Career comparison
Physician assistant vs. Physical therapist
Physician assistants earn more: a median of $135,880, $33,120 (32%) above physical therapists at $102,760.
Physician assistants have the stronger outlook: +21% projected growth through 2035, vs. +12%.
Getting in is faster for physician assistants: about 3.9 years vs. 4.2 years for someone with a bachelor's in another field.
At a glance
| Physician assistant | Physical therapist | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $135,880 | $102,760 |
| Top 10% earn over | $190,280 | $135,140 |
| Growth to 2035 | +21% | +12% |
| Openings per year | 11,500 | 13,400 |
| Jobs today | 168,900 | 283,700 |
| Typical entry education | Master's degree | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Time to qualify* | 3.9 years | 4.2 years |
| Training cost* | $94K–$217K | $94K–$214K |
* Starting from a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35.
Pay
Physician assistant
Physical therapist
Switching from one to the other
Set your education and current pay. The calculator lays out the path, what it costs, and the year it starts paying off.
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Getting in
Physician assistant
- Entry education
- Master's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
Required: PANCE certification exam · State PA license
Physical therapist
- Entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
Required: NPTE licensing exam · State PT 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
Physician assistant: 68% usually work over 40 hours a weekPhysical therapist: 11% usually work over 40 hours a week
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.
Physical therapist: core tasks
- Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients.
- Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
- Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.
- Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.
- Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit.
Skills: what carries over
Both rely on: Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Writing, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness.
New for a physician assistant moving to physical therapist: Time Management.
New for a physical therapist moving to physician assistant: Active Learning.
Interests (Holland codes): Physician assistant: Social, Investigative, Conventional. Physical therapist: Social, Investigative, Realistic.
Outlook to 2035, and AI
Physician assistant
+21%
much faster than average · 11,500 openings a year
BLS lists no specific factors, including AI, changing demand for this job.
Physical therapist
+12%
faster than average · 13,400 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 physician assistant or a physical therapist?
Physician assistants earn more: a median of $135,880, $33,120 (32%) above physical therapists at $102,760.
Which has the better job outlook?
Physician assistants have the stronger outlook: +21% projected growth through 2035, vs. +12%.
How long does it take to become a physical therapist?
For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 4.2 years, with tuition of roughly $93,500 to $213,500. Required: NPTE licensing exam, State PT license.
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.