Physician assistant pay in San Jose, CA
Physician assistants in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area earn a typical $223,640 a year. The middle half earn $167,230 to $250,240, and the top 10% earn more than $287,420. About 1,030 people do this job there.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (occupation: Physician Assistants, SOC 29-1071).
Pay range
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $100,240 |
| 25th percentile | $167,230 |
| Median (typical) | $223,640 |
| 75th percentile | $250,240 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $287,420 |
Typical pay here ranks No. 1 of 50 large metros for physician assistants before taxes and prices.
After taxes and cost of living
At the typical $223,640, a single filer keeps about $149,300 a year after federal, Social Security, Medicare, and California state income tax. Prices in San Jose are 10% above the US average, so that take-home buys what $135,200 would in a typical US city. That ranks San Jose No. 1 of 50 large metros for physician assistants after cost of living.
Where physician assistants’ pay goes furthest
- Seattle, WA$167,290 typical · worth $113k
- San Antonio, TX$140,160 typical · worth $113k
- Oklahoma City, OK$138,920 typical · worth $111k
- San Francisco, CA$184,380 typical · worth $108k
All 50 metros for physician assistants →
Where does your salary land?
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Common questions
How much does a physician assistant make in San Jose, CA?
The typical (median) physician assistant in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area earns $223,640 a year. The middle half earn between $167,230 and $250,240, and the top 10% earn more than $287,420. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
What is a good salary for a physician assistant in San Jose?
Anything above $223,640 pays more than half of physician assistants in San Jose. $250,240 or more puts you in the top quarter, and $287,420 in the top 10%. Experience and employer move where you should be in that range.
How much does a physician assistant in San Jose take home after taxes?
At the typical $223,640, a single filer keeps about $149,300 a year ($12,440 a month) after federal, Social Security, Medicare, California state income tax. With local prices 10% above the US average, that buys what $135,200 would in a typical US city.
Where do physician assistants get paid the most after cost of living?
Among the 50 largest US metros, typical physician assistant pay goes furthest after taxes and prices in Seattle, WA, San Antonio, TX, Oklahoma City, OK. San Jose, CA ranks No. 1.
More: Physician assistant pay in every large metro · Pay for other jobs in San Jose, CA
Local prices: BEA regional price parities, 2024. Updated November 2026.