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Physician Assistant: Occupations in Alberta - alis
Can you put yourself into the shoes of someone who’s sick? Are you good at solving problems and thinking critically? Can you work as part of a team? Then a career as a physician assistant may be just the right medicine for you.
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OCC info
Occupations in Alberta
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iStockphoto/AntonioGuillem
Emerging Occupations

Physician Assistant

Physician assistants help physicians expand their services. They assess patients to the degree determined by the supervising physician. They work with health-care providers to improve patient access to care. They may also provide patient education and conduct research.

This is an emerging occupation. It may have evolved from an existing occupation or emerged in response to consumer needs or technological advances.

Contents Expand All
NOC Codes

In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.

The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used.

Here is how this occupation has been classified over time.

2006 NOC

  • 3414: Other Assisting Occupations in Support of Health Services*

2006 NOC-S

  • D313: Other Assisting Occupations in Support of Health Services*

2011 NOC

  • 3124: Allied primary health practitioners

2016 NOC

  • 3124: Allied primary health practitioners

2021 NOC

  • 31303: Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals

2023 OaSIS

  • 31303.01: Physician Assistants

*This NOC group is considered similar to the Physician Assistant occupation. Because this occupation is only similar to the NOC group, related details and labour market information may not be accurate.

Duties
Updated Mar 31, 2024

Physician assistants are highly skilled health-care providers. They support supervising physicians and enhance their productivity. This allows more patients to gain access to quality health care. They can order investigations, diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, and surgically assist supervising physicians, among other things.

In general, physician assistants:

  • Conduct patient interviews and record medical histories
  • Perform physical exams
  • Counsel patients on preventive health-care practices
  • Perform and evaluate routine diagnostic tests
  • Diagnose and treat disease and injury
  • Tend to cuts, casting, and splinting
  • Provide referrals within the health-care system
  • Prepare patients for surgery
  • Manage patients before, during, and after surgical procedures
  • Act as a first or second assistant during surgery
  • Provide prescriptions and medical orders

Specific duties may vary with the physician assistant’s skill set and relationship with the physician in charge.

Working Conditions
Updated Mar 31, 2024
  • Strength Required Strength requirements vary

As part of a health-care team, physician assistants work under the direction of registered physicians to provide patient care in various clinical settings. Their schedules and working conditions depend on where they work and the role their supervising physician may have. In a hospital they may work rotating shifts of weekends, nights, or early mornings. In an outpatient clinic, they may work regular day-time hours. It can be a high-stress role.

Traits & Skills
Updated Mar 31, 2024

Physician assistants need:

  • Critical-thinking skills
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Empathy
  • The ability to work under pressure
  • Self-motivation and a desire to help patients
  • The ability to work well as part of a health-care team
  • An interest in pharmacology
  • An interest in human anatomy and physiology

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.

Top 10 Skills Employers Are Looking For

Allied primary health practitioners

2016 NOC: 3124

This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 73 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Nov 30, 2021 and Oct 15, 2024.

Review these skills to learn:

  • Whether or not this occupation matches your skill set
  • What training you may need to get these skills
  • What skills to highlight in your resumé, cover letter, and interview.
Tasks: Advise patients on health care
Judgement
Dependability
Effective interpersonal skills
Accurate
Flexibility
Initiative
Tasks: Examine patients and take their medical histories and consult with physicians and other medical practitioners to evaluate patients' physical and mental health
Team player
Reliability
Tasks: Advise patients on health care 56
Construction Specialization: Judgement 49
Construction Specialization: Dependability 48
Construction Specialization: Effective interpersonal skills 48
Construction Specialization: Accurate 48
Construction Specialization: Flexibility 48
Construction Specialization: Initiative 48
Tasks: Examine patients and take their medical histories and consult with physicians and other medical practitioners to evaluate patients' physical and mental health 48
Construction Specialization: Team player 47
Construction Specialization: Reliability 45
Educational Requirements
Updated Jul 19, 2024
  • Minimum Education 4 years post-secondary

The minimum education requirement is 2 years in a bachelor’s degree program followed by a 2-year physician assistant (PA) program. Successful completion results in either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies.

The basic entrance requirement is successful completion of at least 2 years of an undergraduate degree with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of between 2.7 and 3.0, depending on the school. Graduate PA programs require the completion of a 4-year undergraduate degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Other common admission requirements include Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status and experience in a patient care setting. Some programs may also have course requirements (for example, in human anatomy, biochemistry, chemistry, and physiology).

Required Education

The following schools offer programs and courses that meet this occupation’s educational requirements. Other eligible programs and courses may be available.

University of Calgary

To expand or narrow your program options, visit Post-Secondary Programs and start your search with:

*This data is for a NOC group that is similar to the Physician Assistant occupation.

Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.

Additional Information

Several Canadian post-secondary schools offer accredited PA programs:

  • McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario offers a Physician Assistant Education Program, which leads to a Bachelor of Health Sciences (B.H.Sc.) - Physician Assistant degree.
  • The University of Manitoba, Faculty of Medicine offers a Masters of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program.
  • The University of Toronto, Temerty Faculty of Medicine offers a Bachelor of Science Physician Assistant degree (BScPA)
  • Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia also offers a Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program

For current information on programs and entrance requirements, please visit the school websites or the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants (CAPA) website.

Certification Requirements
Updated Mar 31, 2024
  • Certification Not Regulated

As of 2023, physician assistant is a regulated health profession in Alberta, under the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA).

To be eligible to practice as a physician assistant (PA) individuals must have graduated from a Canadian Medical Association accredited program or have obtained the Physician Assistant Certification (PA-C), American designation.

It is recommended that all physician assistants practising in Canada are certified and have received their Canadian Certified Physician Assistant (CCPA) designation. To maintain certification and the CCPA designation, 250 continuing professional development (CPD) credits are required every five years.

The Physician Assistant Certification Council of Canada (PACCC) administers and maintains the physician assistant certification process.

Employment & Advancement
Updated Mar 31, 2024

Emerging occupations typically are the result of:

  • An increased human need
  • Technological advances
  • Greater specialization within an occupation

Often there are too few people working in an emerging occupation to gather survey information. Therefore, it can be difficult to define advancement opportunities or employment outlook. Some Albertans already are working in this emerging occupation, but future demand for it is unknown.

Physician assistants work in:

  • Public and military hospitals
  • Community health centres
  • Private offices of specialist physicians
  • Clinics

Physician assistants train as generalists but work in many specialties (such as orthopaedics, oncology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry). As they gain greater clinical knowledge and experience, they can assume new duties and seek higher wages. For example, they may supervise other staff and PA students. Additional education improves career prospects.

Industry Concentration

This section shows the industries where the majority of people in this occupation work. The data is based on the 2016 Census.

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.

Allied primary health practitioners
2016 NOC: 3124

94.6% of people in this occupational group work in:

NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.

Look for Work

Think Industries and Sectors When Planning Your Career

Jobs and occupations are changing every day. It can be hard to know what the future of work looks like—but not impossible. Look at industries and sectors for possible inspiration, insights, and opportunities.
3-Year Job Market Forecast

This section shows the short-term demand forecasted for this occupation in Alberta over a 3-year period. It also shows the number of people employed in the occupation.

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2021 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.

Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
2021 NOC: 31303
Medium
Demand
< 1500
Employed

Source: 2023-2025 Alberta Short-Term Employment Forecast

NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.

To see data for all occupations, visit Occupations in Demand.

5-Year Job Market Forecast

This section shows the employment outlook for this occupation in Alberta over a 5-year period.

Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

  • Time of year (for seasonal jobs)
  • Location in Alberta
  • Employment turnover (when people leave existing positions)
  • Occupational growth (when new positions are created)
  • Size of the occupation
  • Trends and events that affect overall employment
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iStock.com/filadendron
OCCinfo

Employment Outlook

Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors. Learn how these factors can affect your career decisions.

Explore emerging workplace trends in Alberta that could affect this occupation.

Wage & Salary
Updated Mar 31, 2024

Often there are too few people working in an emerging occupation to gather survey information. Therefore, no current provincial salary data is available for this occupation.

According to the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants’ 2015 Census [pdf], the average annual salary for a physician assistant in Canada is between $75,000 and over $120,000. The salary varies depending on factors such as work experience, the size and type of employer, and the location.

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.

Allied primary health practitioners

2016 NOC: 3124
Average Wage
$54.46
Per Hour
Average Salary
$97,452.00
Per Year
Average Hours
34.6
Per Week
Average Months on Payroll
12
Survey Methodology Survey Analysis

Source
 2021 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey

NOC 3124 Wage Profile

Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.

All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.

To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.

Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.

B: Good Reliability
Data Reliability Code Definition

Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.

Hourly Wage

For full-time and part-time employees
  • Low
  • High
  • Average
  • Median
Starting
Overall
Top

Hourly Wage

For full-time and part-time employees
Wages* Low (5th percentile) High (95th percentile) Average Median
Starting $41.49 $50.43 $46.84 $48.27
Overall $46.35 $55.62 $54.46 $55.37
Top $49.28 $62.91 $60.62 $62.91

Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.

* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.

Pay brackets for hourly wages

  • Starting pay: average pay offered for entry-level positions
  • Overall pay: average pay across all employees in this occupation
  • Top pay: average pay offered to top-paid employees

Industry Information

ALL INDUSTRIES
Health Care & Social Assistance
Public Administration
ALL INDUSTRIES $97,452
Health Care & Social Assistance $97,773
Public Administration $92,626

Skills Shortage

Employers that Recruited in the Last 2 Years
80%
80%)
Recruiting Employers that Experienced Hiring Difficulties
28%
28%
Employers with Unfilled Vacancies of over 4 Months
0%
0%
Vacancy Rate
N/A
Related High School Subjects
  • English Language Arts
  • Health, Recreation and Human Services
    • Community Care Services
    • Health Care Services
    • Human and Social Services
  • Science
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
Related Post-Secondary Field of Study
  • Health Care and Medical Sciences
  • Sciences
Other Sources of Information
Updated Mar 31, 2024

Alberta Health Services website: www.albertahealthservices.ca

Canadian Association of Physician Assistants (CAPA) website: capa-acam.ca

Canadian Medical Association (CMA) website: www.cma.ca

College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) website: www.cpsa.ca

Physician Assistants Certification Council of Canada (PACCC) website: capa-acam.ca/paccc

Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.

Updated Mar 31, 2024. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.

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