salary varies quite a bit by specialty and location. general figures:
avg all pa's in practice in 2002: 76k
primary care 55-80K+
subspecialties: 65k-90k+
ortho/surgery/emergency 65k-120k+
total range is probably 45k-240k( a surgical pa who is a partner in a practice can make>200k although this is by no means common). I have a friend who works on an oil rig in nthe arctic ocean who makes 240k/yr but I wouldn't want his life.....
many pa's get jobs from places they did rotations. it took me 2 months to find the right job after graduation but I also was moving across country and looking only for an em job in a saturated market( so. calif.). also this was several years ago. there are enough jobs out there for every graduate to start the day they graduate. it might not be in the location or specialty they want, but the jobs are out there. finding the right job takes a little time.....
