Best states for physician assistant
Ranked by what's actually left: each state's wage, minus estimated federal, FICA and state income tax, then adjusted for local prices. The biggest headline salary is often not the best deal.
For physician assistant, adjusted take-home is highest in Washington at $115,085 — about 35% further than Georgia, the lowest of the 51 states BLS publishes.
| # | State | Annual mean | Est. take-home | Adjusted take-home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $164,430 | $123,141 | $115,085 |
| 2 | Iowa | $139,870 | $101,039 | $115,079 |
| 3 | South Dakota | $131,910 | $100,913 | $113,897 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | $138,700 | $99,456 | $113,276 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $137,320 | $104,611 | $112,849 |
| 6 | Indiana | $144,260 | $105,027 | $112,569 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $130,930 | $98,928 | $111,155 |
| 8 | Missouri | $137,710 | $99,286 | $109,346 |
| 9 | Alaska | $148,080 | $111,966 | $109,342 |
| 10 | Louisiana | $130,290 | $96,273 | $109,153 |
| 11 | Vermont | $152,520 | $106,688 | $108,865 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $150,150 | $113,381 | $108,811 |
| 13 | Ohio | $136,560 | $100,779 | $108,598 |
| 14 | Texas | $135,850 | $103,606 | $106,700 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $132,810 | $95,548 | $106,047 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $134,670 | $97,478 | $105,725 |
| 17 | Montana | $140,800 | $99,821 | $105,519 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $128,830 | $93,437 | $104,399 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $147,630 | $102,838 | $104,298 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $136,750 | $98,089 | $104,239 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $162,100 | $113,349 | $104,181 |
| 22 | Nevada | $135,790 | $103,565 | $103,565 |
| 23 | California | $169,110 | $114,585 | $103,509 |
| 24 | Arizona | $140,850 | $103,878 | $103,156 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $146,630 | $105,326 | $102,958 |
| 26 | Delaware | $143,840 | $100,805 | $101,007 |
| 27 | Kansas | $127,240 | $90,910 | $100,899 |
| 28 | New York | $155,150 | $108,537 | $100,590 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $118,430 | $87,261 | $100,415 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $130,030 | $94,644 | $100,365 |
| 31 | Oregon | $155,300 | $103,550 | $100,145 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $146,930 | $103,614 | $100,014 |
| 33 | Virginia | $142,630 | $100,786 | $99,689 |
| 34 | Florida | $134,470 | $102,663 | $99,287 |
| 35 | Michigan | $132,140 | $95,455 | $99,226 |
| 36 | Idaho | $132,540 | $94,650 | $99,110 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $117,300 | $90,907 | $98,919 |
| 38 | Massachusetts | $146,480 | $103,548 | $97,871 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $119,990 | $88,097 | $97,669 |
| 40 | Colorado | $139,580 | $100,674 | $97,647 |
| 41 | Maine | $134,690 | $94,764 | $97,594 |
| 42 | Utah | $132,530 | $95,307 | $96,367 |
| 43 | Maryland | $139,740 | $99,686 | $94,939 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $125,160 | $92,457 | $94,731 |
| 45 | Illinois | $131,880 | $94,365 | $94,365 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $120,720 | $87,388 | $93,264 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $146,780 | $101,313 | $92,103 |
| 48 | District of Columbia | $146,230 | $101,147 | $92,035 |
| 49 | Alabama | $110,860 | $81,023 | $91,242 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $106,820 | $79,375 | $91,236 |
| 51 | Georgia | $112,090 | $81,846 | $84,991 |
Method: annual mean wage from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (“Physician Assistants”, May 2025); take-home estimated for a single filer taking the standard deduction (federal + FICA + state income tax, wages only — Tax Foundation for state brackets); adjusted using U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities (2024) price levels where US average = 100. Only states with both a published wage and a published price level can be ranked honestly, so 51 states appear. This is an estimate for comparison, not tax advice, and wages exclude many self-employed/partnership physicians. VitalPost shows sourced public data for context only.