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In January 2026, U.S. News & World Report named the PA profession the #2 Best Health Care Job. The PA profession has been in the top 10 best healthcare jobs for 9 consecutive years, and this is the second year in a row at #2.
The PA workforce grows each year, with more than 10,000 newly certified PAs entering the workforce annually. With 201,038 physician assistants at the end of the year, 2025 saw a 5.9% increase in the number of PAs over 2024.Many organizations now hire PAs to help ease the burden on physician scheduling as the doctor shortage worsens. This increases the competition to onboard physician assistants.
So, how do you attract these PAs to your organization?
Challenges to Filling PA Positions
Despite the increasing availability, filling a PA position can still be problematic. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects an average of about 11,500 PA job openings annually over the next decade. Most of these openings are to replace PAs who transfer to different occupations or exit the workforce for other reasons. In a May 2026 survey, 5.8% of PAs said they planned to retire within the next 5 years.
PA burnout may be a factor
Burnout may contribute to PAs leaving their positions. A recent survey by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants shows that 30% of PAs have at least one symptom of burnout. In that survey, nearly 8% of respondents said they planned to leave the profession within the next year.
A number of factors contribute to burnout. Age, location, specialty, and gender matter: those over the age of 35 working in urgent care or community health centers, in primary care roles, and who are female were most likely to experience burnout.
The number of positions and hours worked were also factors. PAs who worked in 2 or more clinical positions experienced 34% less burnout than those who worked just one position, for example. Not surprisingly, PAs who worked 51 to 60 hours a week were twice as likely to be burnout than those toiling fewer than 30 hours weekly.
Let’s not forget that being a PA is hard work. In fact, PAs have about 12 million patient interactions each week.
Tips for Attracting New Physician Assistants
Attracting new PAs to your organization may be easier than you think.
Offer a competitive salary. Your organization probably doesn’t have to offer the highest salary in the nation, but it does need to offer pay that is competitive with other organizations in your area.
Appeal to new grads. Advertise supportive onboarding and mentoring programs to attract new graduates. Consider student loan assistance or sign-on bonuses.
Appeal to experienced PAs. Offer greater independence for experienced PAs. Be sure to check your state laws and regulations first, of course.
Prioritize workplace wellness through flexible PA scheduling software. Workplace wellness is a hot topic these days. Flexible shift scheduling is highly attractive to new grads and experienced PAs alike, as it allows them to effectively manage their time and reduce the risk of burnout.
ByteBloc has the PA scheduling software to help you attract the best and brightest physician assistants
Introduced in 1989 for emergency medicine scheduling, ByteBloc Software now helps all types of healthcare organizations provide flexible scheduling. For more information on flexible PA scheduling software that attracts top talent, contact ByteBloc.
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