Physician Assistant Job Search: Learn From My Experience

Posted By: Kubin   |   Salary and Jobs

Today I’m sharing my physician assistant job search tips in the hopes that they will save a few of you some heartache, and maybe snag you the job of your dreams.   Yes, I have accepted a physician assistant job.  I will be working in Urgent and Primary Care in Carmichael, California, a suburb of Sacramento.  The job pays very well, and involves my ideal mix of ongoing care and urgent care.  But getting where I am didn’t go much like I expected it to…

Physician Assistant Job Search Tip #1: Don’t Count Those Chickens

After graduating, I searched for physician assistant jobs, but not very hard.

You see, my preceptor (the supervising doctor I had as a student) wanted me to come and work for him, and I was excited to do so – great clinic, great staff, great patients, and a great doc.  But after being gone for about 6 weeks to study for my boards, take them, and get the results, I began getting cryptic emails from him, and it quickly became clear that he was changing plans after bugging me to work for him for nearly 6 months.

He wanted to hire either a physician or an experienced PA so that he could get a little more distance from the clinic.  And, he told me, if he did, he would not be able to hire a second person.  I didn’t think he would handle something like this so poorly, but it seemed clear that he had had a hard time breaking the news to me.  I think that not wanting to have the conversation, he had waited, which only made my situation more dire when he finally stepped up to tell me.  I’m also guessing his wife told him, “Look, if you’re not going to hire him, you need to let him know so he can find something else!”  Finally, he did, but it was too late.  I had squandered precious job hunting time.  So I hit the streets with no idea where I might work, counting on the high demand for PAs to get me through it all.  I began looking – aggressively.

My tip: pursue at least 2 and possibly 3 jobs simultaneously in case the bottom falls out of one – it’s always better to have more options.

Physician Assistant Job Search Tip#2: Recruiters Hire for Problematic Jobs

There are many PA job websites.  Once you express interest in a listing on one of these sites, you will get plenty of attention.  To do so, you provide your email address and they tell the recruiters about you.   Your email inbox floods with job openings from all over the country.  It’s overwhelming at first.  Multiple recruiting agencies will be emailing you about jobs – often the same ones – and asking for you to call them, write them a summary of who you are, let them call you, etc.   They do this because they get paid by the employer if they find the employee.  They know a lot more about publicity than about your or the job in question.

Recruiters are just head hunters, middlemen.  They are often hired to find employees for jobs that have gone unfilled for too long.  This means that many of these jobs are less desirable for reasons like:

  • They’re in a town with a population of 9, in a bleak Midwestern state
  • They involve working for disagreeable doctors/surgeons
  • They involve pain management in a county jail, and other tasks on par with a good root canal
  • They don’t pay well
  • The job is for 1 PA, but the work is for 3.

My tip: ignore nearly all of the recruiting communications.  Focus on jobs that were posted by the employers themselves.  But…

Physician Assistant Job Search Tip #4: Electronic Submissions Are Not Your Friend

Nowadays, employers use electronic submissions to speed the hiring process.  Here’s how they work:

  • You go to the website of the job listing
  • You decide to apply for a position
  • You fill in a few drop-down menus about your experience, location, the color of your underwear, etc.
  • You upload your resume and cover letter
  • In most cases, you never hear anything from this point on.

physician assistant job search 2Why are electronic job applications so lousy?

The software used by these companies or these huge digital job application clearing houses (like CEP America) spits out your resume and cover letter with poor or absent formatting.  This makes everyone’s information look uniform – uniformly bad, that is.  They think that this will strip the applications down to the meat, but all they end up with is a pile of hamburger.  So the only things that rise to the top are 1) where you worked, and 2) how many years you worked.  The employers tend to interview only those candidates whose applications are impressive in these two areas.

I, being skilled in other relevant areas (mental health, EMS, teaching) tend to fall through the cracks of such a system, and so does any newly graduated PA or nontraditional applicant.  If you are applying for a surgery job and you haven’t worked in that exact type of surgery since the Civil War, the employer probably won’t even scan what’s left of your resume.

My tip: do yourself a favor and concentrate on applying to jobs where you can actually send a hard copy of your cover letter and resume.  This way they can read it as you intended, and have to actually do something with it, even if that means trashing it.

Physician Assistant Job Search Tip #5: Word of Mouth Trumps All

The best jobs are found through real people, and this is particularly true for physician assistant jobs.  We’ve talked about networking as it relates to finding good letters of recommendation for PA school, and networking for jobs is very similar.  If you’re lucky, the same people you networked with about letters of recommendation for PA school will be great resources for you when you are job hunting.  My own job came when I left the following voice mail  for my dear friend, Sundance:

“Okay, Sunny, I really need a dose of you today.  I’ve been applying everywhere under the sun, and I’ve heard literally nothing.  I’ve submitted 12 resumes for different openings, and I’ve heard nothing – not a sausage.  I’m getting discouraged, and I can’t believe with all the openings I’m seeing, a guy like me can’t find a job.  Call me, babe.”

Later that evening Sundance responds via voice mail:

“Pauly!  I’m so sorry you’re discouraged, but don’t be.  I think I have a lead on a job for you.  I just interviewed for a job with my former preceptor clinic, and I can’t take it .it’s full time, and she’s expecting a second baby.  I told them all about you – I sang your praises, actually – and they sounded excited to meet you.  I think it could be a great fit.  Why don’t you call them?  Here’s Deena’s number…”

And the rest is history.

I strongly recommend that you put the word out to:

  • Family (I got connected to a hospital HR director through my sister, but got a job before using that connection “for coffee.”)
  • Friends
  • Neighbors
  • Fellow students
  • Your faculty (turns out I will be working in a clinic where our program’s Clinical Director once worked)
  • Your health care providers (doctor/PA/NP/Dentist/whatever)
  • Facebook?  Hey, why not?

My tip: you never know which connection is going to pay off, so you need to use them all.

physician assistant job searchPhysician Assistant Job Search Tip #6: Know Your Worth

After my interview, I rolled up my sleeves and spent an hour shadowing the doc so that we could get a feel for each others working style.  The next day he had me shadow the other PA.  Both went well, and the next thing I know, they want me to spend the next week training, 10-6 every day.  Okay, I thought, as far as they’re concerned, I’m hired.  But we still hadn’t talked about compensation.  Some would say that this should be done up front, but I disagree.  Sunny had told me the hourly range they shared with her, so I waited on it.  Timing is everything.

As the week moved on, we got to Thursday, and numbers hadn’t come up at all.  I was ready to talk turkey, so I went to Deena’s office and opened with:

“So if I were to come and work for you, what would that look like?

“But Paul, you’re hired.  You’re hired!” [I think my use of the word if scared her.  They really liked me, and they really needed me]

“Deena, I’m really looking forward to working here, but we haven’t talked about a some important things, and until we do, I can’t consider it a done deal.  Can we talk about compensation?  I mean, I don’t even know if you have a health plan, let alone what you hope to pay me.”

So we talked.  As usual for such talks, she talked about everything other than my wage.  It even degenerated into small talk.  Finally, I had been patient, but I couldn’t take it anymore.

I swallowed hard and put it out there.  “So, I guess the only thing left on the table is my hourly rate.”

“Ok,” she replied.  “What do you need?”

You should know here that I was ready to do battle.  I know that I’m a valuable hire.  I prepared for this conversation by spending some time thinking about what I would bring to the table that your typical new grad wouldn’t.   Do this!  Write down all the ways that you are more than minimally qualified.  These will be your arguments for why you deserve more than the bottom number that is proposed.  In my case, for example, I have a master’s degree in a different but very relevant field (mental health).  I had other reasons too, but before I could get out more than “Well, I’m aware of the range that was prop…” she interrupted me.

“You know, ” she said, “I’m authorized to offer you up to XYZ without talking to Dr. C, and I think we can do that.”  [XYZ = the top of the hourly rate range I was given!]

“If you would be willing to pay me XYZ per hour, I would love to come and work for you.”

And that was that.

My Recommendations for Physician Assistant Salary Negotiations:

  • Do your homework and know the approximate range you will be negotiating.
  • Be patient.  If they like you, then more time makes them want you more.  Hold your tongue about salary as if it didn’t matter.  Then, when there isn’t much left to decide, calmly ask about it in a way that indicates that this will be the last thing that determines if you will take the job.
  • When it’s time, open the topic, but let them do the talking.  It’s been said that in any negotiation, the one who puts out a number first is the one who loses.
  • Have three numbers in your mind: 1) the absolute minimum that you will accept.  Be willing to turn down the job if this number doesn’t come through.  2) what you think is fair and reasonable, and 3) your over-the-moon best salary that you can reasonably imagine.
  • If you are forced to give a number, provide a range between #2 and #3 above.
  • Believe that you are worth good money – you are!

If you’re about to start your own physician assistant job search, we would love to get your feedback.  What worked for you?  What mistakes do you wish you could take back?  What success did you have? 

33 comments

  1. What is an average hourly rate for a PA? If you don’t mind me asking.

    1. It depends on the geographic area, specialty, and experience of the PA. According to Indeed.com, the average PA salary in California (in all areas, specialties, and levels of experience) is $87K per year. To get the approximate wage per hour, take the annual salary in thousands and divide by 2. So 87K per year ~ $43 per hour. But pretty much all of my classmates are starting at around $45 per hour. I guess Indeed needs an update…

  2. This was a wonderful post. I have graduation in 8 months and can’t stop thinking about how to approach my job hunt as the date nears. Thanks for your insight.

    1. Thanks, Memo! I was glad to be able to share my story in an interesting and hopefully helpful way.

  3. Sandy Xian says:

    Thank you for the info! I’ve only just finished the summer session of PA school but many of us are thinking of where we want to work and hoping there is still a demand when we graduate. This post was really helpful in helping me realize that the demand for PAs doesn’t equal an easy hire (especially with the recruiting sites).

  4. Thanks, comrade Paul for a great post! I’m searching for a job too, and can definitely relate to what you went through. Congratulations on the job! Having spent some time with you in class, I can definitely say that you’ll be the best, straight up, no baloney, compassionated, and very caring Physician Associate.

    1. Thanks, V.! It was a great time, wasn’t it! I wish you tons of luck, and let us know where you land, okay? Peace,
      Paul

  5. Great post, Paul! It’s good advice for anyone in job search mode, especially those that feel like they’ve been filling a black electronic hole with their resumes! Paper resumes in the form intended are more personal, although recruiters would like us to believe otherwise. Congrats!!

  6. Pardon me, but this is one of the most useful and interesting blog posts I’ve ever seen. Thank you for taking the time to create it. Coming out of government (15 years), I have never had to deal with negotiating a salary, but certainly will in about three years when I graduate, and then with job changes after that (if any). This is a great preview! Thanks again.

    1. Thanks, Kyle! I hadn’t done much salary negotiation either, but when you get a job where your salary can vary as widely as +/- $20,000, you start learning fast!

  7. Such a great post! Since I just graduated I am deep in the process of job hunting. The big job boards are a worthless waste of time. I think the VA is the only exception to the endless on-line resume submission. It’s a harrowing process but when I actually completed it, the HR person who previously directed me to a position that would accept new grads, emailed me directly to let me know it was done and being considered. A great moment after weeks of NOTHING.

  8. hello i wanted to know what all classes i need to take as a PA-Physicans Asst? Such as what online school? Thanks.

    1. There’s no online PA school, unfortunately. The classes you need to take are determined by the programs you are applying to. Most require a master’s degree, along with biology, chemistry, microbiology, physiology, and anatomy. For more specifics, you’ll need to visit the particular schools you are considering. You can look them up on our Physician Assistant Programs Directory – just click the red link at the top of this page.

  9. Great site Paul, thanks for all the insight. What is the PA (new grad) job market like in the Sacramento area? I’m in school now (c/o 2014), and have a house in the Roseville area. Just trying to get an idea of what I’ll be walking into. I’ve looked online, and the atmosphere is EXACTLY like you metnioned. I’m taking the “word of mouth” method to heart for sure.

    1. You will always find a PA job in a an area like Roseville. But you may have fewer choices about where to work for your first job(s). Yes, word of mouth is king, particularly in a down economy.

  10. Most PA programs really require a Master’s degree? (post 14) Or did you mean a Bachelor’s?

  11. Hi !
    I’m a pre pharm student and I’m thinking about changing it for PA. Do you think it worth it? What was your clinical
    ? I’m thinking of going for the LPN so i can get to some Pa PA or . Do you think it’s a good idea? I really need some advice from wh have been thought the process! Thanks

    1. I think it depends on what type of work you would feel best doing. As a pharmacist, you will be learning plenty about medicines, their interactions, etc. You will also be doing a lot of patient education. As a PA, you will be doing some patient education, but you will also be making treatment decisions about patients. They are very different fields. Have you done any informational interviewing of pharmacists and PAs so that you have a good sense for how the fields differ?

  12. Hi Paul,
    I just relocated to the LA area and finding it pretty tough to find new PA positions on the regular that aren’t super far from where in LA im living. I’m from the east coast where the PA jobs are plentiful in NYC, however being in LA is ideal. I’ve scoured CAPA, AAPA, DocCafe, and even craigslist as well as trying to network, but am still finding it difficult. Any info on where else to look?

    1. If you are looking for a PA job and you are having trouble (it happens), I suggest you contact and make friends with a recruiter who specializes in PAs. They will assess your strengths and personality and find jobs that fit WHO ARE LOOKING for you to apply for. Just google physician assistant recruiting/recruiter.

      Word of mouth is also very powerful, by the way. Tell everyone you know – especially those who work in health care – that you are looking.

      If you are new to the area, ask if anyone knows anyone who works for a hospital system; they often have openings online, but don’t rely on them much because they don’t “know” you. When you can sit down with a rep from an organization and make a personal relationship, the opportunities will come much more easily.

      SUCCESS.

  13. I am currently a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) for the last 13yrs in emergency/urgent care and 10yrs as an RN and I want to change to being a PA. I have a BSN and an MSN. The state I work in has a terrible Board. They have accused me of something that is ridiculous and I’m currently disputing it with a lawyer. They have put a “probation” stamp on my license. I am sick and tired of this. So, I want to go to PA school. #1. will the college I applied to look into my license? #2. If not, when it comes to getting a job, will the fact I surrendered my FNP/RN be a problem ?
    Thanks.

    1. Hi, Linda –

      When you complete you CASPA application for PA school you will be asked about any license surrenders, actions, revocations, etc.. This is for ANY license, so even if you’re a cosmetologist, you need to give them the information on that license. I don’t think it automatically means that you won’t be allowed in. But PA schools will want to know the circumstances so they can decide for themselves if this is something about your application that they should avoid or disregard.

      For your second question, some potential employers would find out about it, but not all. Sure, some will ask you if you have ever had a licensing issue, and it would usually be the larger organizations, such as a hospital or a HMO like Kaiser. But individual clinics/doctors PROBABLY would not. And even if they do, you are free to give them your side of things so they can decide how much it matters to them.

  14. I’m in my second year of college, just got done with all my basics in community college and I’m having such a difficult time deciding on my major and future career. Your blog is SO helpful and informative! I’m seriously considering doing PA, considering the expenses of med school and the amount of time it will take compared to being a PA which is quite possibly just as hard yet just as rewarding.

    – I had a few questions; if I want to become a PA what should I major in to get my bachelors? Biology, Chemistry, or HDFS (human development and family studies)? I want a major in which I can be flexible in choosing my career path like be able to apply for PA program, pharmacy school, even med school if possible. I’m just stuck and can’t decide.

  15. Hey, Paul! Great article. I just had 2 quick questions. I am currently an Emt, hoping one day to be a PA. But I’ve been concerned about the job market, especially because of ObamaCare and other changes to healthcare. I’ve read that there is a shortage of physicians in the U.S. and I was wondering if there really is a shortage of physicians (Especially in primary care), how can that be good for PAs? I don’t know fully how PAs get hired and I thought that only Physicians hire PAs. I read in articles that alot of physicians are of the age of retirement and there’s a shortage, as well. So how can PAs get jobs if there seem to not be enough physicians to hire PAs? And if the physician retires or something, would the PAs he/she hired be out of a job? My last question is should I be concerned about all the articles that state that NPs will take PA jobs and that Physicians are more inclined to hiring a NP over a PA? I hope you see this and anyone else can answer if they like. Thank you.

    1. Good questions, all.

      There is a huge primary care physician shortage. That doesn’t mean they aren’t out there, it just means that they are stretched thinner than ever. They need PAs more than ever to cover the areas they can’t. Remember too that it isn’t always the doctor you hires the PA; often it’s a hospital or clinic. Yes, on occasion a solo practitioner will go out of business/die/retire and not be replaced, displacing a PA. But that can’t ever be avoided completely.

      Docs in my experience prefer PAs, but the honest answer is that one the whole there isn’t a huge difference and it’s a personal preference thing for docs. If they are familiar with what PAs do, they are generally in favor of them. The same can be said about their experience with NPs. Do you prefer chiropractors or accupuncturists for your pain management? My point here is that if you have good experience with one of those two you will probably prefer the one over the other. The same tends to be true for PAs and NPs. Don’t let it stress you.

  16. My program graduates at an odd time of year (August) compared to many other programs I know of. Because of this, several job fairs I am looking at are either really early or really late.
    In your opinion, when is the best time to start applying for jobs and sending out resumes?

    1. I think you should start applying for jobs as soon as you graduate. Yes, August is an odd time to graduate, but you really can’t take a job until you pass the PANCE, and that takes some time (at least 4 weeks or so, with the red tape) from when you graduate. So I say start applying when you graduate and make it clear that you are “License Eligible,” which means all you need before you can work is to take and pass the certification exam.

  17. Hi Paul,

    Awesome blog with great advice! I have recently relocated to the Carmichael area from SoCal. and I’m having a hard time finding a job. I would like to connect with other PAs so i can network on possible job openings. Can you provide any assistance? Thank You for this blog.

    1. Hi, Saf! Send me a message via our contact link. I’d be glad to talk sometime. Sorry it took me a while to get back to you!

  18. To new grads:

    How long did it take you to find a job as a PA?
    I need an honest answer please.

  19. Paul, thank you so much for writing this! I feel like I’m in such a weird position career-wise but reading your tips made me feel much better. I am a year and a half out of PA school. During the past year I have been employed as a hospitalist PA. During that time I also wrote a pance/panre review book and developed a company around relevant study materials (physicianassistantstudyguide.com), I am currently in the process of salary negations with a new employer and I was SOOOO lost until I just read you tip number 6 about knowing your worth during salary negotiations. I think you just gave me the bit of confidence that I needed. Thanks a bunch. .

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