Physician Assistants Salary
The median pay for a physician assistants in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA is $153,940/year ($74.01/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $112K at the entry level to $246K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.67), that's roughly $148,490 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,960/month, or 19.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $154K get you in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater’s Regional Price Parity (103.67). 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater sits well above the national pay line for physician assistants, local pay runs about 13% higher than the U.S. median of $136K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,960/month, 20.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 103.67) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater offers a genuinely strong financial position for physician assistantss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physician assistants in metros near Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $167K | $151K |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $148K | $147K |
| Yakima | $137K | $143K |
| Kennewick-Richland | $154K | $154K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA
Entry-level physician assistants (10th percentile) start around $112K. Mid-career wages sit at $154K. Top earners bring in $246K or more, a $134K 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a physician assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
Yes — at the median salary of $154K, rent takes 20.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,960/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physician assistants in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physician assistants typically earn — is $112K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,692/month. At HUD’s $1,960/month FMR, rent would take 29% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physician assistant a high-paying job in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
Local pay is 13% above the national median — $154K here vs. $136K nationally.
How does Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater compare to the national average for physician assistants?
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater pays $154K median vs. the U.S. average of $136K — that’s +13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $148K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do physician assistants make in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?
The median is $153,940 a year, that works out to about $74 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $111,540, and experienced physician assistants can clear $245,950. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $154K enough to live in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $9,664/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,960/month, which eats 20.3% 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater has a Regional Price Parity of 103.67 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median physician assistants salary is worth about $148,490 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.