Physician Assistants pay range in Merced
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $86,070 a year or less, while the top 10% make $199,140 or more. The middle half of physician assistants in Merced earn between $120,320 and $173,880.
- $86K10th
- $120K25th
- $164KMedian
- $174K75th
- $199K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $148,620 | $12,385 | $71.45 |
| Median | $164,080 | $13,673 | $78.88 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $120,320 | $10,027 | $57.85 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $173,880 | $14,490 | $83.60 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Physician Assistants salary after taxes in Merced
On the average salary of $148,620, a single filer in Merced takes home about $103,118 a year, or $8,593 a month and $3,966 every two weeks. Taxes take 31% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Merced a good place for physician assistants? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Merced area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.3), so the average $148,620 buys what about $151,229 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 3.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Merced ($47,220). A typical home costs $419,171, or 2.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Physician Assistants salary in other California cities
Merced ranks 23rd of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($207,660).
- San Jose$207,660
- Salinas$202,320
- San Francisco$182,610
- Vallejo$182,520
- Bakersfield$177,840
- Yuba City$174,990
- Napa$174,120
- Santa Rosa$171,940
- Modesto$168,960
- Merced$148,620
Highest-paying cities for physician assistants
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($207,660).
- San Jose, CA$207,660
- Salinas, CA$202,320
- San Francisco, CA$182,610
- Vallejo, CA$182,520
- Bakersfield, CA$177,840
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Physician Assistants salary in Merced: questions
How much do physician assistants make an hour in Merced?
$71.45 an hour on average, and $78.88 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level physician assistants salary in Merced?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $86,070 a year and the 25th percentile is $120,320, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the physician assistants take-home pay in Merced?
About $103,118 a year ($8,593 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $148,620. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do physician assistants earn more in Merced than elsewhere?
The average here is 5% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($141,862).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 29-1071; area Merced, CA (32900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.8%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.64, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.64).
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