EM PA / Physician Associate Staffing Specialists Since 2006. This guide is maintained by Blake Moser, founder of Advanced Practice Recruiters — a Tyler, Texas firm that has placed physician assistants exclusively since 2006. Below: the actual Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant subspecialty roles we work, what hiring managers and candidates need to know about credentials and compensation, and how the search runs in practice.
Emergency medicine physician assistants — increasingly referred to as physician associates — are critical to the operational success of every emergency department. With EM physician shortages and rising ED visit volumes, healthcare systems are relying on experienced EM PAs to manage undifferentiated patients, high-acuity cases, and complex procedures.
Recruiting emergency medicine PAs requires a recruiter who understands shift-based compensation models, ED-specific procedural competencies, and what drives high-performing EM providers. The best physician assistants and physician associates working in emergency medicine are not searching job boards — they're recruited through professional networks, specialty EM PA communities, and direct outreach.
Advanced Practice Recruiters has placed emergency medicine PAs at Level I trauma centers, community EDs, pediatric emergency departments, freestanding emergency centers, and urgent care networks across all 50 states.
The physician assistant role types we routinely fill in this subspecialty:
We maintain an active pipeline of credentialed EM PAs across all levels of emergency care, including candidates open to relocation for the right opportunity.
We understand hourly EM PA rates, shift differentials, night/weekend premiums, and how to benchmark total compensation packages competitively.
We screen EM PA candidates for specific procedural skills — intubation, central line placement, chest tube insertion, procedural sedation — and match competencies to your ED's acuity and case mix.
ED staffing can't wait weeks. Our 24–48 hour turnaround on candidate profiles ensures you stay staffed without relying on expensive locum coverage for extended periods.
Every Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant search opens with a 20-minute scoping call: clinical scope, certification and credentialing requirements, productivity expectation, supervision or collaboration framework, geography, and a realistic compensation envelope. From there we work our active and passive physician assistant pipeline, screen each candidate against the role's specific subspecialty fit (board certification, state licensure or licensure-eligibility, DEA where required, malpractice history, recent case mix), and present a credentialed shortlist within a few business days.
Engagement is contingent — no upfront fee, no exclusivity required. Permanent placements carry a written replacement guarantee covering the initial employment period; if the placed physician assistant leaves inside the guarantee window we re-run the search at no additional fee.
Compensation for physician assistants in this subspecialty has continued to climb through 2026 as demand outpaces supply. Below are typical base ranges we see across our placement activity. Total compensation often runs 10–25% higher with productivity incentives, signing bonuses, and benefits factored in.
Factors that move compensation within these ranges:
Reference data: U.S. BLS — Physician Assistants (OOH), NCCPA Statistical Profile, and AAPA Compensation Resources.
Every candidate we present is verified for the PA-C with optional CAQ-EM credential issued by the NCCPA — Emergency Medicine CAQ available, plus active state licensure, DEA registration where required, malpractice history, and recent clinical practice. We do not paper-blast resumes — every shortlist is screened against the role's specific credential and scope requirements.
Standard credential requirements:
EM PA demand sustained by ED physician shortages and rising ED visit volumes.
Emergency medicine physician assistant demand remains exceptionally strong entering 2026. Emergency department visit volumes continue rising while EM physician training programs face declining applications — a gap being filled by experienced EM PAs. Freestanding emergency centers, urgent care networks, and hospital-based EDs are all competing for the same limited pool of experienced EM PA-C candidates. EM PAs with trauma center experience and broad procedural competency are among the most aggressively recruited providers in all of healthcare.
Hottest markets we are placing in right now: Level I trauma centers nationwide, High-growth ED markets: Texas, Florida, Southeast, Freestanding emergency center networks, Urgent care organizations seeking EM-trained PAs.
For community EDs, we look for broad emergency medicine experience, procedural competency, and comfort with undifferentiated patients. For trauma centers, we seek candidates with ATLS exposure and trauma-specific procedures. We tailor our candidate screening to your ED's acuity level.
Yes. We place EM PAs in full-time, part-time, and per-diem roles. PRN placements are common for EDs managing volume fluctuations or temporary coverage needs.
EM PA hourly rates range from approximately $75 to $120+ per hour, equating to annual compensation of $140,000 to $195,000+. Night, weekend, and trauma-center premiums can push total compensation higher. We provide current market rates for your geography.
The majority of high-performing EM PAs are not applying to job postings. We reach them through SEMPA (Society of Emergency Medicine PAs) networks, specialty EM PA communities, direct outreach, and referrals from our existing candidate network.
Both terms will attract qualified PA-C candidates. 'Physician Assistant' remains more widely recognized by candidates and search engines, while 'Physician Associate' is the newer preferred title adopted by the AAPA in 2021. We recommend including both terms in your job description to maximize candidate reach — for example: 'Physician Assistant (Physician Associate) — Emergency Medicine.' We can advise on optimal job description language for your specific posting.
We screen for intubation and airway management, central line placement, lumbar puncture, thoracentesis, laceration repair, fracture reduction and splinting, procedural sedation, and resuscitation management. The specific procedural requirements vary by ED acuity level — we tailor our candidate screening to your program's needs.
Most EM PA compensation is structured on an hourly basis — typically $75–$120+ per hour — rather than a salary. Some health systems offer salaried EM PA positions with shift differentials. Total annual compensation of $140K–$195K+ is achievable with full-time scheduling. We benchmark both hourly and salaried models to ensure your offer is competitive in your specific market.
SEMPA is the leading professional organization specifically for emergency medicine PAs. It provides specialty-specific CME, advocacy, and community for EM PA-C practitioners. We maintain active relationships in SEMPA networks, which gives us access to engaged, high-performing EM PAs who are often not visible through general job postings.
Reach Blake Moser at Advanced Practice Recruiters: 469-457-4570 or blake@advancedpracticerecruiters.com. Most inquiries get a same-business-day reply.