Market intelligence· Virginia · Statewide
Physician Assistant Job Market in Virginia
Employer-location density, compensation data, specialty demand, and hiring trends — statewide
Virginia is the #11 PA market in the U.S. by employer locations. This page summarizes Physician Assistant/Physician Associate (PA) employer-location data, compensation benchmarks, and market trends across Virginia — mapped by PA JobSource, powered by the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA).
Data sourced from AAPA's PA JobSource (1,300+ total PA employer locations, snapshot October 21, 2026) and AAPA's 2026 Salary Report
- PA employer locations in Virginia
- 1,383across 3 major markets
- Actively hiring or open to networking
- 10735 locations actively hiring, 72 locations open to networking
- Median PA compensation
- $130,000median total compensationAAPA's 2026 Salary Report
- National rank
- #11PA employer-location density
212
PA employer locations in Richmond alone
$130,000
Virginia statewide median PA compensation — compared to a national median of $140,000 (AAPA's 2026 Salary Report)
9%
of actively hiring Virginia PA hiring sites have expressed interest in hiring new grads
PA employer locations by Virginia market
- 01Virginia Beach-Norfolk247 locations5 hiring$123,791 median
- 02Richmond212 locations8 hiring$145,760 median
- 03Roanoke77 locations3 hiring$127,000 median
Compensation medians are reported for each city’s metropolitan statistical area. Every Virginia location is on the PA JobSource map — log in to explore the full map →
Market breakdown
Top specialties by active job postings
% of active PA job postings statewide · may include multiple specialties per posting
- Critical Care
- 73%
- Urgent Care
- 56%
- Pediatrics
- 48%
- Emergency Medicine
- 44%
- Hospitalist
- 44%
- Internal Medicine
- 44%
- Occupational Medicine
- 40%
- Pulmonology
- 35%
- Family Medicine
- 30%
- Gastroenterology
- 21%
Employer setting
% of total employer locations · may appear in multiple settings
- Outpatient Clinic
- 72%
- Hospital
- 37%
- Ambulatory Surgical Center
- 23%
- Urgent Care Center
- 9%
- Military
- 5%
- Academic
- 3%
Frequently asked questions
What is the PA job market like in Virginia?
Virginia has over 1,300 PA employer locations tracked in the PA JobSource career discovery platform. The market is led by Virginia Beach-Norfolk (247 locations), Richmond (212 locations), and Roanoke (77 locations). Virginia ranks 11th nationally for PA employer-location density. The statewide median compensation of $130,000 is below the national median of $140,000, though Richmond is above it at $145,760 for its metro area.
What is the average PA salary in Virginia?
The median PA compensation in Virginia is $130,000 per year across all specialties and settings — below the national median of $140,000, per AAPA's 2026 Salary Report. Richmond is the strongest-compensating Virginia market at $145,760, reported for the Richmond, VA metropolitan statistical area — above the national median. Compensation varies by city, specialty, and employer setting.
Which Virginia cities have the most PA jobs?
Virginia Beach-Norfolk leads with 247 PA employer locations (median compensation $123,791), followed by Richmond with 212 (median compensation $145,760) and Roanoke with 77 (median compensation $127,000). City medians are reported for each city's metropolitan statistical area.
What specialties have the highest PA demand in Virginia?
Critical care, urgent care, and pediatrics post the most active PA job openings in Virginia, followed by emergency medicine and hospitalist. Internal medicine, occupational medicine, pulmonology, family medicine, and gastroenterology round out the top ten by active postings.
Is Virginia a good state for new graduate PAs?
Yes. Approximately 9% of actively hiring Virginia PA hiring sites have expressed interest in hiring new grads, compared to 6% nationally.
Is a physician associate the same as a physician assistant?
Yes — they're the same profession and the same PA credential. In 2021, the field's national association renamed itself from the American Academy of Physician Assistants to the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) and adopted “physician associate” as the profession's preferred title. Six states (Alaska, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire, and Oregon) have passed statutory changes, and two (Kansas and Wisconsin) have passed title recognition legislation. However, many employers, job postings, and state licensing boards still use “physician assistant,” and both titles refer to the same role.
Browse PA jobs by Virginia city
Free access · Available to all PAs by AAPA
Explore all 1,383 facilities in Virginia
107 are actively hiring or open to networking — filter by city, specialty, and setting to find the right fit
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Data reflects employer locations in the PA JobSource career discovery platform as of October 21, 2026. Compensation data from AAPA's 2026 Salary Report.