Physician Assistants Salary
The median pay for a physician assistants in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA is $162,790/year ($78.27/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $127K at the entry level to $193K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.6), so that salary is closer to $149,899 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $2,512/month, or 26.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $163K get you in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles’s Regional Price Parity (108.6). 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 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles sits well above the national pay line for physician assistants, local pay runs about 20% higher than the U.S. median of $136K. Rent runs $2,512/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.6), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physician assistants in metros near San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $162K | $143K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $184K | $159K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $165K | $148K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $161K | $151K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
Entry-level physician assistants (10th percentile) start around $127K. Mid-career wages sit at $163K. Top earners bring in $193K or more, a $66K 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 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a physician assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
Yes — at the median salary of $163K, rent takes 27.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,512/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physician assistants in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physician assistants typically earn — is $127K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $7,605/month. At HUD’s $2,512/month FMR, rent would take 33% 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 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
Local pay is 20% above the national median — $163K here vs. $136K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 9% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles compare to the national average for physician assistants?
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles pays $163K median vs. the U.S. average of $136K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.6), the purchasing-power equivalent is $150K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do physician assistants make in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?
The median is $162,790 a year, that works out to about $78 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $126,750, and experienced physician assistants can clear $192,770. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $163K enough to live in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $9,229/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,512/month, which eats 27.2% 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 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles has a Regional Price Parity of 108.6 (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 $149,899 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.