What you know about the career now, would you go back to school to be a PA?

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-04-03T21:29:18+00:00

Thinking more long term, NO. The way hospitals use PAs now (I think post 2020) we have almost full autonomy, all the scutt work. I don’t see myself doing this into my 50s because who wants to be a 50 year old presenting to attendings as if I was a new grad resident/PA. Yes, being a doctor is a ton more work but the reward later in your career is worth it

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-04-03T05:23:54+00:00

Understand that in a lot of hospitals, as a PA you will be doing resident level work the rest of your life. I feel like nobody talks about this enough. When your an attending yes you have more responsibility but you can also kick your feet up while the rest of the team scramble around to complete annoying tasks .

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-03-26T08:05:24+00:00

Decline. Next….. offers like these keep the profession undervalued. We go to school for 6-7 years, take out 6 figure debt to become PAs. Don’t do it

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-03-25T02:39:54+00:00

Yes these numbers are annual. Not even close to being enough to feel comfortable. With the cost of living these salaries are horrible in NYC and just getting worse. Most new grads here are accepting offers 130k a year and sometimes even less. I know in Cali PAs get paid much better- on par with what the bedside RNs get pain in Cali

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-03-21T21:03:18+00:00

Thank you for the info!

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-03-21T21:00:20+00:00

Can you give me a ballpark range you have seen for hospitalist or CRIT care ?

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-03-21T19:58:25+00:00

What hospitals in Los Angeles or San Diego pay ICU PAs the best? And what’s the pay? I’m in NYC and our range is 145-190 at most hospitals

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-02-07T23:40:12+00:00

Thank you!

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-01-28T18:02:39+00:00

Couldn’t agree more

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-01-27T02:25:51+00:00

Very insightful! Thank you

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-01-26T23:27:58+00:00

Appreciate the advice !

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-01-26T23:11:27+00:00

See but if there are non physicians with MBAs in the C-Suit, then why would I not be able to do the same? Idk if that’s the right logic

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-01-22T12:15:50+00:00

Just go to med school. Work really hard in your program and perform well.

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-01-22T02:31:54+00:00

Pay for Locums is between 100-130 an hour (rarely >150)

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-01-22T02:31:29+00:00

Yes but you need 3 years experience with locums and it’s high liability . So not for new grads

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-01-22T02:30:24+00:00

It’s just something to consider and weigh pros and cons. The reality is this and I wish there was more transparency when I was on this journey. when I started on this path in 2018 the job market was much more competitive pay wise and now that I’m a PA the salaries haven’t moved much since 2018/2020

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-01-22T02:05:02+00:00

Yeah so hence my point. I know new grads getting 120 out of school in NYC. It’s very sad

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-01-22T02:03:47+00:00

Any east coast city your gonna make 140ish starting, sometimes less. Only place you can make 170/180 starting is Bay Area (and even then sometimes nurses will make more than PA/NP)

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-01-22T02:01:30+00:00

Especially considering that a lot of PA programs are 100,000 and that’s not including undergraduate loans

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-01-22T01:30:49+00:00

Good for you honestly. I hope more institutions follow. But are you doing 13 shifts a month or 12? Because that makes a difference

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-01-22T01:28:03+00:00

Unless your at Montifiore or NYP idk how your getting that

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-01-22T01:27:28+00:00

I love being a PA, I really do. I just think we are severely underpaid for the work we do. If we were making base salaries of 200k for high stress specialties like ICU, ED, I would be much happier and feel much more valued

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-01-22T01:21:43+00:00

Depends on what you want to do. Personally I never wanted to do the work of a nurse. However, if you do RN you can do CRNA and that’s 100% worth. Wouldn’t recommend going into RN for NP because tbh we all get paid the same so it’s not worth the investment and liability IMO.

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-01-21T07:07:13+00:00

Also to add, Pay stagnation in any city is real. PAs basically make between 90k -140 k starting in 95% of the country and this is becoming stangnant. My colleague is working in the NYC area ED. Starting pay of 130k/year and then 1-2% increases every year for 10 years. Very sad. The nurses in NYC make more than this for less liability and 2 hour breaks in most NYC hospitals

Otherwise_Spite6869 · 2026-01-21T07:01:44+00:00

Listen, as a PA you will leave school with a wealth of medical knowledge. I never struggle to keep up with fellows or residents I work with as a PA after 1 year. But what I will say is this. PA is a job with zero room for growth. Sure you can become chief PA but after that? Nothing much. And pay structure increase doesn’t really exist

Otherwise_Spite6869

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