Annual Salary
£47,000 to £55,000
Average UK salary in 2024 was £37,430
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Physician assistants support doctors with diagnosing and managing patients in hospitals and GP surgeries.
Average UK salary in 2024 was £37,430
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
3.8% more Physician assistant jobs in 2029.
As a physician assistant, you'll work under the supervision of a doctor. You could:
You'll support the work of the medical team to provide care for patients with a range of medical conditions.
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 job through:
To become a physician assistant you'll need to complete a postgraduate diploma or master's qualification in physician associate studies.
For this, you'll usually need a first undergraduate degree in a health or life sciences subject, such as:
The postgraduate qualification takes 2 years to complete. It combines study with practical clinical experience in general, community and emergency medicine.
Some universities offer an undergraduate degree that includes an integrated Master of Physician Associate Studies (MPAS). These courses take 4 years to complete.
If you're already a qualified medical professional, contact universities offering the postgraduate course about their entry requirements.
You'll usually need:
You may be able to apply for a Physician Associate Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship, depending on your qualifications and experience.
The apprenticeship takes around 3 years to complete.
It is under revision, so speak to your employer to find out more about this option.
If you're a registered healthcare professional, like a nurse or midwife, you might be able to apply to become a physician assistant.
You'll need to take a postgraduate qualification in physician associate studies to do this.
You'll need to:
When applying for courses and jobs, you'll be expected to have an understanding of how the NHS values apply in your work.
You can find out more about training and working as a physician assistant from Health Careers.
As an experienced physician assistant you might be able to move into management, medical teaching or research.
You might move from general or emergency care into a specialism like paediatric care or mental health.
You'll need: