Connecting PAs with Premier Healthcare Careers Across the Sunshine 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 Florida PA market: salary ranges, the supervision framework, where active hiring is concentrated, and how the search actually runs.
Florida is one of the largest and fastest-growing healthcare markets in the United States, driven by a rapidly growing population, a large retiree community, and massive healthcare infrastructure investments. Physician assistants in Florida benefit from a robust job market, no state income tax, and opportunities across every specialty and healthcare setting imaginable.
With over 21 million residents and one of the highest concentrations of seniors in the country, Florida generates relentless demand for healthcare providers across primary care, cardiology, orthopedics, oncology, and dozens of other specialties. Major health systems in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville consistently rank among the top PA employers in the Southeast.
Florida operates under a supervision model for physician assistants, but the sheer scale and diversity of the healthcare market means PAs can find positions with varying degrees of clinical autonomy. From high-acuity trauma centers to luxury concierge practices to rural health clinics, Florida offers PA career opportunities for virtually every professional interest and lifestyle preference.
PA base salaries in our Florida searches cluster around $125K, with most offers landing between $105K 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 Florida 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 Florida state-area estimates; AAPA Compensation Resources and the NCCPA Statistical Profile track specialty and credentialing breakdowns.
Supervision model: Required Supervision. Florida 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.
Florida PAs are licensed by the Florida Board of Medicine. A supervisory agreement with a licensed Florida physician is required. PAs can prescribe medications including controlled substances with physician supervision. NCCPA certification must be maintained, and continuing education requirements must be met for biennial license renewal.
The metros and regions where we are most often opening PA searches:
Recurring employer relationships in Florida include AdventHealth, HCA Healthcare, Tampa General Hospital, Jackson Health System, Baptist Health South Florida, Mayo Clinic Florida, UF Health, Orlando Health, plus a long tail of regional health systems, surgical and dermatology groups, orthopedic private practices, urgent-care networks, FQHCs, and telehealth platforms credentialed in Florida. 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 Florida 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, Florida 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 Florida is currently very high. Nationally, the BLS projects physician assistant employment to grow roughly 28% between 2023 and 2033 — far above the average for all occupations. Florida combines no state income tax with one of the nation's largest and fastest-growing healthcare markets, creating exceptional PA career opportunities in a desirable year-round climate.
Physician assistants in Florida earn an average salary of approximately $125,000 per year, with ranges typically between $105,000 and $150,000. Importantly, Florida has no state income tax, which significantly increases take-home pay relative to many other states. South Florida (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton) tends to offer the highest salaries, while central and northern Florida positions may offer lower base pay but higher overall lifestyle value.
To practice as a PA in Florida, you must be certified by the NCCPA, obtain a license from the Florida Board of Medicine, and establish a supervisory protocol with a licensed Florida physician. Continuing medical education requirements must be completed for biennial renewal. Florida PAs can prescribe controlled substances within the scope of their supervisory protocol, and DEA registration is required for this prescriptive authority.
Miami and South Florida have the highest concentration of PA jobs in the state, driven by several large health systems including Jackson Health, Baptist Health, and HCA Healthcare facilities. The Tampa Bay area and Orlando are rapidly growing markets with major health systems including Tampa General, AdventHealth, and Orlando Health. Jacksonville's Mayo Clinic campus offers exceptional academic practice opportunities.
Given Florida's large senior population, specialties such as cardiology, orthopedics, oncology, internal medicine, and geriatrics are in extremely high demand. Emergency medicine PAs are consistently needed across the state. The growing concierge medicine and direct primary care market in Florida also provides PA opportunities with attractive compensation and lifestyle benefits.
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 Florida