Physician Assistants Salary
The median pay for a physician assistants in Las Cruces, NM is $141,350/year ($67.96/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $65K at the entry level to $157K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.21), which stretches that salary to about $156,690 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,042/month, or 12.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $141K get you in Las Cruces?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Las Cruces’s Regional Price Parity (90.21). 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 Las Cruces
Physician assistants pay in Las Cruces tracks closely to the national median, $141K locally vs. $136K nationwide, a 4% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,042/month, 12.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.21 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% 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 Las Cruces, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $140K | $146K |
| 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, Las Cruces, NM
Entry-level physician assistants (10th percentile) start around $65K. Mid-career wages sit at $141K. Top earners bring in $157K or more, a $92K 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 states
Track physician assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Las Cruces numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a physician assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Las Cruces?
Yes — at the median salary of $141K, rent takes 12.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,042/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physician assistants in Las Cruces?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physician assistants typically earn — is $65K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,883/month. At HUD’s $1,042/month FMR, rent would take 27% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physician assistant a high-paying job in Las Cruces?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $141K locally vs. $136K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Las Cruces compare to the national average for physician assistants?
Las Cruces pays $141K median vs. the U.S. average of $136K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $157K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do physician assistants make in Las Cruces, NM?
The median is $141,350 a year, that works out to about $68 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,710, and experienced physician assistants can clear $156,670. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $141K enough to live in Las Cruces?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,453/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,042/month, which eats 12.3% 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 Las Cruces?
Las Cruces has a Regional Price Parity of 90.21 (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 $156,690 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.