How to hire physician assistants
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Administer or order diagnostic tests, such as x-ray, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests. • Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition. • Instruct and counsel patients about prescribed therapeutic regimens, normal growth and development, family planning, emotional problems of daily living, and health maintenance. • Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal. • Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients. • Obtain, compile, and record patient medical data, including health history, progress notes, and results of physical examination. • Perform therapeutic procedures, such as injections, immunizations, suturing and wound care, and infection management. • Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Master's degree] • Strong critical thinking, monitoring, reading comprehension, active listening, speaking and writing skills • Working knowledge of medicine and dentistry, biology, English Language and psychology • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $65.33 an hour ($135,880 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for physician assistants
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to administer or order diagnostic tests, such as x-ray, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to instruct and counsel patients about prescribed therapeutic regimens, normal growth and development, family planning, emotional problems of daily living, and health maintenance. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What physician assistants do
- Administer or order diagnostic tests, such as x-ray, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests.
- Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition.
- Instruct and counsel patients about prescribed therapeutic regimens, normal growth and development, family planning, emotional problems of daily living, and health maintenance.
- Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal.
- Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
- Obtain, compile, and record patient medical data, including health history, progress notes, and results of physical examination.
- Perform therapeutic procedures, such as injections, immunizations, suturing and wound care, and infection management.
- Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for physician assistants
- Typical education to start: Master's degree (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
- Job outlook: +21.1% over ten years, much faster than average · about 11,500 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay physician assistants
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $165,690 |
| California | $165,650 |
| Washington | $164,360 |
| Hawaii | $164,050 |
| New York | $160,880 |
| Tennessee | $118,240 |
| Georgia | $115,390 |
| Alabama | $104,960 |
See physician assistants pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Emergency Medicine Physicians
- Family Medicine Physicians
- Pediatric Surgeons
- Cardiologists
- Nurse Practitioners
- Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric
- General Internal Medicine Physicians
- Pediatricians, General
- Registered Nurses
- Anesthesiologists
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.