Annual Salary
£32,305 to £45,838
Average UK salary in 2019 was £30,378
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Social care or Therapy or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Social care or Therapy or go back to all job sectors
Physician associates support doctors to diagnose and manage patients in hospitals and GP surgeries.
Average UK salary in 2019 was £30,378
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
5.7% more Physician associate jobs in 2026.
You'll deal directly with adults and children with a wide range of medical conditions. You'll support the work of the medical team and provide care for patients with long term health problems.
You'll do many of the day-to-day tasks of doctors, like:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work in an NHS or private hospital or at a health centre.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
You can get into this career through:
To become a physician associate you need an undergraduate degree in a health or life science subject, for example:
After your degree you can study a 2-year, full-time, postgraduate physician associate diploma or master's course that is recognised by the Faculty of Physician Associates.
Courses combine the scientific study of general medicine and practical clinical experience. You'll study:
You'll usually need:
You may be able to do a physician associate degree apprenticeship, leading to a master's postgraduate level qualification. It will take around 30 to 36 months to complete.
If you're a qualified and experienced healthcare professional, like a nurse or midwife, you may be able to apply to become a physician associate. You'll need to take a postgraduate qualification in physician associate studies to do this.
You'll need to:
You can find vacancies on NHS Jobs and BMJ jobs.
When applying for courses and jobs, you'll be expected to have an understanding of how NHS values apply in your work.
At the end of your course you will sit a national exam and apply for physician associate membership of the Royal College of Physicians. This allows you to join the Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register (PAMVR) which proves to employers that you are a fully qualified physician associate.
You can find out more about training and working as a physician associate from the Royal College of Physicians and Health Careers.
As an experienced physician associate you may be able to move into management, medical teaching or research. Many physician associates work in general practice or emergency care, though it could be possible to specialise in a specific clinical area like paediatric care or mental health.
You'll need: