Physician Assistants Salary
The median pay for a physician assistants in Albuquerque, NM is $139,920/year ($67.27/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $69K at the entry level to $179K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.55), that's roughly $146,436 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,464/month, or 17.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $140K get you in Albuquerque?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Albuquerque’s Regional Price Parity (95.55). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About physician assistants
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What this looks like in Albuquerque
Physician assistants pay in Albuquerque tracks closely to the national median, $140K locally vs. $136K nationwide, a 3% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,464/month, 17.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.55) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physician assistants in metros near Albuquerque, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Las Cruces | $141K | $157K |
| Farmington | $143K | $163K |
| Santa Fe | $128K | $129K |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | $134K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Albuquerque, NM
Entry-level physician assistants (10th percentile) start around $69K. Mid-career wages sit at $140K. Top earners bring in $179K or more, a $110K spread from bottom to top.
Physician Assistants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Physician Assistants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $166K | +22% | 4,790 |
| California | $166K | +22% | 13,600 |
| Washington | $164K | +21% | 3,540 |
| Hawaii | $164K | +21% | 530 |
| New York | $161K | +18% | 19,140 |
| Oregon | $156K | +15% | 2,250 |
| New Hampshire | $151K | +11% | 1,060 |
| Alaska | $151K | +11% | 700 |
| Vermont | $150K | +11% | 410 |
| Massachusetts | $142K | +5% | 4,470 |
| Montana | $141K | +4% | 600 |
| Minnesota | $141K | +4% | 3,660 |
| Rhode Island | $140K | +3% | 810 |
| New Mexico | $140K | +3% | 700 |
| Connecticut | $140K | +3% | 3,570 |
| Delaware | $139K | +3% | 860 |
| Maryland | $138K | +1% | 2,950 |
| Oklahoma | $137K | +0% | 1,770 |
| Wyoming | $136K | +0% | 330 |
| Virginia | $136K | +0% | 4,340 |
| District of Columbia | $135K | -1% | 470 |
| Missouri | $135K | -1% | 2,300 |
| Iowa | $135K | -1% | 1,200 |
| Utah | $135K | -1% | 1,610 |
| Nevada | $135K | -1% | 1,090 |
| Arizona | $135K | -1% | 3,750 |
| Texas | $135K | -1% | 10,110 |
| Colorado | $135K | -1% | 3,270 |
| Wisconsin | $134K | -1% | 3,580 |
| Idaho | $134K | -2% | 1,320 |
| North Dakota | $133K | -2% | 510 |
| South Dakota | $133K | -2% | 680 |
| Nebraska | $133K | -2% | 1,330 |
| Ohio | $132K | -3% | 4,900 |
| Indiana | $132K | -3% | 2,110 |
| Illinois | $132K | -3% | 3,790 |
| Michigan | $132K | -3% | 6,310 |
| Maine | $131K | -3% | 1,030 |
| Florida | $130K | -5% | 9,310 |
| North Carolina | $129K | -5% | 7,490 |
| Louisiana | $129K | -5% | 1,360 |
| West Virginia | $129K | -5% | 1,080 |
| Pennsylvania | $127K | -6% | 9,020 |
| Kansas | $126K | -8% | 890 |
| South Carolina | $122K | -10% | 2,250 |
| Kentucky | $121K | -11% | 1,360 |
| Arkansas | $118K | -13% | 850 |
| Tennessee | $118K | -13% | 2,240 |
| Georgia | $115K | -15% | 5,610 |
| Mississippi | $106K | -22% | 320 |
| Alabama | $105K | -23% | 930 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track physician assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Albuquerque numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a physician assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Albuquerque?
Yes — at the median salary of $140K, rent takes 17.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,464/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physician assistants in Albuquerque?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physician assistants typically earn — is $69K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,166/month. At HUD’s $1,464/month FMR, rent would take 35% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is physician assistant a high-paying job in Albuquerque?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $140K locally vs. $136K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Albuquerque compare to the national average for physician assistants?
Albuquerque pays $140K median vs. the U.S. average of $136K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.55), the purchasing-power equivalent is $146K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do physician assistants make in Albuquerque, NM?
The median is $139,920 a year, that works out to about $67 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $69,430, and experienced physician assistants can clear $179,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $140K enough to live in Albuquerque?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,377/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,464/month, which eats 17.5% 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 Albuquerque?
Albuquerque has a Regional Price Parity of 95.55 (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 $146,436 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.