# Physician Assistants

> Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. May, in some cases, prescribe medication. Must graduate from an accredited educational program for physician assistants.
- **Entity Type:** role
- **Schema Version:** role.v1
- **Soc Code:** 29-1071.00
- **Summary:** Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. May, in some cases, prescribe medication. Must graduate from an accredited educational program for physician assistants.

## Aliases

- Certified Physician Assistant (PA-C)
- Family Practice Physician Assistant
- Physician Assistant (PA)
- Physician's Assistant
- Cardiology Physician Assistant
- Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant (Emergency Medicine PA)
- Orthopaedic Physician Assistant
- Orthopedic Physician Assistant
- Surgical Critical Care Physician Assistant (Surgical Critical Care PA)
- Surgical Physician Assistant (Surgical PA)
- Advanced Practice Provider (AAP)
- Anesthetic Assistant

## Tasks

| Text | Type | Iwa |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients. | Core | 4.A.2.b.1.f |
| Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition. | Core | 4.A.1.b.2.i |
| Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal. | Core | 4.A.2.a.4.f |
| Obtain, compile, and record patient medical data, including health history, progress notes, and results of physical examination. | Core | 4.A.1.a.1.l |
| Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval. | Core | 4.A.4.c.3.f |
| Administer or order diagnostic tests, such as x-ray, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests. | Core | 4.A.4.c.3.b |
| Instruct and counsel patients about prescribed therapeutic regimens, normal growth and development, family planning, emotional problems of daily living, and health maintenance. | Core | 4.A.4.b.6.a |
| Perform therapeutic procedures, such as injections, immunizations, suturing and wound care, and infection management. | Core | 4.A.4.a.5.c |
| Visit and observe patients on hospital rounds or house calls, updating charts, ordering therapy, and reporting back to physician. | Core | 4.A.1.a.2.e |
| Provide physicians with assistance during surgery or complicated medical procedures. | Core | 4.A.4.a.5.k |
| Supervise and coordinate activities of technicians and technical assistants. | Core | 4.A.4.b.4.a |
| Order medical and laboratory supplies and equipment. | Core | 4.A.4.c.3.e |

## Emerging Tasks

| Text |
| --- |
| Refer patients to other healthcare providers. |

## Activities

| Name | Iwa |
| --- | --- |
| Examine patients to assess general physical condition. | 4.A.1.b.2.i |
| Analyze test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment. | 4.A.2.a.4.f |
| Diagnose medical conditions. | 4.A.2.b.1.f |
| Collect medical information from patients, family members, or other medical professionals. | 4.A.1.a.1.l |
| Record patient medical histories. | 4.A.3.b.6.k |
| Order medical diagnostic or clinical tests. | 4.A.4.c.3.b |
| Prescribe treatments or therapies. | 4.A.4.c.3.f |
| Prescribe medications. | 4.A.4.c.3.f |
| Immunize patients. | 4.A.4.a.5.c |
| Administer intravenous medications. | 4.A.4.a.5.c |
| Provide health and wellness advice to patients, program participants, or caregivers. | 4.A.4.b.6.a |
| Assist healthcare practitioners during surgery. | 4.A.4.a.5.k |
| Supervise patient care personnel. | 4.A.4.b.4.a |
| Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments. | 4.A.1.a.2.e |
| Order medical supplies or equipment. | 4.A.4.c.3.e |

## Capabilities

| Name | Family | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Medicine and Dentistry | knowledge | 5 |
| Biology | knowledge | 4.81 |
| English Language | knowledge | 4.62 |
| Psychology | knowledge | 4.57 |
| Therapy and Counseling | knowledge | 4.5 |
| Customer and Personal Service | knowledge | 4.16 |
| Reading Comprehension | essential_skill | 4.12 |
| Critical Thinking | essential_skill | 4.12 |
| Oral Comprehension | ability | 4.12 |
| Problem Sensitivity | ability | 4.12 |
| Deductive Reasoning | ability | 4.12 |
| Inductive Reasoning | ability | 4.12 |
| Active Listening | essential_skill | 4 |
| Writing | essential_skill | 4 |
| Speaking | essential_skill | 4 |
| Social Perceptiveness | transferable_skill | 4 |
| Service Orientation | transferable_skill | 4 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | transferable_skill | 4 |
| Written Comprehension | ability | 4 |
| Oral Expression | ability | 4 |
| Written Expression | ability | 4 |
| Information Ordering | ability | 4 |
| Speech Recognition | ability | 4 |
| Speech Clarity | ability | 4 |
| Education and Training | knowledge | 3.97 |
| Active Learning | essential_skill | 3.88 |
| Monitoring | essential_skill | 3.88 |
| Complex Problem Solving | transferable_skill | 3.88 |
| Near Vision | ability | 3.88 |
| Science | essential_skill | 3.62 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | knowledge | 3.61 |
| Computers and Electronics | knowledge | 3.54 |
| Chemistry | knowledge | 3.47 |
| Mathematics | knowledge | 3.41 |
| Category Flexibility | ability | 3.38 |
| Coordination | transferable_skill | 3.25 |
| Persuasion | transferable_skill | 3.25 |
| Systems Evaluation | transferable_skill | 3.25 |
| Time Management | transferable_skill | 3.25 |
| Flexibility of Closure | ability | 3.25 |

## Skills

| Name | Type |
| --- | --- |
| Biology | Specialized Skill |
| English Language | Common Skill |
| Psychology | Specialized Skill |
| Reading Comprehension | Common Skill |
| Inductive Reasoning | Common Skill |
| Deductive Reasoning | Common Skill |
| Critical Thinking | Common Skill |
| Writing | Common Skill |
| Speech Recognition | Specialized Skill |
| Social Perceptiveness | Common Skill |
| Information Ordering | Specialized Skill |
| Active Listening | Common Skill |
| Complex Problem Solving | Common Skill |
| Active Learning | Common Skill |
| Chemistry | Specialized Skill |
| Mathematics | Common Skill |
| Time Management | Common Skill |
| Systems Analysis | Specialized Skill |
| Negotiation | Common Skill |
| Learning Strategies | Specialized Skill |
| Instructing | Specialized Skill |
| Microsoft Word | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Outlook | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Excel | Common Skill |
| Finger Dexterity | Common Skill |
| Visualization | Specialized Skill |
| Telecommunications | Specialized Skill |
| Physics | Specialized Skill |
| Patient Management Software | Specialized Skill |
| Depth Perception | Common Skill |
| Foreign Language | Common Skill |
| Geography | Specialized Skill |
| Equipment Selection | Specialized Skill |
| Medical Software | Specialized Skill |
| Installation | Specialized Skill |
| Equipment Maintenance | Specialized Skill |

## Tools

| Example | Category | Hot | In Demand |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Epic Systems | Medical software | yes | yes |
| eClinicalWorks EHR software | Medical software | yes | no |
| MEDITECH software | Medical software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software | yes | no |
| ChartWare EMR | Medical software | no | no |
| Electronic medical record EMR software | Medical software | no | no |
| Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS | Medical software | no | no |
| Medical condition coding software | Medical software | no | no |
| Medical procedure coding software | Medical software | no | no |
| Patient management software | Medical software | no | no |
| Patient records software for personal digital assistants PDAs | Storage media loading software | no | no |
| Teleconferencing software | Video conferencing software | no | no |
| Teleradiology systems | Medical software | no | no |
| Web browser software | Internet browser software | no | no |

## Work Context

| Name | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams | 5 |
| E-Mail | 4.97 |
| Contact With Others | 4.92 |
| Importance of Being Exact or Accurate | 4.81 |
| Telephone Conversations | 4.78 |
| Freedom to Make Decisions | 4.73 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | 4.72 |
| Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results | 4.7 |
| Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team | 4.69 |
| Indoors, Environmentally Controlled | 4.67 |
| Frequency of Decision Making | 4.59 |
| Physical Proximity | 4.56 |
| Consequence of Error | 4.46 |
| Time Pressure | 4.35 |
| Deal With External Customers or the Public in General | 4.32 |
| Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals | 4.32 |
| Level of Competition | 4.24 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | 4.19 |
| Written Letters and Memos | 4.03 |
| Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities | 4.03 |
| Health and Safety of Other Workers | 3.89 |
| Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People | 3.89 |
| Conflict Situations | 3.65 |
| Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers | 3.46 |
| Spend Time Standing | 3.33 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | 3.27 |
| Spend Time Sitting | 3.19 |
| Importance of Repeating Same Tasks | 3.16 |
| Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection | 2.92 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | 2.85 |
| Exposed to Radiation | 2.7 |
| Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People | 2.62 |
| Spend Time Walking or Running | 2.62 |
| Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable | 2.59 |
| Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions | 2.49 |
| Public Speaking | 2.24 |
| Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body | 2 |
| Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings | 1.97 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | 1.94 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Equipment | 1.92 |

## Preparation

- **Job Zone:** 5
- **Job Zone Name:** Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- **Education:** Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- **Experience:** Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- **Svp Range:** (8.0 and above)

### Education Distribution

| Label | Percentage |
| --- | --- |
| Master's Degree | 81.08 |
| First Professional Degree | 13.51 |
| Bachelor's Degree | 5.41 |

## Person Fit

| Name | Family | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Integrity | work_style | 10 |
| Cautiousness | work_style | 9 |
| Intellectual Curiosity | work_style | 8 |
| Cooperation | work_style | 7 |
| Health Care Service | specific_interest_area | 6.67 |
| Achievement Orientation | work_style | 6 |
| Social | career_interest_type | 5.89 |
| Social Orientation | work_style | 5 |
| Investigative | career_interest_type | 4.94 |
| Medical Science | specific_interest_area | 4.93 |
| Social Service | specific_interest_area | 4.89 |
| Life Science | specific_interest_area | 4.71 |
| Conventional | career_interest_type | 4.46 |
| Realistic | career_interest_type | 4 |
| Self-Control | work_style | 4 |
| Teaching/Education | specific_interest_area | 3.9 |

## Related Roles

| Soc Code | Slug | Title | Tier |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 29-1214.00 | role-29-1214-00 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | Primary-Short |
| 29-1215.00 | role-29-1215-00 | Family Medicine Physicians | Primary-Short |
| 29-1243.00 | role-29-1243-00 | Pediatric Surgeons | Primary-Short |
| 29-1212.00 | role-29-1212-00 | Cardiologists | Primary-Short |
| 29-1171.00 | role-29-1171-00 | Nurse Practitioners | Primary-Short |
| 29-1242.00 | role-29-1242-00 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | Primary-Long |
| 29-1216.00 | role-29-1216-00 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | Primary-Long |
| 29-1221.00 | role-29-1221-00 | Pediatricians, General | Primary-Long |
| 29-1141.04 | role-29-1141-04 | Clinical Nurse Specialists | Primary-Long |
| 29-1071.01 | role-29-1071-01 | Anesthesiologist Assistants | Primary-Long |
| 29-1211.00 | role-29-1211-00 | Anesthesiologists | Supplemental |
| 29-1218.00 | role-29-1218-00 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | Supplemental |

## Career Clusters

| Cluster | Slug |
| --- | --- |
| Healthcare & Human Services | healthcare-human-services |

## Education Level

- **Category:** Master's degree

## Study Programs

| Title | Slug |
| --- | --- |
| Dental, Medical, and Veterinary Residency Programs | dental-medical-and-veterinary-residency-programs |
| Health Professions and Related Programs | health-professions-and-related-programs |

## Market

- **Median Wage:** 133260
- **Mean Wage:** 136900
- **Pct10Wage:** 95240
- **Pct25Wage:** 113770
- **Pct75Wage:** 160160
- **Pct90Wage:** 182200
- **Employment:** 155540
- **Area Title:** U.S.

## Industries


### Top

| Naics | Slug | Title | Level | Employment | Median Wage | Lq |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 62 | 62 | Health Care and Social Assistance | Sector | 143290 | 132820 | 6.15 |
| 61 | 61 | Educational Services | Sector | 3820 | 127900 | 0.28 |
| 56 | 56 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | Sector | 2140 | 157590 | 0.23 |
| 561320 | 561320 | Temporary Help Services | National industry | 1680 | 165470 | 0.63 |
| 621340 | 621340 | Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists | National industry | 800 | 136650 | 1.66 |
| 621420 | 621420 | Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers | National industry | 760 | 141240 | 2.43 |
| 55 | 55 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | Sector | 450 | 127870 | 0.16 |
| 621310 | 621310 | Offices of Chiropractors | National industry | 400 | 135240 | 2.72 |
| 81 | 81 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | Sector | 380 | 117220 | 0.09 |
| 623220 | 623220 | Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities | National industry | 320 |  | 1.23 |
| 621330 | 621330 | Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) | National industry | 160 | 131940 | 0.66 |
| 52 | 52 | Finance and Insurance | Sector | 40 | 134840 |  |

### Concentrated

| Naics | Slug | Title | Level | Employment | Lq |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 62 | 62 | Health Care and Social Assistance | Sector | 143290 | 6.15 |
| 621310 | 621310 | Offices of Chiropractors | National industry | 400 | 2.72 |
| 621420 | 621420 | Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers | National industry | 760 | 2.43 |
| 621340 | 621340 | Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists | National industry | 800 | 1.66 |
| 623220 | 623220 | Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities | National industry | 320 | 1.23 |
| 621330 | 621330 | Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) | National industry | 160 | 0.66 |
| 561320 | 561320 | Temporary Help Services | National industry | 1680 | 0.63 |
| 61 | 61 | Educational Services | Sector | 3820 | 0.28 |
- **Count:** 14

## Ai Signals

| Source | Label | Score | Scale | Release |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| frey_osborne | Computerization probability | 0.14 | 0-1 probability | 2013-baseline-2016-employment-snapshot |
| felten_aioe | AI occupational exposure | 0.1059147 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |
| felten_image_generation_aioe | Image generation occupational exposure | 0.0540946 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |
| felten_language_modeling_aioe | Language modeling occupational exposure | 0.0402409 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |

## Ai Outlook


### Index

- **Value:** 40
- **Percentile:** 38
- **Band:** Moderate
- **Version:** ai-exposure-index-v1

#### Components

| Percentile | Source |
| --- | --- |
| 51 | felten_aioe |
| 59 | openai_gpts_are_gpts |
| 11 | microsoft_working_with_ai |
- **Component Count:** 3

### Exposure

| Source | Label | Value | Percentile | Band | Note |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| felten_aioe | Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) | 0.1059147 | 51 | Moderate | How much this job's abilities overlap with what AI systems can do, across many AI capabilities. A relative research score, not a forecast of job loss. |
| eloundou_gamma | LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) | 0.75 | 59 | Moderate | Share of this job's tasks where a large language model plus simple tools could cut the time to do them by at least half. γ is capped at 1.0 and many jobs reach that ceiling, so treat a top score as 'in the top group', not a precise rank. |
| microsoft_applicability | AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) | 0.05109176634809853 | 11 | Low | How applicable today's AI assistants are to this job's activities, measured from real Microsoft Copilot conversations. Applicability is not the same as replacement. |

### Frey Historical

- **Source:** frey
- **Label:** Computerization probability (Frey & Osborne, 2013)
- **Value:** 0.14
- **Percentile:** 31
- **Band:** Low
- **Note:** A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
- **Teleworkable:** no

### Eloundou

- **Alpha:** 0
- **Beta:** 0.375
- **Gamma:** 0.75

### Usage Tasks

| Task | Usage Percent | Importance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal. | 0.0352287713272722 | 4.92 |
- **Usage Release:** 2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2

### Bls

- **Growth Percent:** 20.4
- **Growth Percentile:** 99
- **Direction:** Growing fast
- **Annual Openings Thousands:** 12
- **Annual Openings Percentile:** 66
- **Employment2024Thousands:** 162.7
- **Employment2034Thousands:** 195.8

### Sources

| Source | Version |
| --- | --- |
| bls_employment_projections | 2024-2034 |
| dingel_neiman | dingel-neiman-workathome |
| felten_aioe | felten-raj-seamans-aioe |
| frey_osborne | frey-osborne-automation |
| microsoft_working_with_ai | working-with-ai |
| openai_gpts_are_gpts | gpts-are-gpts |

## Ai Playbook

- **Trusted Task Count:** 3
- **Task Count:** 5
- **Total Sample:** 582
- **Autonomy Median:** 4
- **Dominant Collaboration:** learning
- **Automation Share:** 17.71
- **Augmentation Share:** 73.07
- **Work Use Percent:** 7.56

### Collaboration

| Label | Percent |
| --- | --- |
| learning | 63.1 |
| directive | 14.39 |
| validation | 5.17 |
| task iteration | 4.8 |
| feedback loop | 3.32 |

### Use Case

| Label | Percent |
| --- | --- |
| personal | 78.78 |
| coursework | 11.62 |
| work | 7.56 |

### Delegated Tasks

| Task | Usage Percent | Collaboration | Autonomy Median | Sample Count |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal. | 0.04030503812976622 | learning | 4 | 403 |
| Instruct and counsel patients about prescribed therapeutic regimens, normal growth and development, family planning, emotional problems of daily living, and health maintenance. | 0.00840105013126641 | learning | 4 | 84 |
| Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition. | 0.005500687585948244 | learning | 4 | 55 |

### Boundary Tasks

| Task | Human Needed Percent | Sample Count |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Instruct and counsel patients about prescribed therapeutic regimens, normal growth and development, family planning, emotional problems of daily living, and health maintenance. | 95.23809523809523 | 84 |
| Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition. | 90.9090909090909 | 55 |
| Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal. | 77.91563275434244 | 403 |

### Seed Prompts

| Prompt | Collaboration |
| --- | --- |
| Teach me how to interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal, then check my work as I try it myself. | learning |
| Teach me how to instruct and counsel patients about prescribed therapeutic regimens, normal growth and development, family planning, emotional problems of daily living, and health maintenance, then check my work as I try it myself. | learning |
| Teach me how to examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition, then check my work as I try it myself. | learning |
- **Release:** 2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2

## Counts

- **Tasks:** 12
- **Skills:** 36
- **Capabilities:** 120
- **Tools:** 17
- **Related Roles:** 20

## Source

- **Dataset:** gold.onet_role_starter_surface
- **Version:** 30.3
- **Generated At:** 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00
- **Content Hash:** 5d14a232b898ca84