The physician assistant (PA) in my surgical practice wants a raise. What should she expect to get paid?

Salary benchmarks for surgical physician assistants vary by geographical area (based on demand and cost of living) and experience. It may help to consider several data sources to get a fair sense. Here are some:

The Medical Group Management Association - Surgical PAs with one to two years of experience, $62,025; with three to seven years of experience, $75,000.

The American Medical Group Association - Surgical PAs, $83,184.

Health Care Job Store - This organization does not distinguish surgical PAs from others, but says the median salary for all PAs is $68,826, with an average bonus of 3 percent.

American Academy of Physician Assistants - This group also lumps surgical and nonsurgical salaries. Its median for all PAs is $78,257.