Wicked nervous for PA school and the debt and the expectations that come with it all! Your videos are really helping me take a breather with it all. Please keep it up!!!!
Love this! I am starting PA school this fall and I greatly appreciate your transparency regarding your income. I'm going to transition my channel from MLS to PA very soon :)
You're an inspiration, my man. Influencer or not, I really appreciate your transparency. By the way, when I saw the taxes taken out, it hurt, but not as much as it hurts here in California hahaha
John, thanks for your transparency in your videos! Your self-discipline and goal oriented mindset is so refreshing to see in a young man - hopefully your contemporaries see you and are influenced to pursue their goals as well - wishing you continued success!
The more people who share openly and advocate for others, the better we all become! Also, if it has been a while since you've gotten a raise or market adjustment, it may be time to ask
Hey John! Just recently discovered your channel as I am looking to transition into a PA career and I am loving it so far! I have a question for you, I saw you did a video on it about 2 years ago but things change so my question is do you think the PA field is over saturated and do you recommend students to get into the field? Thanks again
Hi! I would still recommend it, and there are jobs needing people. Ultimately, it takes a decent amount of credentials and schooling to get into the field, so demand exceeds supply. Thank you for watching and good luck with your endeavors :)
I really want to go into this fields I’m currently a MA and love it! I really want to do it but I’m going to be 30 this year and I only have a few college credits and I feel like I’m not smart enough but watching your videos I’m inspired
It's less about smarts and more about retaining key information, critical thinking**, and some problem-solving on the fly. I just did a video on age getting into PA school and if you get your prereqs done then you're not too far behind the 8-ball
@rogueyy9757 Don't worry about age. I'm 29 and Pursuing PA as well. I felt that I wasn't smart enough but paramedic school has taught me that time management is key. Critical thinking is a big plus that helps and group study sessions.
@@rogueyy9757 People get money hungry, I think it comes from the idea of a single person trying to compete with a dual income family. Would you rather work 80 hours a week and earn 200k a year in a high cost of living area? Or, would you prefer a relaxing life of 36 hours a week, 4 days off, and bring in over 200k a year? With the Local Ibew, as a lineman it takes 3.5 years to journey out. You can apply to your local union and become a substation technician, and by 2026, the Journey rate is $87hr, and double time of $176hr in California. Local 47. I tell you this, because if I wanted to compete with a PA, but didn’t feel like I had the opportunity to go 6 years into debt, or the stability to be an adult going to school, I’d just apply to an apprenticeship with the local electricians union. Currently my wife’s a nurse, just 2 years of school and she regularly earns $6,000 a week, I’ve seen her net $17,000 a month too. Two regular RN’s married, could easily compete with a pair of PA’s when it comes to income and overtime availability. A single journeyman lineman or substation tech, with zero student loans at local 47, can easily hit $300,000 a year. I’ve seen it. You don’t have to go for PA, or NP, or even MD. I will say the MD’s who earn $400,000 at 36 hour’s a week, laugh about pay discussion.
Smart people don’t get into PA school, tenacious, stubborn, arrogant people do. As long as you’ve got the drive to put in the work and make the sacrifices, you can do it.😁
I started at $92,500 as a new grad and through a series of job situation changes and location changes I pushed for a higher compensation at each turn. I also have a cohort of docs that have great working relationships and vouch that I do a good job and am an asset to the department which helps with salary negotiations. I’m not gods gift to EM but I work hard and have a good attitude. I think if you’re looking for significant pay increases it comes with time/experience/and looking out there to see what the competition is paying. I also emphasized having a good workplace and pay as important reasons when I switch jobs in addition to monitor my finances so that it’s more apparent where my money is going after it’s earned. I did do a video on salary negotiations which you can find on my channel.
Hey, can you do a video breakdown of your net worth? In your paycheck, you didnt mention 401k contributions. Can you create a video on your investment breakdown. You previously mentioned Vanguard. But is that a 401K, 403B, ROTH IRA, HSA or brokerage account. Im curious what vehicles youre using to growth your wealth (other than your real estate)
loving your content! not a clue if you have an idea but is it possible to do a master degree in the states and subsequently work when i finish my PA bachelor in germany. many thanks
You could likely make it work, but the biggest barrier is getting all the visas/permission to study and work in the US. PA programs do have international students so they would have more information for you.
Hi John, I want to thank you for the transparency of your videos and congratulate you on how far you have come. My name is Rylin and I am a PA working in urgent care. My goal is to work in the ER at some point. I wanted to know what is your scope of practice in the ER as far as procedures? When I did my ER rotation, there were not NPs or PAs in the department. Can you intubate, do chest tubes ect? If so, what was the training process like? I thank you in advance.
Hi, the expectation will vary heavily on your training, resources, motivation, individual trust, and institution. An academic center may have more opportunities and training for these procedures, but you are surrounded by residents, docs, or specialists (say trauma) who intervene and manage these cases instead. The flip side is a PA doing solo EM coverage in the middle of nowhere (not recommended) that has to be somewhat autonomous and expected to perform said tasks. I've seen some PAs who are superstars at these procedures, and it comes from experience, possibly an EM "fellowship" or prior critical care/trauma/paramedic jobs. With my current job, and even the last few prior jobs, I was basically told by the medical director that they expect the ER physician to handle complex procedures. Usually, critical patients are triaged at the highest acuity, and a doc is in the room anyways. Still, if one of my patients was initially fine and then started to deteriorate, I would bring it to the doc's attention, and we'd devise a plan. At the end of the day, it's about getting the patient the best care they can get. Personally, I have intubated, done joint reductions, placed all of one chest tube, and performed a small number of LPs. I have yet to place any central lines. The physician was at the bedside for all of these procedures outside of maybe some shoulder reductions. My experience can be vastly different from another PA in the ER. I wouldn't let learning some procedures hold you back from transitioning to the ED. I hope this answer helps and thank you for your comment.
Was about to ask this too lol doing the math when he said gross for the prior years, it was close to 180,000 then he bumped it down to account for certain things. My guess is every week? Not sure. If so that's wonderful
Where did I say I'm working 80 hours a week?? The particular paycheck was 80 hours in a 2-week time period, which falls in line with most of the US. My typical work week is usually 3 or 4 10-hour shifts but occasionally I do dip into overtime.
Pennsylvania! I went to Penn State for undergrad and Salus University for PA school, although they may be joining forces with Drexel's program in Philadelphia.
Dang! I’m a PA and my first job as a PA I worked in family medicine in Florida. 100k first year, 105k second year. Left at 22 months. I moved states in May after getting married so am currently looking for a new job (have been unemployed currently for 11 months). I’ll say, I’m not looking for a primary care job 😂
You may have a lot more luck and better pay with an urgent care gig. I know it depends on your state and area but you should at least be hitting $125-130k (or more) in UC with two years of primary care experience under your belt. $126,000 translates to $70/hour at 1,800 hours a year. I estimate 1,800 hours as 50 work weeks x 36 hours a week. You can adjust the variables for your own situation, for example, some may only work 1,680 hours in a year and urgent cares by me are paying $80/hour to PAs. Thanks for your comment and thanks for watching :)
Took a few months to find the first opportunity, but a lot easier for any subsequent work. I would say the difficulty is dependent on your location and how many ERs you can reasonably apply to.
I used each job change to incrementally increase my wage. I negotiated more and even got decent benefits with this one. If you are at $68/hr base and decide to change jobs would you settle for less than $68? Not likely unless the other aspects of the job were much nicer. Use your current $68 as leverage to ask for $75-85/hr or more at a new location if it’s possible in your area. Also helps to know that PAs are doing ER locums work at $110-130/hour and the physicians are making 3-4x or more of your current wages. It’s not cheap to staff an ER and you’re seeing 16-20+ patients a shift, that has value. Those copays alone would pay for all your services and then some lol
@@JohnThePA watching your videos inspired me to take the plunge into locums. I’m starting my first gig at $120/hr with 2 years experience ( 3 years in April 2025). Thanks for sharing your experiences and being open!
I don't pay for it out of pocket; it's covered by my employer. Some people do buy their own policy as a supplement. It's several thousand a year if you're a contract worker needing malpractice
There are only a handful of countries with PAs. US-trained PAs can work in several countries, but it's not usually the other way around. For instance, to practice in the US you would've needed to complete your post-grad degree in the US and pass our boards.
That’s a sad existence thinking that you need a spouse and children to have happiness. I’m happy with my dog, and while I have a partner, he is not my source of happiness he only adds to it
Hey did you get a bachelor's in PA? I have a bachelor's in Pharmacy and i was looking if I could get into PA. My bachelor's was four years and was looking to do PA abroad. It would help if anyone knows if four year Pharmacy is considered in the US as they have removed the program entirely.
@@wisdomandlove1661 i have talked to multiple pharmacists from the US and they say that the pay is less and the jobs are limited so it's best if I don't get my career into Pharmacy. I was also looking into the production/manufacturing medicines in a biotech/Pharma company. How does that sound to you?
Are you not in the US? A pharmacy job here is a doctorate degree. Not a bachelors. If you got a bachelors in another country you will need to get to the US and have your bachelors assessed you may need to retake classes. Once you have everything needed you will apply to PA school. You cannot work in the US as a PA unless you have gone through a US PA program and passed the board exams.
Wicked nervous for PA school and the debt and the expectations that come with it all! Your videos are really helping me take a breather with it all. Please keep it up!!!!
Thank you for the transparency. We gotta normalize talking salary, benefits, etc :)
Yes!!! We should be allowed to talk to make sure we are getting compensated fairly.
I heard it’s actually illegal for employers to tell you that you can’t speak to other workers about your pay
@@ivanmederos7291who give a damn robot
@@jakd2962 Fairly? nothing is fair. People who talk that way are usually jealous and lazy of someone who makes more than them.
Love this! I am starting PA school this fall and I greatly appreciate your transparency regarding your income. I'm going to transition my channel from MLS to PA very soon :)
Ahhh! I'm working on my bachelor's for MLS and looking into becoming a PA as well.
Thanks for being transparent and very inspiring to me! Awesome!
You're an inspiration, my man. Influencer or not, I really appreciate your transparency.
By the way, when I saw the taxes taken out, it hurt, but not as much as it hurts here in California hahaha
Those Cali PAs usually get paid more though so it evens out! Thanks for the comment :)
Hard work pays off 👍🏻
Thanks bro, Im starting my PA program on january 2024. Im very excited.
Yes!! Thank you for the inspiration and keeping me motivated. Your videos are beyond valuable
John, thanks for your transparency in your videos! Your self-discipline and goal oriented mindset is so refreshing to see in a young man - hopefully your contemporaries see you and are influenced to pursue their goals as well - wishing you continued success!
Thank you for the well wishes & comment! I hope you follow the journey on the channel :)
Good video brother it is informative for the new PA'S.
Thank you for the transparency and motivation!
Congrats bro 🙏💪
Could you do a video on PA school essentials? Such as having an iPad, helpful apps, etc?
Thanks a great idea! Thanks for the comment I'll work on it :)
I feel like an underpaid PA 🤣. Thank you for sharing!
The more people who share openly and advocate for others, the better we all become! Also, if it has been a while since you've gotten a raise or market adjustment, it may be time to ask
Hey John! Just recently discovered your channel as I am looking to transition into a PA career and I am loving it so far! I have a question for you, I saw you did a video on it about 2 years ago but things change so my question is do you think the PA field is over saturated and do you recommend students to get into the field? Thanks again
Hi! I would still recommend it, and there are jobs needing people. Ultimately, it takes a decent amount of credentials and schooling to get into the field, so demand exceeds supply. Thank you for watching and good luck with your endeavors :)
I really want to go into this fields I’m currently a MA and love it! I really want to do it but I’m going to be 30 this year and I only have a few college credits and I feel like I’m not smart enough but watching your videos I’m inspired
It's less about smarts and more about retaining key information, critical thinking**, and some problem-solving on the fly. I just did a video on age getting into PA school and if you get your prereqs done then you're not too far behind the 8-ball
@@JohnThePA thank you for the reply back I’m definitely going to pursue this career and when I’m done I’ll
Be messaging you back
@rogueyy9757 Don't worry about age. I'm 29 and Pursuing PA as well. I felt that I wasn't smart enough but paramedic school has taught me that time management is key. Critical thinking is a big plus that helps and group study sessions.
@@rogueyy9757
People get money hungry, I think it comes from the idea of a single person trying to compete with a dual income family.
Would you rather work 80 hours a week and earn 200k a year in a high cost of living area? Or, would you prefer a relaxing life of 36 hours a week, 4 days off, and bring in over 200k a year?
With the Local Ibew, as a lineman it takes 3.5 years to journey out.
You can apply to your local union and become a substation technician, and by 2026, the Journey rate is $87hr, and double time of $176hr in California. Local 47.
I tell you this, because if I wanted to compete with a PA, but didn’t feel like I had the opportunity to go 6 years into debt, or the stability to be an adult going to school, I’d just apply to an apprenticeship with the local electricians union.
Currently my wife’s a nurse, just 2 years of school and she regularly earns $6,000 a week, I’ve seen her net $17,000 a month too.
Two regular RN’s married, could easily compete with a pair of PA’s when it comes to income and overtime availability.
A single journeyman lineman or substation tech, with zero student loans at local 47, can easily hit $300,000 a year. I’ve seen it.
You don’t have to go for PA, or NP, or even MD.
I will say the MD’s who earn $400,000 at 36 hour’s a week, laugh about pay discussion.
Smart people don’t get into PA school, tenacious, stubborn, arrogant people do. As long as you’ve got the drive to put in the work and make the sacrifices, you can do it.😁
Monday motivate 💫
Thank you!
I want to become a physician assistant one day myself 😊
Bro that’s it… Jesus man it’s impossible to live out here, I’m gonna have to go to PA school, pass, & take on two PA jobs 😭
They call him big money now!! 🎉
It’s all relative, there’s always someone earning more. Thank you for watching :)
How do you negotiate that salary? Im a PA in the ED with a year under my belt
I started at $92,500 as a new grad and through a series of job situation changes and location changes I pushed for a higher compensation at each turn. I also have a cohort of docs that have great working relationships and vouch that I do a good job and am an asset to the department which helps with salary negotiations. I’m not gods gift to EM but I work hard and have a good attitude. I think if you’re looking for significant pay increases it comes with time/experience/and looking out there to see what the competition is paying. I also emphasized having a good workplace and pay as important reasons when I switch jobs in addition to monitor my finances so that it’s more apparent where my money is going after it’s earned. I did do a video on salary negotiations which you can find on my channel.
Hey, can you do a video breakdown of your net worth? In your paycheck, you didnt mention 401k contributions. Can you create a video on your investment breakdown. You previously mentioned Vanguard. But is that a 401K, 403B, ROTH IRA, HSA or brokerage account. Im curious what vehicles youre using to growth your wealth (other than your real estate)
loving your content! not a clue if you have an idea but is it possible to do a master degree in the states and subsequently work when i finish my PA bachelor in germany. many thanks
You could likely make it work, but the biggest barrier is getting all the visas/permission to study and work in the US. PA programs do have international students so they would have more information for you.
Hi John, I want to thank you for the transparency of your videos and congratulate you on how far you have come. My name is Rylin and I am a PA working in urgent care. My goal is to work in the ER at some point. I wanted to know what is your scope of practice in the ER as far as procedures? When I did my ER rotation, there were not NPs or PAs in the department. Can you intubate, do chest tubes ect? If so, what was the training process like? I thank you in advance.
Hi, the expectation will vary heavily on your training, resources, motivation, individual trust, and institution. An academic center may have more opportunities and training for these procedures, but you are surrounded by residents, docs, or specialists (say trauma) who intervene and manage these cases instead. The flip side is a PA doing solo EM coverage in the middle of nowhere (not recommended) that has to be somewhat autonomous and expected to perform said tasks. I've seen some PAs who are superstars at these procedures, and it comes from experience, possibly an EM "fellowship" or prior critical care/trauma/paramedic jobs.
With my current job, and even the last few prior jobs, I was basically told by the medical director that they expect the ER physician to handle complex procedures. Usually, critical patients are triaged at the highest acuity, and a doc is in the room anyways. Still, if one of my patients was initially fine and then started to deteriorate, I would bring it to the doc's attention, and we'd devise a plan. At the end of the day, it's about getting the patient the best care they can get.
Personally, I have intubated, done joint reductions, placed all of one chest tube, and performed a small number of LPs. I have yet to place any central lines. The physician was at the bedside for all of these procedures outside of maybe some shoulder reductions. My experience can be vastly different from another PA in the ER. I wouldn't let learning some procedures hold you back from transitioning to the ED. I hope this answer helps and thank you for your comment.
Thank you!
Did PA do you get paid every two weeks or every week?
Was about to ask this too lol doing the math when he said gross for the prior years, it was close to 180,000 then he bumped it down to account for certain things. My guess is every week? Not sure. If so that's wonderful
Getting paid 🙌
Paying taxes 👎
How many yrs of ER experience do you have?
I’ve been in the ER since April 2019.
So that's $4824.64 for two weeks of work?
Yes.
I want to be sure , you said you have been working 80hours a week ? ??What’s your schedule as PA looks like normally ?
Where did I say I'm working 80 hours a week?? The particular paycheck was 80 hours in a 2-week time period, which falls in line with most of the US. My typical work week is usually 3 or 4 10-hour shifts but occasionally I do dip into overtime.
@@JohnThePA You said 80 hours a week at the 48 seconds but I knew you meant to say 80 hours per pay period.
Which state are you in and where did you graduate PA school from?
Pennsylvania! I went to Penn State for undergrad and Salus University for PA school, although they may be joining forces with Drexel's program in Philadelphia.
Dang! I’m a PA and my first job as a PA I worked in family medicine in Florida. 100k first year, 105k second year. Left at 22 months. I moved states in May after getting married so am currently looking for a new job (have been unemployed currently for 11 months). I’ll say, I’m not looking for a primary care job 😂
You may have a lot more luck and better pay with an urgent care gig. I know it depends on your state and area but you should at least be hitting $125-130k (or more) in UC with two years of primary care experience under your belt. $126,000 translates to $70/hour at 1,800 hours a year. I estimate 1,800 hours as 50 work weeks x 36 hours a week. You can adjust the variables for your own situation, for example, some may only work 1,680 hours in a year and urgent cares by me are paying $80/hour to PAs. Thanks for your comment and thanks for watching :)
Prepa here awesome video bro ..Is this locums or as a staff PA at hospital?
My regular job. The locums work paid me $120-190/hr as a 1099. I made similar lump sums after 3-4 shifts when they included travel expenses as well.
@@JohnThePA any OT? And if you don’t mind sharing what area are you working in ?
helpful!
Thank you!
Was it hard to get into the field?
Took a few months to find the first opportunity, but a lot easier for any subsequent work. I would say the difficulty is dependent on your location and how many ERs you can reasonably apply to.
Where are these jobs? The 2 ER jobs I’ve had I was paid $50/hr plus incentives, could go up to $70/hr. My current job I make $68/hr base rate.
I used each job change to incrementally increase my wage. I negotiated more and even got decent benefits with this one. If you are at $68/hr base and decide to change jobs would you settle for less than $68? Not likely unless the other aspects of the job were much nicer. Use your current $68 as leverage to ask for $75-85/hr or more at a new location if it’s possible in your area. Also helps to know that PAs are doing ER locums work at $110-130/hour and the physicians are making 3-4x or more of your current wages. It’s not cheap to staff an ER and you’re seeing 16-20+ patients a shift, that has value. Those copays alone would pay for all your services and then some lol
@@JohnThePA watching your videos inspired me to take the plunge into locums. I’m starting my first gig at $120/hr with 2 years experience ( 3 years in April 2025). Thanks for sharing your experiences and being open!
How many days do you work?!
3 or 4 days a week, 10-hour shifts
How many hours do you work a week or nights?
Usually averages 35 hours a week. My prior jobs ranged from 11AM-9PM or 11AM-11PM. I don't do any true overnight shifts.
Is there any more bachelor degree physistant assistant programs
All the programs are masters degrees at this point
@@JohnThePA awful! You lost me there.
Yeaaa lemme lock in cause that’s a LOT of money holy shit 😳😮💨
Wonder how much of their earnings go to professional liability insurance.
I don't pay for it out of pocket; it's covered by my employer. Some people do buy their own policy as a supplement. It's several thousand a year if you're a contract worker needing malpractice
I don't understand when you say One paycheck does it mean One week or one month?
Paychecks are every two weeks
So are you getting paid biweekly?
Yes, every 2 weeks
Is master in physician assistant from UK accepted all along different countries?
There are only a handful of countries with PAs. US-trained PAs can work in several countries, but it's not usually the other way around. For instance, to practice in the US you would've needed to complete your post-grad degree in the US and pass our boards.
Props for the hard work!! Although each person is different, I could never live a single life at that age, all about family
He didn’t say how old he is lol, and he isn’t single from what his ig shows.
I have a great family, just no kids yet! One day
There is nothing wrong with being happy while single and childless.
That’s a sad existence thinking that you need a spouse and children to have happiness. I’m happy with my dog, and while I have a partner, he is not my source of happiness he only adds to it
@@MeepitQueen27 obviously a partner will bring happiness, but never to the tell and commitment of a marriage.
Yikes “single no kids” and now you have a fiancé? Lol.
Have fun buddy
"Single" aka the tax status for being unmarried. I've been in a relationship for years. I'm not sure what the "yikes" means in this context.
You rich lmao 🤣
Not yet! Still working on it 😂
so all you care about is money? cool
The channel is focused on finance & money, you silly goose.
Bro we need this info for people who are looking to pursue this career. Silly Billy
Hey did you get a bachelor's in PA?
I have a bachelor's in Pharmacy and i was looking if I could get into PA. My bachelor's was four years and was looking to do PA abroad. It would help if anyone knows if four year Pharmacy is considered in the US as they have removed the program entirely.
pharmacist don't need to do PA because they can earn well and they have less stress than a PA on the job
@@wisdomandlove1661 i have talked to multiple pharmacists from the US and they say that the pay is less and the jobs are limited so it's best if I don't get my career into Pharmacy. I was also looking into the production/manufacturing medicines in a biotech/Pharma company. How does that sound to you?
Are you not in the US? A pharmacy job here is a doctorate degree. Not a bachelors. If you got a bachelors in another country you will need to get to the US and have your bachelors assessed you may need to retake classes. Once you have everything needed you will apply to PA school. You cannot work in the US as a PA unless you have gone through a US PA program and passed the board exams.
@@MHSMagicLuver No i am not from the US. Will the four year bs degree won't even be recognised?
Thanks for not being a boomer who is secretive abt money