Healthcare's hiring dilemma: PA or NP?
Posted almost 10 years ago by Nicholas M Perrino
Nothing new or surprising here, other than some unsubstantiated conjecture regarding "physician assistants [having] a slight edge over NPs". No evidence, data, or facts are offered to support this claim.
"The growing shortage of physicians is causing many healthcare organizations to rethink the roles of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. More than any other, these are the professionals that are filling the gap left by physicians that are retiring, reducing their patient load or deciding to leave the field.
NPs and physician assistants are in highly sought, which means those seeking those positions can demand and achieve higher wages.
According to a Merritt Hawkins spring 2013 survey, search assignments for nurse practitioners and physicians increased by 164 percent from the year prior. Nurse practitioners ranked tenth on the list of most in-demand jobs in healthcare and physician assistants ranked twelfth.
Salaries for nurse practitioners rose from an average of $99,000 in 2012 to an average of $118,000 in 2013. Salaries for physician assistants rose from an average of $95,000 in 2012 to an average of $105,000 in 2013.
Citing the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Healthcare Salary World reports that the job outlook for both is positive and will remain so through 2020."