Physician Assistants Salary
The median pay for a physician assistants in Tennessee is $118,240/year ($56.85/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $93K at the entry level to $142K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.78), which stretches that salary to about $131,700 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,215/month, or 15.3% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Tennessee. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $118K actually covers in Tennessee, month by month
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What this looks like in Tennessee
Pay for physician assistants in Tennessee runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $136K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,215/month, 15.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.78 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Tennessee can be a reasonable trade-off for physician assistants who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tennessee
Entry-level physician assistants (10th percentile) start around $93K. Mid-career wages sit at $118K. Top earners bring in $142K or more, a $48K spread from bottom to top.
Physician Assistants salary by metro in Tennessee
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $129K | +9% | 750 |
| Memphis | $122K | +3% | 290 |
| Clarksville | $122K | +3% | 80 |
| Chattanooga | $122K | +3% | 180 |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $117K | -1% | 130 |
| Knoxville | $108K | -9% | 240 |
| Jackson | $105K | -12% | 60 |
| Morristown | $103K | -13% | 30 |
| Johnson City | $100K | -15% | 130 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Tennessee numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a physician assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tennessee?
Yes — at the median salary of $118K, rent takes 15.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,215/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physician assistants in Tennessee?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physician assistants typically earn — is $93K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,173/month. At HUD’s $1,215/month FMR, rent would take 20% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physician assistant a high-paying job in Tennessee?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $118K here vs. $136K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Tennessee compare to the national average for physician assistants?
Tennessee pays $118K median vs. the U.S. average of $136K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $132K — below the national median.
How much do physician assistants make in Tennessee?
The median is $118,240 a year, that works out to about $57 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $93,380, and experienced physician assistants can clear $141,670. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $118K enough to live in Tennessee?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,631/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,215/month, which eats 15.9% 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 Tennessee?
Tennessee has a Regional Price Parity of 89.78 (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 $131,700 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.