Physician Assistant Hourly Pay in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY: $64.99 (2026)
Quick Answer:Hourly pay for a physician assistant working in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY runs $64.99 at the median for 2026 — annualizing to $135,174 at a standard 2,080-hour year. Figures projected from BLS OEWS 2025 (SOC 29-1071). Weighted against Louisville/Jefferson County's regional price level (BEA RPP 93.1, 7% below national), each hour of work buys what $69.82 nationally would. A 24-hour part-time schedule grosses $81,105 per year.
Official BLS data · View source

In Louisville/Jefferson County, the physician assistant hourly pay stands at a median of $64.99, which is slightly below the national median of $67.50. This hourly rate offers substantial earning potential for both full-time and part-time physician assistants. For those working 3 days a week, or on a per diem basis, the hourly earnings can provide a flexible income opportunity across diverse healthcare settings, including operating rooms, hospital wards, emergency departments, and urgent care facilities. Entry-level positions start around $51.41 per hour, allowing new graduates from accredited programs like those recognized by ARC-PA and NCCPA to gain practical experience, while top earners can make as much as $82.21 per hour, especially in high-demand areas like surgical specialties and emergency medicine. This data is derived from projections based on 2025 BLS OEWS data, targeting 2026 figures.
Physician Assistant Hourly Wage Breakdown
| Percentile | Hourly Rate | Per 8hr Shift |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (P10) | $51.41 | $411.30 |
| Lower Range (P25) | $54.63 | $437.00 |
| Median (P50) | $64.99 | $519.91 |
| Upper Range (P75) | $68.64 | $549.08 |
| Top Earners (P90) | $82.21 | $657.69 |
Estimated Annual Income by Work Schedule in Louisville/Jefferson County
Based on $64.99/hr median hourly rate · 2026 est.
At $64.99/hr, a physician assistant working full-time (40 hr/wk) in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY can expect to earn approximately $135,176 per year (2026 est.). Part-time hygienists working 24 hours per week would earn around $77,986. With a cost-of-living index of 93.07 (below the national average), these earnings stretch further in Louisville/Jefferson County.
Hourly Rate Calculator
Schedule Comparison in Louisville/Jefferson County
| Schedule | Weekly | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-Time (40 hrs) | $2,599.53 | $11,265 | $135,176 |
| Part-Time (24 hrs) | $1,559.72 | $6,759 | $81,105 |
| Per Diem (16 hrs) | $1,039.81 | $4,506 | $54,070 |
Compare PA Wages With Similar Roles
| Role | Median Hourly |
|---|---|
| Physician Assistant (Louisville/Jefferson County) | $64.99 |
| Nurse Practitioner (National Avg) | $63.20 |
| Registered Nurse (National Avg) | $42.80 |
| Family Medicine Physician (National Avg) | $116.45 |
| Physical Therapist (National Avg) | $48.18 |
Physician Assistants in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY earn a median of $135,174 per year (2026 est.), which is 3.72% lower than the national median of $140,391 and 7.80% above the Kentucky state average of $125,393.
Physician Assistant Hourly Pay vs. Cost of Living
Working 24h/week at $64.99/hr = $81,105/year (purchasing power: $87,141).
Working 40h/week (full-time) = $135,176/year (purchasing power: $145,235).
CoL index: 93.074 (100 = national average). Your dollars stretch further here.
2019 BLS Actual
$45.68/hr
2025 BLS Actual
$62.90/hr
2026 Current Est.
$64.99/hr
2019–2027 Growth
+47.0%
Hourly Rate Trajectory for Physician Assistants in Louisville/Jefferson County (2019–2027)
2019–2025: actual BLS OEWS data for this metro area. 2026+: CAGR 3.32% projection.
| Year | Hourly Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $45.68/hr | Actual |
| 2020 | $45.45/hr | Actual |
| 2021 | $48.43/hr | Actual |
| 2022 | $55.73/hr | Actual |
| 2023 | $56.62/hr | Actual |
| 2024 | $60.65/hr | Actual |
| 2025 | $62.90/hr | Actual |
| 2026(current) | $64.99/hr | Estimated |
| 2027 | $67.15/hr | Projected |
Based on 7 years of BLS OEWS metropolitan area data, the median hourly rate for physician assistants in Louisville/Jefferson County grew 37.7% from $45.68/hr (2019) to $62.90/hr (2025). At a 3.32% projected growth rate, hourly pay is expected to reach $67.15/hr by 2027. Part-time and per-diem physician assistants can use this multi-year trend to benchmark future contract negotiations.
Note: Historical values (2019–2025) are actual BLS OEWS figures for the Louisville/Jefferson County metropolitan area, sourced from annual Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. 2026–2026 figures are current estimates, and 2027 values are projections, calculated using a 3.32% CAGR derived from 7-year BLS historical data. Actual salaries may vary based on employer, experience, certifications, and local market conditions.
Working as an Hourly Physician Assistant in Louisville/Jefferson County
Examining the financial implications for part-time physician assistants in Louisville/Jefferson County reveals a distinct earnings pattern. A professional working 24 hours a week could take home approximately $81,600 annually, a significant income but below full-time counterparts. For those seeking flexibility, per diem positions might yield varied rates; while base pay for many locum PAs may range from $75 to $130 an hour, specialties like orthopedics can see day rates skyrocket to $1,200 to $1,800. Moreover, revenue expectations can diverge significantly depending on the employer landscape—hospitals typically offer W-2 arrangements with benefits, while urgent care centers or private practices might present opportunities for higher pay via 1099 contracts. However, these higher hourly wages often omit perks like health insurance, prompting many PAs to weigh the trade-offs carefully. When negotiating pay, awareness of local conditions, like Louisville/Jefferson County’s cost of living index at 93.074, can enhance bargaining strategies, enabling PAs to establish fair compensation aligned with their qualifications and the demands of their specific work settings.
More salary data for Louisville/Jefferson County, KY:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hourly rate for physician assistants in Louisville/Jefferson County in 2026?
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Written by Jessica Tran, MPAS, PA-C
Career Analyst
Jessica has 10 years of experience as a physician assistant. Her specialty is cardiology in an outpatient setting.
Methodology & Data Source
Hourly wage figures on this page are 2026 projections based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2026 release. A 3.32% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), derived from 6-year national BLS wage trends, was applied to estimate current 2026 hourly rates for physician assistants in Louisville/Jefferson County. Part-time and full-time income estimates assume consistent weekly hours and do not account for overtime, benefits, or seasonal variation.
Data Sources & Methodology
Source: BLS, OEWS, 7-year dataset (–). Per-city data from annual BLS metropolitan area surveys.
2026 figures are projected from 2025 BLS data using a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.32%, derived from historical BLS wage trends for physician assistants (SOC 29-1071).
Compiled and verified by Jessica Tran, MPAS, PA-C, a licensed physician assistant with 10+ years of clinical experience. · View source data at BLS.gov