Connecting PAs with Top Healthcare Opportunities in the First State. 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 Delaware PA market: salary ranges, the supervision framework, where active hiring is concentrated, and how the search actually runs.
Delaware offers physician assistants a unique combination of a strong Mid-Atlantic healthcare market, access to major regional medical centers, and the financial benefit of no state income tax — a significant advantage for PA compensation. Despite being the nation's second smallest state, Delaware has a concentrated and well-funded healthcare system serving both its own residents and those from surrounding states.
Christiana Care Health System anchors Delaware's healthcare market and provides PA opportunities across medicine, surgery, oncology, and virtually every other specialty. The state's proximity to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C. also gives Delaware PAs easy access to one of the largest and most diverse healthcare job markets in the country.
Delaware operates under a supervision model for PAs, but the collaborative culture within major health systems means that many PAs practice with significant clinical autonomy. The state's compact geography, excellent quality of life, and strong compensation packages make it a highly sought-after destination for mid-Atlantic PAs.
PA base salaries in our Delaware searches cluster around $127K, with most offers landing between $110K and $150K. 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 Delaware sits near 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 Delaware state-area estimates; AAPA Compensation Resources and the NCCPA Statistical Profile track specialty and credentialing breakdowns.
Supervision model: Required Supervision. Delaware 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.
Delaware PAs are licensed by the Delaware Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline. A supervision agreement with a licensed Delaware physician is required. PAs must maintain NCCPA certification and complete continuing medical education. Delaware's no state income tax policy provides a meaningful financial benefit to PA practitioners.
The metros and regions where we are most often opening PA searches:
Recurring employer relationships in Delaware include Christiana Care Health System, Bayhealth Medical Center, Nemours Children's Health, St. Francis Hospital, Beebe Healthcare, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, plus a long tail of regional health systems, surgical and dermatology groups, orthopedic private practices, urgent-care networks, FQHCs, and telehealth platforms credentialed in Delaware. 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 Delaware 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, Delaware 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 Delaware 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. Delaware's no state income tax policy effectively increases PA take-home pay significantly while the state's proximity to major Mid-Atlantic healthcare hubs creates exceptional career access.
Physician assistants in Delaware earn an average salary of approximately $127,000 per year, with ranges between $110,000 and $150,000. Importantly, Delaware has no state income tax, which meaningfully increases take-home pay relative to neighboring states. Surgical specialties and hospital-based positions tend to offer the highest compensation in the state.
To practice in Delaware, PAs must hold NCCPA certification, obtain a license from the Delaware Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline, and establish a supervision agreement with a licensed Delaware physician. Continuing medical education requirements must be met for license renewal. DEA registration is required for controlled substance prescribing authority.
Christiana Care Health System is Delaware's largest employer of PAs, with positions across virtually every specialty at its major campuses in Wilmington and Newark. Bayhealth Medical Center serves central and southern Delaware. Nemours Children's Health offers unique pediatric PA opportunities. Beebe Healthcare serves the growing resort communities along Delaware's coastline.
Delaware's location in the Mid-Atlantic corridor, within commuting distance of Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C., gives PAs access to one of the largest and most diverse regional job markets in the country. Many PAs living in Delaware work in nearby major metropolitan healthcare systems while enjoying Delaware's tax advantages and lower cost of living compared to center-city Philadelphia or the D.C. metro area.
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 Delaware