Typical Job Activities: 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. How can I decide if the Physician Assistant profession is for me? The links below will help you make an informed decision. Be sure to take the Career Assessments further down the page to investigate your "match" with this profession.  Holland Code: ISA     /     SOC Code: 29-1071 Typical Educational/Training Level from America's Career InfoNet: Bachelor's Degree Career Video: View Career Video View a Summary Report from ONET Outlook: Read more about the outlook for this occupation in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Use the Certification Finder http://www.careertools.org/certification to find out what state and national certifications are offered in this field. Job Growing or Declining: Find out if the job you want to pursue is growing or declining by using the Demand Decline List: http://www.wilma.org/wdclists Physician Assistant training is offered at the following colleges in the Northwest area of Washington State: None Search for additional colleges in Washington State offering training as Physician Assistant: Eligible Training Providers *(this degree is offered by 4 year colleges) See what graduates from the Physician Assistant programs are earning by going to the Job Training Results *(this degree is offered by 4 year colleges) Employers in Washington: Search by Industry   /   Search by Occupation Create new networking opportunities by finding Professional Associations in the area. Volunteer Opportunities may open new doors to new contacts. Student Budget Calculator  http://www.javacalc.com/java/StudentBudget.html Lunch Savings - Bring that Brown Bag http://www.javacalc.com/java/LunchSaver.html Financial Aid Finder http://www.hecb.wa.gov/Paying/index.asp

Growth Rates

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Search Wages by State or Local Area
State Profile with Occupational Rankings: Washington

Wages for Physician Assistants

A percentile wage shows what percentage of workers in an occupation earn less than a given wage and what percentage earn more. The Median Wage is the estimated 50th percentile of the distribution of wages; fifty percent of workers in an occupation earn wages below and fifty percent earn wages above the median wage. For the estimated 10th percentile of the distribution of wages, ten percent of workers in an occupation earn below and 90 percent earn wages above the estimated wage value. The 25th percentile estimate has 25 percent earning less than the estimate; 75 percent earn more. The 75th percentile estimate has 75 percent earning less than the estimate; 25 percent earn more. The 90th percentile estimate has 90 percent earning less than the estimate; 10 percent earn more.

Career Paths showing some lateral movement between related occupations. along with training needed
 

	Interest Profiler and Work Importance Locator
	Work Interest Quiz
	The Princeton Review Career Quiz
	The Career Key Test (top left hand column on the following web page)
	What's Your Personality Type?

The most important knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) are listed for Physician Assistants.

Career Video: View Career Video

Knowledge:

• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Skills:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Abilities:

• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

for additional information on Physician Assistants.