AAPA

Physician Assistant Income: Changes In Total Income From Primary Employer 1997-1998, 1998-1999, 1999-2000

Overview

Results of the 2000 AAPA Physician Assistant Census Survey indicate that the mean total income from primary employer for clinically practicing PAs working full-time (32 or more hours per week) is $68,757 (standard deviation of $18,006); the median is $65,177. While these income figures are only one percent more than the comparable figures from the 1999 AAPA Physician Assistant Census Survey, the analyses presented in this report find that the difference between income reported by a consistent group of PAs for 1999 and 2000 represents a 4 percent increase.

Measurement of the change in the incomes reported by the same people for two periods provides a superior basis for examining the health of PA income than does a comparison of the incomes reported by all PAs for two periods. The measurement of income change is superior because it accounts for the complete constellation of static and dynamic factors that determine income. Conversely, the change revealed by a comparison of income reported by all PAs for two distinct periods is confounded by the income-related effects of whatever differences exist between the population of PAs represented by each period. For example, the change would be affected by the relative proportion of recent graduates in each period.

Methodology

The AAPA Division of Data Services and Statistics compiled a longitudinal data set from the 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000 AAPA Physician Assistant Census surveys and analyzed the changes in total income from the primary employer reported by each PA who responded to two consecutive surveys for three distinct time periods: 1997-1998, 1998-1999, and 1999-2000. Prior to examining the changes in income, several statistical tests were performed to determine whether those PAs who responded in consecutive years were comparable to those who only responded in either of the two years. To be consistent with previous analyses concerning income, the following respondents were excluded from this investigation:

• PAs who reported working less than 32 hours per week
• self-employed PAs
• government employed PAs

In addition, PAs who had not graduated in time to participate in the two surveys associated with each time period were excluded.

When analyzing the comparability of the PAs who responded in consecutive years and those who responded in only one of the two years, personal and practice characteristics as well as income were examined. Personal characteristics included age, race, and sex; practice characteristics included specialty, employer type, and hours worked per week. These analyses did not consistently find statistically significant (p £ .01) differences between the two groups with respect to age, sex, income, or hours worked. However, a few small differences were consistently found. Compared to the groups of PAs who responded to one survey associated with a time period, the groups of PAs who responded to both surveys included

• approximately four percent more white PAs (e.g., 91% v. 87%)
• approximately four percent more PAs in group practice (e.g., 39% v. 35%)
• approximately two percent fewer PAs in Emergency Medicine (e.g., 9% v. 11%).

In sum, these analyses suggest that the findings about the PAs who responded to both census surveys associated with each time period are very likely to apply to those who responded to either one of the two surveys.

In addition to presenting the change observed between the income from primary employer reported on consecutive census surveys by a consistent group of clinically-practicing PAs who work full-time, this report considers changes in income in regards to years of experience, specialty, and the population of the geographic area. The report also examines the effects that changing specialty and/or employer has on income.

Income Change

As shown below in Table 1, the mean percent change in total income for each of the three time periods exceeds inflation for the associated time period. 1

Table 1. Mean Percent Change in Total Income from Primary Employer and Inflation for 1997-1998, 1998-1999, and 1999-2000

	1997-1998	1998-1999	1999-2000
Mean % Change	3%	7%	4%
Respondents	5175	5398	5281
Inflation	1.2%	2.6%	3.5%

As discussed below, the magnitude of the income change for each time period varied among groups of PAs defined by years of experience, specialty of practice, and the population of the geographic area. 2

Experience

Previous research has found that PA income increases with years of experience; these analyses find that larger changes in income were experienced by PAs with fewer years of experience 3 (Table 2).

Table 2. Mean Percent Change in Total Income from Primary Employer by Years in Clinical Practice as a PA for 1997-1998, 1998-1999, and 1999-2000

	Respondents	1997-98	Respondents	1998-99	Respondents	1999-00
Total	5175	3.0%	5398	7.0%	5291	4.0%
1 To 3 Years	787	5.0%	965	10.0%	1460	6.0%
4 To 6 Years	1200	4.0%	1371	8.0%	1712	5.0%
7 To 9 Years	791	3.0%	806	7.0%	911	4.0%
10 To 14 Years	1295	2.0%	1221	6.0%	1051	3.0%
15 Years Or Greater	2375	2.0%	2579	7.0%	2417	3.0%

Specialty

Previous research has also indicated that specialty has a significant impact on PA income. These analyses find that specialty4 had a significant impact on the amount of change in total income (Table 3).  Specialties associated with a change at or above the mean for all time periods are emergency medicine, general surgery, industrial/occupational medicine, and the subspecialties of internal medicine, pediatrics, and surgery. Only general pediatrics was associated with a change below the mean for all time periods.

Table 3. Mean Percent Change in Total Income from Primary Employer by General Field of Primary Specialty for 1997-1998, 1998-1999, and 1999-2000

	Respondents	1997-98	Respondents	1998-99	Respondents	1999-00
Total	5175	3.0%	5398	7.0%	5291	4.0%
Family/General Medicine	2437	2.0%	2651	7.0%	2822	3.0%
General Internal Medicine	474	2.0%	572	6.0%	556	4.0%
Emergency Medicine	578	3.0%	679	9.0%	764	5.0%
General Pediatrics	192	2.0%	215	6.0%	227	0.0%
General Surgery	187	3.0%	191	9.0%	209	5.0%
Internal Medicine Subspecialties	383	3.0%	432	8.0%	526	5.0%
Pediatric Subspecialties	82	3.0%	103	8.0%	110	7.0%
Surgical Subspecialties	1096	3.0%	1254	7.0%	1364	6.0%
Ob/Gyn	194	1.0%	197	6.0%	208	4.0%
Industrial/Occupational Medicine	256	5.0%	260	7.0%	303	4.0%
Other	315	1.0%	350	7.0%	411	6.0%

Population of Geographic Area

Although previous analyses have found differences in the mean total income for PAs working in areas with different sized populations, these analyses of income change reveal no statistically significant differences between PAs working in areas with different sized populations5 (Table 4).

Table 4. Mean Percent Change in Total Income from Primary Employer by Population of Practice Area for 1997-1998, 1998-1999, and 1999-2000

	Respondents	1997-98	Respondents	1998-99	Respondents	1999-00
Total	5175	3.0%	5398	7.0%	5291	4.0%
5,000,000 or greater	369	2.0%	386	7.0%	423	6.0%
1,000,000-4,999,999	858	3.0%	921	7.0%	1026	5.0%
500,000-999,999	669	2.0%	684	6.0%	725	3.0%
250,000-499,999	655	3.0%	724	7.0%	771	4.0%
50,000-249,999	1810	2.0%	2016	7.0%	2286	5.0%
10,000-49,999	1069	3.0%	1151	8.0%	1234	4.0%
5,000-9,999	367	3.0%	421	9.0%	426	4.0%
Less than 5,000	533	2.0%	529	6.0%	523	4.0%

Change in Employer and Specialty

Table 5 presents data on the effect of a change in employer and/or specialty on the change in total income for the three time periods. For this analysis, the respondents for each time period were classified into one of four specialty-change categories:

1. PAs who continued to work in a primary care specialty
2. PAs who continued to work in a non-primary care specialty
3. PAs who changed from a primary care specialty to a non-primary care specialty
4. PAs who changed from a non-primary care specialty to a primary care specialty

The specialties considered 'primary care' include: family/general medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, and ob/gyn.

With few exceptions, the PAs who changed employers or changed from a primary care specialty to a non-primary care specialty in each of the three time periods experienced greater increases in total income than did other PAs. Moreover, larger changes in income are found for PAs who changed jobs and changed from a primary care specialty to a non-primary care specialty.

Table 5. Mean Percent Change in Total Income from Primary Employer for PAs who Changed/Did Not Change Employers between 1997-1998, 1998-1999, 1999-2000 by Specialty Change Status

		Did not change employer		Changed employer
Time Period	Specialty Change Status	Respondents	% Change	Respondents	% Change
1997-1998	Stayed in Primary Care (PC)	1966	2.0%	364	1.0%
	Stayed in Non-PC	1920	3.0%	353	5.0%
	Changed from PC to Non-PC	70	2.0%	83	11.0%
	Changed from Non-PC to PC	123	2.0%	80	2.0%
1998-1999	Stayed in PC	1498	7.0%	998	8.0%
	Stayed in Non-PC	1454	7.0%	353	8.0%
	Changed from PC to Non-PC	42	13.0%	83	12.0%
	Changed from Non-PC to PC	33	3.0%	80	7.0%
1999-2000	Stayed in PC	1341	3.0%	1112	4.0%
	Stayed in Non-PC	1359	5.0%	1117	5.0%
	Changed from PC to Non-PC	39	5.0%	126	10.0%
	Changed from Non-PC to PC	34	4.0%	74	6.0%

Conclusion

The results of the 2000 AAPA Physician Assistant Census Survey indicate that the mean total income from primary employer for clinically practicing PAs working full-time is only slightly greater than that observed on the 1999 AAPA Physician Assistant Census Survey. However, the relative change in total income reported by a consistent group of PAs has exceeded inflation in each of the last three years. As it accounts for the complete constellation of static and dynamic factors associated with each individual that determines income, the measure of income change is not subject to the effects of the evolving composition of the population of PAs. Consequently, it offers a superior basis for examining the health of PA incomes over time than does a simple comparison of summary measures reported for all PAs.

For more specific information about the incomes earned by PAs in particular types of jobs, consider ordering a Salary Profile. Although the procedures used to develop each Salary Profile cannot account for all of the determinants of income, they minimize the effects of the major factors. Specifically, each Salary Profile presents summary measures of income for a well-defined subgroup of PAs with respect to experience, specialty, and the general geographic location and population of the geographic area in which those PAs work.

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1  The inflation figures reflect the Bureau of Labor Statistics' measurements of the Consumer Price Index for the 12 month period beginning and ending in September in 1998, 1999, and 2000.
2  Respondents were classified according to the latter census survey associated with the time period.
3  Years of experience was determined in terms of the latter year associated with the time period.
4  Respondents were classified according to the latter census survey associated with the time period.
5  Respondents were classified according to the latter census survey associated with the time period.