Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant Salary in the United States

How much does a Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant make in the United States?

As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant in the United States is $118,031 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $57.

However, a Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $132,199
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $108,457 to $125,447
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $99,740
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View as table View as graph 25% $108,457 10% $99,740 90% $132,199 75% $125,447 $118,031 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $125,447 $10,454 $2,412 $60
Average $118,031 $9,836 $2,270 $57
25th Percentile $108,457 $9,038 $2,086 $52
Check out Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant Job Openings in the United States
Cardiothoracic Surgery Physician

AAS Healthcare Staffing - Springfield, OH

Surgery

Summit Recruiting Group - Findlay, OH

Surgery

CT Assist - Lima, OH

Surgery

WhiteCoat Locums - Toledo, OH

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Key Factors That Influence Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant Salaries

A Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $115,771
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $116,436
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $119,278
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $121,606
  • Expert (over 8 years): $122,188
Levels Salary
Entry Level Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant$115,771
Intermediate Level Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant$116,436
Senior Level Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant$119,278
Specialist Level Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant$121,606
Expert Level Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant$122,188
$115,771 0 yr
$116,436 < 2 yrs
$119,278 2-4 yrs
$121,606 5-8 yrs
$122,188 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistants

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $148,873
  • San Francisco: $147,242
  • Oakland: $144,139

What Skills Can Increase a Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Collaboration (Mentioned in 4.12% Job Postings): Works cooperatively and shares ideas with coworkers and managers to achieve common goals and objectives.
  • Acute Care (Mentioned in 3.45% Job Postings): Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery. In medical terms, care for acute health conditions is the opposite from chronic care, or longer term care. Acute care services are generally delivered by teams of health care professionals from a range of medical and surgical specialties. Acute care may require a stay in a hospital emergency department, ambulatory surgery center, urgent care centre or other short-term stay facility, along with the assistance of diagnostic services, surgery, or follow-up outpatient care in the community. Hospital-based acute inpatient care typically has the goal of discharging patients as soon as they are deemed healthy and stable. Acute care settings include emergency department, intensive care, coronary care, cardiology, neonatal intensive care, and many general areas where the patient could become acutely unwell and require stabilization and transfer to another higher dependency unit for further treatment.
  • Medical Services (Mentioned in 2.8% Job Postings): A service that provides medical treatment to people within an area or country: In poorer countries without a reliable health service, 90% of care for people with Aids-related illnesses is carried out in the home. health services.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Collaboration 4.12%
Acute Care 3.45%
Medical Services 2.8%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant's salary.
  • Wound Care: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • Team Building: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • Diagnostic Tests: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Wound Care
$131,014
11%
Team Building
$131,014
11%
Diagnostic Tests
$128,654
9%
Planning
$128,654
9%
Emergency Medicine
$122,752
4%
Geriatrics
$121,572
3%
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Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare, offers compensation 30% above the average. Conversely, Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$153,440$74.030%

How Education impacts a Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistants enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant with a Bachelor's Degree is between $125,465 and $133,530).

Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 7.1%
High School 7.1%
Associates 3.6%
Bachelors 19.1%
Masters 66.4%
Doctorate 3.8%
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Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on July 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant

Salaries for a Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $229,464 in 2023 to around $224,317 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$229,464
2024
$234,915
2025
$224,317
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $229,464
2024 $234,915
2025 $224,317
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant

Here are companies hiring for Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant and their salaries, click below for more details.

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Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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