Career comparison
Nurse practitioner vs. Physician assistant
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants earn about the same: medians of $132,300 and $135,880.
Nurse practitioners have the stronger outlook: +41% projected growth through 2035, vs. +21%.
Getting in is slower for nurse practitioners: about 5.9 years vs. 3.9 years for someone with a bachelor's in another field.
At a glance
| Nurse practitioner | Physician assistant | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $132,300 | $135,880 |
| Top 10% earn over | $174,420 | $190,280 |
| Growth to 2035 | +41% | +21% |
| Openings per year | 29,400 | 11,500 |
| Jobs today | 336,300 | 168,900 |
| Typical entry education | Master's degree | Master's degree |
| Time to qualify* | 5.9 years | 3.9 years |
| Training cost* | $76K–$212K | $94K–$217K |
* Starting from a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35.
Pay
Nurse practitioner
Physician assistant
Switching from one to the other
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Getting in
Nurse practitioner
- Entry education
- Master's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
Required: NCLEX-RN exam · NP board certification (AANP or ANCC) · State APRN license
Physician assistant
- Entry education
- Master's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
Required: PANCE certification exam · State PA license
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Nurse practitioner: 52% usually work over 40 hours a weekPhysician assistant: 68% usually work over 40 hours a week
Nurse practitioner: core tasks
- Maintain complete and detailed records of patients' health care plans and prognoses.
- Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines.
- Provide patients with information needed to promote health, reduce risk factors, or prevent disease or disability.
- Analyze and interpret patients' histories, symptoms, physical findings, or diagnostic information to develop appropriate diagnoses.
- Diagnose or treat complex, unstable, comorbid, episodic, or emergency conditions in collaboration with other health care providers as necessary.
Physician assistant: core tasks
- Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
- Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal.
- Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval.
- Obtain, compile, and record patient medical data, including health history, progress notes, and results of physical examination.
- Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition.
Skills: what carries over
Both rely on: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Writing, Speaking, Active Learning.
New for a nurse practitioner moving to physician assistant: Service Orientation.
New for a physician assistant moving to nurse practitioner: Complex Problem Solving.
Interests (Holland codes): Nurse practitioner: Investigative, Social, Conventional. Physician assistant: Social, Investigative, Conventional.
Outlook to 2035, and AI
Nurse practitioner
+41%
much faster than average · 29,400 openings a year
Occupational substitution, demand change - share increases as nurse practitioners are increasingly employed in team-based models of care, taking on tasks previously performed by physicians. Expanding practice authority is expected to support employment demand further.
Physician assistant
+21%
much faster than average · 11,500 openings a year
BLS lists no specific factors, including AI, changing demand for this job.
Quoted notes: BLS Employment Projections, factors affecting occupational utilization (Table 1.12). Average growth across all jobs: +3.5%.
Questions people ask
Who makes more, a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant?
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants earn about the same: medians of $132,300 and $135,880.
Which has the better job outlook?
Nurse practitioners have the stronger outlook: +41% projected growth through 2035, vs. +21%.
How long does it take to become a physician assistant?
For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 3.9 years, with tuition of roughly $93,600 to $216,500. Required: PANCE certification exam, State PA license.
How long does it take to become a nurse practitioner?
For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 5.9 years, with tuition of roughly $75,500 to $211,500. Required: NCLEX-RN exam, NP board certification (AANP or ANCC), State APRN license.