Connecting PAs with Healthcare Careers in the Green Mountain 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 Vermont PA market: salary ranges, the supervision framework, where active hiring is concentrated, and how the search actually runs.
Vermont offers physician assistants a unique practice environment characterized by strong community connections, beautiful natural surroundings, and a deeply collaborative healthcare culture. The University of Vermont Medical Center anchors the state's healthcare system in Burlington, providing PA opportunities at an academic medical level that is exceptional for a state of Vermont's size.
Vermont's single-state healthcare system and relatively small, dispersed population mean that PAs here often develop broad clinical skills and deep patient relationships that are harder to cultivate in larger markets. Rural Vermont communities in particular depend on PAs as essential healthcare providers, creating meaningful and impactful practice opportunities.
Vermont's stunning four-season landscape — fall foliage, world-class skiing, maple syrup season, and brilliant summers — combined with a progressive, educated population and strong community values make it an extraordinarily appealing place to live. PA salaries are competitive for the regional market, and the lifestyle value Vermont offers is difficult to quantify.
PA base salaries in our Vermont searches cluster around $120K, with most offers landing between $105K and $148K. 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 Vermont sits above 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 Vermont state-area estimates; AAPA Compensation Resources and the NCCPA Statistical Profile track specialty and credentialing breakdowns.
Supervision model: Collaborative. Vermont uses a collaborative practice model for physician assistants. PAs maintain a written collaboration agreement with a physician and operate with substantial day-to-day clinical autonomy. Before finalizing a hire, the practical things to confirm: chart-review cadence, who the named collaborator is and whether they have capacity, controlled-substance prescribing scope, and any procedural sign-off requirements.
Vermont PAs are licensed by the Vermont Board of Medical Practice. A practice agreement with a supervising or collaborating physician may be required depending on the setting. PAs must maintain NCCPA certification and complete continuing medical education. Vermont's PA-positive culture means many PAs practice with significant clinical autonomy despite regulatory requirements.
The metros and regions where we are most often opening PA searches:
Recurring employer relationships in Vermont include University of Vermont Medical Center, Dartmouth Health (VT locations), Central Vermont Medical Center, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, Rutland Regional Medical Center, Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, plus a long tail of regional health systems, surgical and dermatology groups, orthopedic private practices, urgent-care networks, FQHCs, and telehealth platforms credentialed in Vermont. 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 Vermont 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, Vermont 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 Vermont is currently moderate. Nationally, the BLS projects physician assistant employment to grow roughly 28% between 2023 and 2033 — far above the average for all occupations. Vermont's extraordinary natural beauty, strong community healthcare culture, University of Vermont academic medicine, and the deep patient relationships possible in a smaller-state practice environment create a uniquely fulfilling PA career.
Physician assistants in Vermont earn an average salary of approximately $120,000 per year, with ranges between $105,000 and $148,000. Burlington area positions at the University of Vermont Medical Center offer the most competitive salaries. Vermont's cost of living is moderately high, particularly for housing in desirable communities. However, the quality of life offered by Vermont is frequently cited as justifying the cost.
Vermont's PA practice environment is characterized by strong community integration, broad clinical scope, and deeply collaborative relationships with physicians and other providers. The state's small size means that PAs often serve as the consistent clinical face for their communities over many years. University of Vermont Medical Center offers a more academic and specialized practice environment, while rural Vermont provides broad-scope generalist opportunities.
Vermont offers a distinctive combination of professional satisfaction and lifestyle quality. PAs practicing in Vermont often cite the depth of their patient relationships, the breadth of clinical skills required, and the integration into communities as uniquely rewarding. The outdoor lifestyle — skiing at Stowe and Killington, hiking the Long Trail, kayaking, cycling — is world-class. Vermont's progressive values and strong educational culture attract PA professionals who prioritize community and quality of life.
Family medicine and internal medicine PAs are in greatest demand across Vermont, given the state's rural character and primary care focus. Emergency medicine, psychiatric and mental health, and hospitalist PAs are also actively recruited. The University of Vermont Medical Center has academic specialty PA needs across medicine and surgery. Rural Vermont has critical needs for primary care PAs who can manage a broad scope of conditions with relative independence.
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 Vermont