Connecting PAs with Premier Healthcare Opportunities Across the Heart of Dixie. This page is maintained by Blake Moser, founder of Advanced Practice Recruiters in Tyler, Texas. APR places physician assistants exclusively — surgical, primary care, hospitalist, EM, dermatology, orthopedic, and procedural specialties. Below is what you need to evaluate the Alabama PA market: salary ranges, the supervision framework, where active hiring is concentrated, and how the search actually runs.
Alabama offers physician assistants a rapidly growing healthcare market with significant demand for advanced practice providers, particularly in rural and underserved communities throughout the state. The Alabama healthcare system is actively expanding, creating strong opportunities for PAs in family medicine, emergency care, orthopedics, and specialty settings.
With a cost of living well below the national average, physician assistants in Alabama enjoy exceptional purchasing power relative to their compensation. Major healthcare systems in Birmingham, Huntsville, and Mobile are actively recruiting PAs to meet the needs of a growing and aging patient population.
Alabama operates under a required supervision model, where PAs must maintain a collaboration agreement with a supervising physician. However, in practice, many PAs work with significant clinical autonomy in their day-to-day roles. The state's physician shortage in rural areas continues to drive strong demand for skilled physician assistants.
PA base salaries in our Alabama searches cluster around $110K, with most offers landing between $95K and $130K. Total compensation typically runs 10–25% above base once productivity bonuses, call pay, sign-on, relocation, CME, malpractice, and retirement match are included. Cost of living in Alabama sits below national average — material for translating an offer into actual purchasing power.
The factors that move offers most: subspecialty (surgical first-assist, neurosurgery, cardiovascular, EM, dermatology, and orthopedic spine/sports run at the top end), post-certification experience, the supervision model described below, urban-versus-rural placement, employer model (academic system, private group, hospital employment, FQHC, telehealth), wRVU structure, call frequency, and any NCCPA Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ).
Reference data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Physician Assistants (OOH) publishes the national mean wage and Alabama state-area estimates; AAPA Compensation Resources and the NCCPA Statistical Profile track specialty and credentialing breakdowns.
Supervision model: Required Supervision. Alabama requires direct physician supervision for physician assistants. PAs must maintain a written supervision agreement, may face a ratio cap per supervising physician, and may have additional limits on prescribing Schedule II–V controlled substances or signing certain orders. The hiring conversation usually centers on supervisor bandwidth, ratio room, and which procedures need cosignature.
Alabama requires PAs to be licensed through the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners. A written supervision agreement with a licensed physician is required. PAs must hold NCCPA certification and complete 100 hours of CME every two years to maintain certification.
The metros and regions where we are most often opening PA searches:
Recurring employer relationships in Alabama include UAB Medicine, Huntsville Hospital, Mobile Infirmary, Baptist Health, DCH Health System, Southeast Health, Children's of Alabama, plus a long tail of regional health systems, surgical and dermatology groups, orthopedic private practices, urgent-care networks, FQHCs, and telehealth platforms credentialed in Alabama. Procedural and surgical PA roles tend to pay above the state average; rural and Critical Access roles often carry a sign-on or geographic premium.
Every search opens with a 20-minute call to nail down the role: scope, NCCPA certification + any CAQ, procedural case mix, supervision arrangement under Alabama law, geographic flexibility within the state, and the realistic compensation envelope. From there we work the active and passive PA pool — verifying PA-C status with NCCPA, Alabama licensure (or licensure-eligibility), DEA, malpractice history, and recent procedural logs for surgical or interventional roles — and present a screened shortlist within a few business days.
The engagement is contingent — no upfront fee and no exclusivity required. Permanent placements carry a written replacement guarantee covering the initial employment period; if the placed PA leaves inside the guarantee window we re-run the search at no additional fee.
Demand pressure in Alabama is currently high. Nationally, the BLS projects physician assistant employment to grow roughly 28% between 2023 and 2033 — far above the average for all occupations. Alabama's low cost of living combined with competitive PA salaries and a growing healthcare sector creates exceptional career opportunities with strong purchasing power.
Physician assistants in Alabama earn an average salary of approximately $110,000 per year, with ranges typically between $95,000 and $130,000 depending on specialty, experience, and location. Surgical and emergency medicine PAs tend to earn at the higher end, while primary care positions may offer additional non-monetary benefits like work-life balance and community ties.
To practice as a PA in Alabama, you must hold NCCPA certification, apply for licensure through the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, and establish a written supervision agreement with a licensed Alabama physician. You must complete 100 hours of CME every two years and pass the PANRE for recertification. Controlled substance prescribing requires additional DEA registration.
The job outlook for PAs in Alabama is strong, with demand growing across primary care, orthopedics, emergency medicine, and surgical specialties. Rural Alabama in particular faces significant provider shortages, creating excellent opportunities for PAs willing to serve outside major metro areas, often with incentives like signing bonuses and loan repayment.
The highest-demand specialties for PAs in Alabama include orthopedics, emergency medicine, family practice, general surgery, and cardiology. Rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers also actively recruit PAs across all primary care specialties. The state's aging population is increasing demand for PAs in geriatrics and internal medicine.
Reach Blake Moser at Advanced Practice Recruiters: 469-457-4570 or blake@advancedpracticerecruiters.com. Most inquiries get a same-business-day reply.
Related: PA recruiting (national) · 2026 PA Salary Guide · PA supervision by state · NP recruiters in Alabama