Insights / Hardest metros by occupation / California
10 metros where Physician Assistants are hardest to fill
Keep California San Francisco near $184,380 so the handoff names the cell.
Show California San Jose wage $223,640 while the draft is still open.
Name California Seattle wage $167,290 and the req stops guessing.
Put California Portland wage $163,810 before the screen gets longer.
Each metro
1San Francisco, CA
- Score
- 7.9
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.74
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.772
- Metro median
- $184,380
- Pay ratio
- 1.36
2San Jose, CA
- Score
- 7.8
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.87
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.909
- Metro median
- $223,640
- Pay ratio
- 1.65
3Seattle, WA
- Score
- 7.7
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.88
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.920
- Metro median
- $167,290
- Pay ratio
- 1.23
4Portland, OR
- Score
- 7.7
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.88
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.917
- Metro median
- $163,810
- Pay ratio
- 1.21
5Riverside, CA
- Score
- 7.7
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.57
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.595
- Metro median
- $165,490
- Pay ratio
- 1.22
6Los Angeles, CA
- Score
- 7.6
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.60
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.621
- Metro median
- $161,890
- Pay ratio
- 1.19
7San Diego, CA
- Score
- 7.5
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.86
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.893
- Metro median
- $165,160
- Pay ratio
- 1.22
8Sacramento, CA
- Score
- 7.3
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.95
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.992
- Metro median
- $161,470
- Pay ratio
- 1.19
9Washington, DC
- Score
- 7.3
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.92
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.962
- Metro median
- $148,200
- Pay ratio
- 1.09
10Minneapolis, MN
- Score
- 7.2
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 1.15
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.198
- Metro median
- $145,030
- Pay ratio
- 1.07
Ranked table
Swipe the table sideways. The same figures are in the blocks above.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Band | Location quotient | Jobs per 1,000 | Metro median | Pay ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | 7.9 | Hard | 0.74 | 0.772 | $184,380 | 1.36 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | 7.8 | Hard | 0.87 | 0.909 | $223,640 | 1.65 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | 7.7 | Hard | 0.88 | 0.920 | $167,290 | 1.23 |
| 4 | Portland, OR | 7.7 | Hard | 0.88 | 0.917 | $163,810 | 1.21 |
| 5 | Riverside, CA | 7.7 | Hard | 0.57 | 0.595 | $165,490 | 1.22 |
| 6 | Los Angeles, CA | 7.6 | Hard | 0.60 | 0.621 | $161,890 | 1.19 |
| 7 | San Diego, CA | 7.5 | Hard | 0.86 | 0.893 | $165,160 | 1.22 |
| 8 | Sacramento, CA | 7.3 | Hard | 0.95 | 0.992 | $161,470 | 1.19 |
| 9 | Washington, DC | 7.3 | Hard | 0.92 | 0.962 | $148,200 | 1.09 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN | 7.2 | Hard | 1.15 | 1.198 | $145,030 | 1.07 |
Takeaways
- State California Riverside as $165,490 while the role is still unposted.
- Give California Los Angeles figure $161,890 and nobody swaps in a national midpoint.
- Read California San Diego as $165,160 rather than hiding the cell.
- Take California Sacramento at $161,470 before someone copies a midpoint.
For recruiters
- Leave California Washington at $148,200 so the comparison stays on the table.
- Set California San Francisco near $184,380 inside the Hiring Pack at intake.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Related hiring pages
Methodology
Rows are the scored metro pages for Physician Assistants (29-1071) with the highest public market difficulty score, up to 10. Metros under 500 workers are not scored. A metro page is scored only when OEWS employment for that occupation is at least 500. Below that, the page stays up and is left off this ranking. Postsecondary teaching occupations and medical scientists are left off even when they are scored. Nominal weights, before a missing shortage match is rescaled, are projected openings divided by 2025 employment 18%, projected growth 22%, the metro median divided by the U.S. median 40%, how common the occupation is locally compared with the country 8% (the location-quotient column; a lower figure means a thinner local bench), a matching HRSA shortage designation 8%, and statewide all-industry JOLTS for December 2025 4%. Bands are Standard under 4, Elevated from 4 up to 7, and Hard at 7 and above. The California total-nonfarm job openings rate for December 2025 is 3.6. The U.S. rate is 4.0. Both are all-industry JOLTS rates. The article is tagged to California because that state holds the leading metro, so the publishing calendar does not stack it with another California article the same day. Rounded figures in the prose: $184,380 is stated as about $184.4K. a comparison of 1.36 is stated as 36 percent. $135,880 is stated as about $135.9K.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics · May 2025
- BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, total nonfarm · December 2025
A Hiring Pack starts from the role and the city on the req. First pack each month free, then $24.