Healthcare Recruiting
New York PA License 2026: Physician Assistant Requirements, Supervision, and Salary
New York PAs are licensed by the NYS Education Department (NYSED), Office of the Professions, a unique education-agency structure unlike most states. The supervising physician must file NYSED Form PA-1. New York City is one of the largest and highest-paying PA markets in the world, with 6+ major health systems competing across a metro of 20 million people.
Practice Model: Supervision via NYSED Form PA-1
- Supervisor registration required: Supervising physician files NYSED Form PA-1
- Full prescriptive authority: Schedule II-V with DEA registration
- Multiple supervisors: PAs may have multiple registered supervising physicians
Application Requirements
- Active NCCPA certification; ARC-PA accredited program graduation
- NYSED application and ~$135 fee; background check
- Supervising physician Form PA-1 registration; DEA registration
Processing Timeline
NYSED: 8-12 weeks. PA-1 supervisor registration adds 1-2 weeks. Total: approximately 10-12 weeks.
PA Salary in New York (2026)
| Setting | Median Base | Typical Sign-On |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital / Inpatient (NYC) | $145,000 | $10,000-$25,000 |
| Surgical First-Assist (NYC academic) | $158,000 | $10,000-$25,000 |
| Emergency Medicine (NYC) | $152,000 | $10,000-$22,000 |
| Primary Care / Outpatient (NYC) | $132,000 | $5,000-$15,000 |
| Upstate NY (Albany / Rochester / Syracuse) | $122,000 | $8,000-$18,000 |
Top PA Employers in New York
NewYork-Presbyterian (Weill Cornell, Columbia, and 6 campuses) is the flagship academic employer, subspecialty and surgical roles attract national competition. Northwell Health (19 hospitals, Long Island Jewish, Lenox Hill, North Shore) is the state's largest health system. Mount Sinai Health System (7 campuses) and NYU Langone round out the NYC academic tier. Montefiore (Bronx + Westchester) is the safety-net academic employer. Upstate: Albany Medical Center, Strong Memorial (URMC), and SUNY Upstate Medical University.
What We See at Ava Health
NYC is the highest-salary PA market nationally, surgical, EM, and academic subspecialty roles can reach $175,000+ total compensation. The Form PA-1 supervisor registration is the most distinctive licensing step in the country; budget an extra 1-2 weeks for this. Upstate NY offers accessible COL with competitive regional salaries.
Related: NP License New York 2026, PA Salary by State 2026, Healthcare Recruiting in New York 2026.
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