New Physician Assistant Response to Salary Question
If you read my previous post about honesty when asked “what’s your current salary” in an interview, but you’re a new graduate you may still be wondering how to respond. If you’re a new graduate, potential employer’s will know this by looking at your resume, however they might still ask you what your expectations are for salary. Being open and honest is still a great option.
Know the Current Salary of Other PAs
As mentioned in my previous post it is important that you “know the truth”. Doing your homework and knowing the salary for the current market is important. This can help you negotiate a fair salary, as well as have real expectations. Don’t rely on what your friends say or what you might have heard someone else is getting paid. Use actual data to come up with a salary that you feel is fair.
You don’t have to completely ignore the salaries that your friends are getting, but don’t use that as your bench mark. There are several PA salary reports that you can look at; and you should use multiple PA salary reports to help make your case.
If you are asked “What’s your expectation as far as salary?”
A good answer is, “I’m looking at the total compensation package – salary, benefits, as well as fit”
If you are pressed on what you are expecting you can turn to the salary reports: “According to the AAPA salary report the median income is X, this is similar to the report from the NCCPA that showed PA salaries at Y.”
Get Interview Experience by Doing Interviews
If you’re a new graduate you should apply to as many jobs as you can. It doesn’t matter if you want the job or not. The more you interview the better you will become at it. Also, the more offers you have the more leverage you create for other job offers.
Also, this allows you to compare different jobs and get a better feel for what is important to you. One job might be offering a higher salary, but another might offer more flexible hours. What’s most important to you?
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What to Look for In a Job Coming Out of PA School
PAs are in demand so a finding a job for new graduates shouldn’t be a problem. However, that does not mean every job you are offered is the right fit. When you’re interviewing for a job make sure that it is a good fit for you.
A piece of advice I was told before graduating PA school is that “your first job is not going to be your last job”. Most people change jobs multiple times in their career, so just because you accept a job, that does not mean you can’t do something different later.
With that in mind, I think starting in something general out of school is a good choice. Once you work in a specialty it is difficult to go back to general practice. Also, PA school is geared toward the primary care setting, so it is good to get used to working in a general setting. Later on if you decide you want to pursue a specialty you can still do that.
I started working in general surgery, which was a great place to start. I was able to get experience working in the OR, doing rounds in the hospital setting, seeing consults in the ER, as we well as seeing patients in the office. We saw a variety of different diagnosis, and it was a very well rounded experience.
Finding a place that is willing to work with you and help you continue to learn is also important coming out of school. If you’re willing to take a pay cut the first year out of PA school you can look into more training such as doing a PA residency. It is in no way a requirement to getting any PA job, but it is a great opportunity to learn more if you do not need to earn a regular salary right away.
As you graduate PA school and start your job search, do your due diligence and have an idea of what salary you can expect. Apply to multiple jobs so you can gain experience interviewing, and get a feel for what is important to you in a first job. Come to every interview prepared and good luck as you start your PA career!
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