CA · Downey · Updated October 15, 2026

Physician Assistant jobs in Downey, CA

The median physician assistant pay in the Downey area is $75.10 per hour ($156,210 a year), with the typical range running from $60.50 to $94.36. 3 open roles with published pay are listed for Downey and its metro area. The CMS hospital directory lists 3 hospitals in Downey. Tell us your role and we email current openings near Downey.

Open Physician Assistant roles near Downey

Roles in other cities of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area.

More open Physician Assistant roles in Downey

1 more open role from employers in Downey. Each employer’s range arrives with your free pay report.

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Named employers near Downey, what they pay and the roles open now. Free for candidates, email only.

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Who is hiring physician assistants near Downey

EmployerRolesMedian pay / hour
One Medical2$75.96
MemorialCare1$69.95

Physician Assistant pay in Downey, CA

The metro median is 3% below the California statewide median of $77.44 per hour. Nationally the median is $64.07 per hour. BLS counts about 4,710 physician assistants employed in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area, 0.8 per 1,000 jobs. Employment is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole (location quotient 0.75).

LevelPer hourPer yearCompared with U.S.
Lowest 10%$41.59$86,51035% below U.S. median
Lower quartile$60.50$125,8406% below U.S. median
Median$75.10$156,21017% above U.S. median
Upper quartile$94.36$196,27047% above U.S. median
Top 10%$105.87$220,21065% above U.S. median

How Downey ranks

  • 15th of 329 U.S. metro areas by median hourly pay
  • 129th of 301 after adjusting for local prices
  • 9th of 21 California metro areas

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024, Physician Assistants (SOC 29-1071), all industries. This is what employers report paying, not an offer for a specific role.

What your pay buys in Downey

  • Overall prices in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim run 14% above the U.S. average (index 113.6, U.S. = 100).
  • Housing is the biggest driver: 70% above the U.S. average (index 170.4).
  • Adjusted for local prices, a $75.10 median hour buys what $66.13 buys at the national price level, 3% above the national median.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024. Prices are for the metro area, not for a single neighborhood.

Estimate your Downey paycheck

Estimated weekly gross$2,704
  • Per year: $135,180
  • Per month: $11,265

Gross pay before taxes and benefits, from BLS pay levels for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area. For take-home pay use the take-home pay calculator.

Travel assignment per diem in Downey

ItemFederal rate
Lodging per night$191
Meals and incidentals per day$86
Per week (7 nights, 7 days)$1,939
13-week assignment$25,207

Travel physician assistant assignments commonly pay housing and meals stipends. The GSA per diem is the federal benchmark for what those stipends can be tax-free. Whether a stipend is tax-free for you depends on keeping a valid tax home, so confirm with your recruiter and a tax professional. Compare with your offer in the travel pay calculator.

Source: U.S. General Services Administration per diem rates, fiscal year 2026 (average across months).

Hospitals in Downey

CMS lists 3 hospitals in Downey, 2 of the 3 rated ones with 4 or 5 stars. Hospitals are a major employer of physician assistants.

HospitalTypeOwnershipCMS ratingEmergency
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Downey
Downey, CA
Acute careNonprofit4 of 5No
Pih Health Downey Hospital
Downey, CA
Acute careNonprofit4 of 5Yes
Lac/Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Ctr
Downey, CA
Acute careGovernment and federal3 of 5No

Source: CMS Hospital General Information, public data. A directory of hospitals, not a list of our clients.

Primary care shortage areas in Los Angeles County

HRSA lists 99 active primary care shortage designations that include Los Angeles County (3 geographic, 9 population-group, 87 facility). The highest-scoring one rates 21 on a 0 to 25 scale, where a higher score means a greater shortage.

Shortage areas are where demand for nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other clinicians is greatest. Federal loan repayment programs such as the NHSC and Nurse Corps cover some clinicians who work at eligible shortage-area sites. Eligibility is set by each program and by the site, so ask your recruiter before you plan around it.

Source: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas data warehouse, designated areas only. A designation can cover part of a county.

Physician Assistant pay in nearby cities

CityDistanceMedian payPopulation
Paramount, CA3 mi$75.10/hr51,169
Norwalk, CA3 mi$75.10/hr98,230

Physician Assistant jobs in California · Physician Assistant jobs nationwide

License and tax basics in California

Master’s degree from an accredited PA program. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what California requires for your role with the California licensing board and with your recruiter before you commit to a start date.

California taxes wage income. Use your own rates in the take-home pay calculator.

California state guide

Other healthcare roles in Downey

Downey city guide: hospitals, employers and licensing

Common questions

How much do physician assistants make in Downey, CA?

Physician Assistants in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area have a median pay of $75.10 per hour, about $156,210 a year. The middle half earn between $60.50 and $94.36 per hour (BLS, May 2024).

Is Downey a good place for physician assistants once cost of living is counted?

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim ranks 129th of 301 metro areas for physician assistant pay after adjusting for local prices, and 15th of 329 before adjusting. Overall prices run 14% above the U.S. average.

Who is hiring physician assistants in Downey?

We list 3 open roles with published pay from 2 employers in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area. Your free report adds named employers and pay near Downey.

Do I need a California license to work in Downey as a physician assistant?

Master’s degree from an accredited PA program. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what California requires for your role with the California licensing board and with your recruiter before you commit to a start date. Confirm with the board before you accept a role.

Is Downey in a shortage area?

HRSA lists 99 active primary care shortage designations that include Los Angeles County. Shortage areas often have more openings, and some loan repayment programs cover clinicians who work at eligible sites.

What is the per diem for a travel assignment in Downey?

The federal per diem benchmark in Downey is $191 a night for lodging and $86 a day for meals and incidentals, about $1,939 a week (GSA, fiscal year 2026). Your actual stipend depends on the assignment and your tax home.

Does Valorem Health place physician assistants in Downey?

Yes. We place healthcare staff in Downey and across California. Tell us your profession and we email the roles open near Downey.

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What do employers near Downey pay physician assistants? Get the report.

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    Pay for your role at other hospitals

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    What they are offering now

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Pay report · PA near Downey, CA
Valorem Health Shift ReportFrom your recruiting team · [email protected]

Your PA pay reportDowney, CA · pay published by hospitals, collected October 15, 2026

1Pay for your role at other hospitals

  • Stanford Children's HealthPALO ALTO, CA · 4 postings$104.30/ hr$94–$115
  • Valley Children's HealthcareMadera, CA · 3 postings$103.69/ hr$75–$123
  • MarinHealthGreenbrae, CA · 4 postings$100.70/ hr$86–$108
  • Sharp HealthcareLa Mesa, CA · 2 postings$96.72/ hr$80–$114

Median posted pay per hour, with the range each employer published.

2What they are offering now

Low$71Median$86.92High$108

62 PA postings with published pay in California, 58 of them posted in the last 30 days. Month-by-month history by employer comes with your full report.

3Open now: 62 PA roles

  1. Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant - Primary Care (Full time) Lakewood, CAPermanent
    $131k–$160k/ year
    MemorialCare · Lakewood, CA · posted yesterday
  2. Family Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant - Sign-On Bonus Available - 4 days in clinic, 1 day remoteRemote
    $165k–$197k/ year
    One Medical · Remote (CA hiring) · posted 2 days ago

+ 60 more in your report. Each one has pay, shift and start date.

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