Physician Assistants Salary
The median pay for a physician assistants in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI is $127,570/year ($61.33/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $104K at the entry level to $160K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.84), which stretches that salary to about $134,511 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,162/month, or 15% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $128K get you in Kalamazoo-Portage?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Kalamazoo-Portage’s Regional Price Parity (94.84). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Kalamazoo-Portage
Physician assistants pay in Kalamazoo-Portage tracks closely to the national median, $128K locally vs. $136K nationwide, a 6% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,162/month, 15.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.84 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physician assistants in metros near Kalamazoo-Portage, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $132K | $131K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $132K | $138K |
| Ann Arbor | $135K | $134K |
| Flint | $125K | $135K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
Entry-level physician assistants (10th percentile) start around $104K. Mid-career wages sit at $128K. Top earners bring in $160K or more, a $55K 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 Kalamazoo-Portage numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a physician assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kalamazoo-Portage?
Yes — at the median salary of $128K, rent takes 15.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,162/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physician assistants in Kalamazoo-Portage?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physician assistants typically earn — is $104K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,264/month. At HUD’s $1,162/month FMR, rent would take 19% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physician assistant a high-paying job in Kalamazoo-Portage?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $128K locally vs. $136K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Kalamazoo-Portage compare to the national average for physician assistants?
Kalamazoo-Portage pays $128K median vs. the U.S. average of $136K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.84), the purchasing-power equivalent is $135K — below the national median.
How much do physician assistants make in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI?
The median is $127,570 a year, that works out to about $61 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $104,400, and experienced physician assistants can clear $159,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $128K enough to live in Kalamazoo-Portage?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,710/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,162/month, which eats 15.1% 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 Kalamazoo-Portage?
Kalamazoo-Portage has a Regional Price Parity of 94.84 (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 $134,511 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.