assistant.
How much does it cost to go through the process of hiring?
That depends on how much you invest in the process. Do you want to post a job description on job boards or do you want to be more proactive and enlist the help of a recruiter? These approaches have starkly different costs.
Placing an ad on a job board can cost several hundred dollars. The American Academy of Physician Assistants price for placing an ad starts at $399. This can provide candidates, but does not screen providers, or ensure proper fit.
Physician Assistant Solutions is a recruiting service that offers permanent placements for $9,500. We work to match physician assistants to practices that perfectly suit their needs and expertise. With nationwide reach yet local expertise, our personalized recruiting and placement services serve all medical specialties, eliminates employer risk and burden, and is available for a single, flat rate with no upfront costs.
Once you have hired a PA, how much can you expect to pay in an annual salary?
According to That PA Life, the average annual salary for a physician assistant is $86,000 to $130,000, compared to an average physician salary of $200,000 to $300,000.
PAs can perform up to 95% of the tasks a physician can perform. This makes PAs a very cost-effective staffing option. According to a study cited by the American Academy of Physician Assistants, physician assistants “can generate up to four times their incomes.”
Since PAs spend less money on school than their physician counterparts, they have less debt. They also complete school more quickly. According to That PA Life, physician assistant is ranked as the third best job in healthcare, while physician is ranked 14. All these factors combine to mean PAs suffer less burnout and can be a great, long-term investment for any practice.
Are you ready to hire a PA? Contact Physician Assistant Solutions and we can help you get started.