The highest average hourly wage for PAs is in Alaska, but the state also holds the nation’s fifth-highest cost of living, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. After adjusting for cost of living, PAs in Alaska are paid the 17th-most.
Hawaii’s sky-high living expenses means that its 22nd-ranked PA average hourly wage lands it at the bottom of the list, after adjusting for cost of living.
Here is every state, ranked by its living cost-adjusted average PA wage:
|
Rank |
State |
PA hourly mean wage |
Cost of living as a % of nat’l avg. |
COL-adjusted PA wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Oklahoma |
$56.79 |
85.7% |
$66.27 |
|
2 |
Iowa |
$56.62 |
89% |
$63.62 |
|
3 |
New Mexico |
$59.43 |
93.6% |
$63.49 |
|
4 |
West Virginia |
$54.70 |
88.5% |
$61.81 |
|
5 |
Wyoming |
$56.57 |
91.8% |
$61.62 |
|
6 |
Nevada |
$64.77 |
105.4% |
$61.45 |
|
7 |
Kansas |
$52.71 |
86.4% |
$61.01 |
|
8 |
Minnesota |
$58.79 |
96.8% |
$60.73 |
|
9 |
Connecticut |
$70.24 |
116.7% |
$60.19 |
|
10 |
Nebraska |
$54.44 |
91.5% |
$59.50 |
|
11 |
Texas |
$53.94 |
90.9% |
$59.34 |
|
12 |
North Dakota |
$57.34 |
96.7% |
$59.30 |
|
13 |
Michigan |
$53.39 |
91.6% |
$58.29 |
|
14 |
Illinois |
$52.97 |
91.4% |
$57.95 |
|
15 |
Wisconsin |
$54.73 |
94.8% |
$57.73 |
|
16 |
Rhode Island |
$65.29 |
113.8% |
$57.37 |
|
17 |
Alaska |
$72.32 |
126.7% |
$57.08 |
|
18 |
Georgia |
$50.11 |
87.8% |
$57.07 |
|
19 |
North Carolina |
$54.09 |
95% |
$56.94 |
|
20 |
Idaho |
$56.71 |
99.7% |
$56.88 |
|
21 |
Ohio |
$51.73 |
92% |
$56.23 |
|
22 |
South Dakota |
$52.54 |
93.8% |
$56.01 |
|
23 |
Indiana |
$49.05 |
88.9% |
$55.17 |
|
24 |
Washington |
$62.46 |
113.9% |
$54.84 |
|
25 |
Tennessee |
$48.86 |
89.5% |
$54.59 |
|
26 |
Arkansas |
$48.91 |
89.9% |
$54.40 |
|
27 |
Montana |
$56.30 |
104.8% |
$53.72 |
|
28 |
New Jersey |
$63.08 |
118.6% |
$53.19 |
|
29 |
Pennsylvania |
$51.69 |
97.9% |
$52.80 |
|
30 |
Vermont |
$61.56 |
116.7% |
$52.75 |
|
31 |
New Hampshire |
$59.65 |
113.2% |
$52.69 |
|
32 |
South Carolina |
$49.59 |
94.2% |
$52.64 |
|
33 |
Delaware |
$53.86 |
103.9% |
$51.84 |
|
34 |
Arizona |
$54.74 |
106.9% |
$51.21 |
|
35 |
Missouri |
$45.20 |
88.6% |
$51.02 |
|
36 |
Utah |
$52.22 |
102.4% |
$51.00 |
|
37 |
Florida |
$52.32 |
103% |
$50.80 |
|
38 |
Colorado |
$53.06 |
105.1% |
$50.49 |
|
39 |
Virginia |
$51.94 |
103.2% |
$50.33 |
|
40 |
Alabama |
$42.55 |
87.5% |
$48.63 |
|
41 |
Louisiana |
$45.08 |
92.8% |
$48.58 |
|
42 |
Mississippi |
$41.05 |
84.9% |
$48.35 |
|
43 |
Maine |
$56.34 |
116.9% |
$48.20 |
|
44 |
Oregon |
$57.24 |
120.6% |
$47.46 |
|
45 |
California |
$64.99 |
139.8% |
$46.49 |
|
46 |
New York |
$60.76 |
136.8% |
$44.42 |
|
47 |
Maryland |
$55.27 |
125.1% |
$44.18 |
|
48 |
Kentucky |
$38.17 |
95.2% |
$40.09 |
|
49 |
Massachusetts |
$56.65 |
147.9% |
$38.30 |
|
50 |
Hawaii |
$55.63 |
189.9% |
$29.29 |
Methodology
Figures in the far right column are calculated by multiplying the state’s average PA wage and its cost of living modifier.