Physician Assistant Salary in St. Joseph, MO: $142,644 (2026)
Quick Answer:A full-time physician assistant in St. Joseph, MO earns a median $142,644/year (≈ $68.58/hour) in nominal terms for 2026 — projected from BLS OEWS 2025 (SOC 29-1071). Once you factor in St. Joseph's price level (14% below national, BEA RPP 86.4), that paycheck buys what $165,132 would nationally. Nominal pay sits 1.7% above the Missouri state average.
Official BLS data · View source
In St. Joseph, Missouri, physician assistants can expect a median annual salary of $142,644 in 2026, reflecting a slight edge over the national median of $140,391. The salary range for these professionals spans from $108,992 at the lower tenth percentile to $165,085 at the top ninetieth percentile. This information, derived from 2025 BLS OEWS data projected to 2026, indicates a promising salary structure that is partly influenced by the local job market dynamics. Physician assistants specializing in surgical fields generally earn more compared to those in primary care, highlighting the effect of specialty on compensation within the St. Joseph area.
Salary Breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (P10) | $108,992 | $52.40 |
| Lower Range (P25) | $128,489 | $61.78 |
| Median (P50)(typical) | $142,644 | $68.58 |
| Upper Range (P75) | $164,113 | $78.91 |
| Top Earners (P90) | $165,085 | $79.37 |
Median Salary Position
1.60% above the national average
2026 Salary Percentile Distribution in St. Joseph
In St. Joseph, MO, the physician assistant salary spread from the 10th to 90th percentile is $56,093 (2026 est.). At $142,644, the local median is 1.6% above the national median of $140,391.
Salary Calculator
At 40 hours/week in St. Joseph: You'd be above the median
How St. Joseph Physician Assistant Pay Compares
St. Joseph median: $142,644/year (2026)
| Compared To | Median Salary | St. Joseph Pays |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri Average | $140,259 | +1.70% more |
| National Average | $140,391 | +1.60% more |
Physician Assistants in St. Joseph, MO earn a median of $142,644 per year (2026 est.), which is 1.60% higher than the national median of $140,391 and 1.70% above the Missouri state average of $140,259.
Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary
St. Joseph has a cost of living 13.62% below the national average, meaning your salary goes further here.
Adjusted salary = nominal × (100 / CoL index). CoL index: 100 = national average.
St. Joseph, MO has a cost-of-living index of 86.382 (below the national average of 100). A physician assistant earning $142,644 nominally has purchasing power equivalent to $165,132 in an average-cost city — an effective 15.77% boost.
Compare Purchasing Power
Select a city to see how your salary compares after cost of living
Select a city above to compare purchasing power
2019 BLS Actual
$114,061
2025 BLS Actual
$138,060
2026 Current Est.
$142,644
2019–2027 Growth
+29.2%
Salary Trajectory for Physician Assistants in St. Joseph (2019–2027)
2019–2025: actual BLS OEWS data for this metro area. 2026+: CAGR 3.32% projection.
| Year | Annual Salary | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $114,061 | Actual |
| 2020 | $117,241 | Actual |
| 2021 | $123,480 | Actual |
| 2022 | $128,032 | Actual |
| 2023 | $132,106 | Actual |
| 2024 | $106,031 | Actual |
| 2025 | $138,060 | Actual |
| 2026(current) | $142,644 | Estimated |
| 2027 | $147,379 | Projected |
Based on 7 years of BLS OEWS data for the St. Joseph metropolitan area, the median physician assistant salary grew 21.0% from $114,061 (2019) to $138,060 (2025). At a 3.32% compound annual growth rate, salaries are projected to reach $147,379 by 2027 — a total increase of $33,318 (29.21%) from 2019.
Note: Historical values (2019–2025) are actual BLS OEWS figures for the St. Joseph 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.
Salary by Experience Level
| Experience | Estimated Salary Range |
|---|---|
| 0-2 years (New Graduate) | $108,992 – $128,489 |
| 3-5 years (Mid Career) | $128,489 – $142,644 |
| 5+ years (Experienced) | $142,644 – $164,113 |
| 10+ years (Top Earner) | $164,113 – $165,085 |
PA salary ranges estimated from BLS percentile data. Individual physician assistant compensation varies by employer, certifications, and specialization.
Physician Assistant Job Market in St. Joseph
Currently, there are 50 physician assistants employed in St. Joseph, emphasizing a solid local demand for healthcare professionals in this role. The cost of living index for the area stands at 86.382, suggesting that the purchasing power for these salaries is relatively enhanced compared to the national average. Notably, hospital systems and surgical specialty practices tend to offer the best pay opportunities within St. Joseph. This compensation variation largely stems from factors like specialty differences, case volume, and employment structure—wage disparities often favor surgical PAs with first-assist roles who can leverage RVU productivity bonuses. To maximize earnings in this market, aspiring physician assistants should target positions within surgical teams or even consider locum tenens opportunities to capitalize on higher rates when available.
More salary data for St. Joseph, MO:
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do physician assistants make in St. Joseph, MO in 2026?
Is St. Joseph, MO a good place to work as a physician assistant?
Can physician assistants make $100K in St. Joseph?
What is the cost-of-living adjusted physician assistant salary in St. Joseph?
How much does a physician assistant make per hour in St. Joseph?
Related Pages
Compare Salaries
Career Resources
Nearby Cities in Missouri
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
Salary figures on this page are 2026 projections based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2026 release. The BLS reported a median annual salary of $138,060 for physician assistantsin the St. Joseph metropolitan area. A 3.32% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), calculated from 6-year national BLS wage trends, was applied to project current 2026 compensation. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) represent the full salary distribution across experience levels and practice settings in this market.
Data Sources & Methodology
Source: BLS, OEWS, 2-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