Physician Assistants Salary
The median pay for a physician assistants in Alabama is $104,960/year ($50.46/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $83K at the entry level to $145K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.36), which stretches that salary to about $118,787 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,085/month, or 16.4% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Alabama. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $105K actually covers in Alabama, month by month
About physician assistants
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Alabama
Pay for physician assistants in Alabama runs about 23% below the U.S. median of $136K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,085/month, 16.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.36 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Alabama can be a reasonable trade-off for physician assistants who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Alabama
Entry-level physician assistants (10th percentile) start around $83K. Mid-career wages sit at $105K. Top earners bring in $145K or more, a $62K spread from bottom to top.
Physician Assistants salary by metro in Alabama
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley | $113K | +7% | 40 |
| Huntsville | $107K | +2% | 110 |
| Birmingham | $105K | +0% | 280 |
| Mobile | $105K | +0% | 140 |
| Dothan | $104K | -1% | 40 |
| Montgomery | $102K | -3% | 60 |
| Tuscaloosa | $101K | -4% | 30 |
| Anniston-Oxford | $98K | -7% | 30 |
Compare to other states
Track physician assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Alabama numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a physician assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Alabama?
Yes — at the median salary of $105K, rent takes 16.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,085/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physician assistants in Alabama?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physician assistants typically earn — is $83K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,234/month. At HUD’s $1,085/month FMR, rent would take 21% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physician assistant a high-paying job in Alabama?
Local pay runs 23% below the national median — $105K here vs. $136K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Alabama compare to the national average for physician assistants?
Alabama pays $105K median vs. the U.S. average of $136K — that’s -23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.36), the purchasing-power equivalent is $119K — below the national median.
How much do physician assistants make in Alabama?
The median is $104,960 a year, that works out to about $50 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $83,020, and experienced physician assistants can clear $145,100. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $105K enough to live in Alabama?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,429/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,085/month, which eats 16.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a physician assistants salary go in Alabama?
Alabama has a Regional Price Parity of 88.36 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median physician assistants salary is worth about $118,787 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do physician assistants get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.