SalaryExplorer

SOC 29-1071 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Physician Assistants — Roanoke

Roanoke, VA · 8 metro areas compared

$135,940 /year
$65.36per hour
360jobs in area
+0.0%vs US median

At $135,940, median pay for Physician Assistants in Roanoke, VA tracks the national median of $135,880 closely.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $135,88010TH$106,15025TH$126,720MEDIAN$135,94075TH$152,36090TH$162,800

How pay has moved

$144,885$91,2152019202020212022202320242025$135,940
$100,160 in 2019 to $135,940 in 2025, +35.7% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow much faster than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+20.4%
Openings per year
12,000
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Roanoke, VA.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

At $135,940, median pay for Physician Assistants in Roanoke, VA tracks the national median of $135,880 closely. Pay ranges from under $106,150 at the tenth percentile to more than $162,800 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $126,720 to $152,360.

The area has 360 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 2.23 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Charlottesville records the highest median at $133,540. Of the 388 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 16th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Roanoke, VA · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$106,150−21.9%
25th$126,720−6.7%
Median (50th)$135,940+0.0%
75th$152,360+12.1%
90th$162,800+19.8%
Mean$136,220+0.3%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Virginia

Median annual wage for Physician Assistants, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Charlottesville$133,540130
2Staunton$128,58060
3Richmond$126,810620
4Virginia Beach$126,430780
5Harrisonburg$126,40040
6Winchester$126,080100
7Blacksburg$125,05060
8Lynchburg$122,800130

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Roanoke run 6.4% below the national average, so the median of $135,940 goes as far as $145,235 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 6.9% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$135,940as reported by BLS

Local price level

93.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$145,235US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $135,940 a year, 0.0% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $106,150 to $162,800 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 360 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Charlottesville, at $133,540.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Physician Assistants in Roanoke, VA?

The median annual wage is $135,940, or $65.36 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $135,880, so pay in Roanoke, VA is 0.0% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Roanoke, VA earns more than $162,800 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $106,150 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Charlottesville, at $133,540 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 360 jobs in this occupation in Roanoke, VA. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.