Physical Therapist: main tradeoff

Strong demand and six-figure median pay are offset by a doctoral training requirement and the economics of graduate-school cost.

Physician Assistant: main tradeoff

High pay, strong growth, and a much shorter training path than physician make PA unusually attractive, though graduate education and clinical intensity remain significant.

Which should you choose?

Physician Assistant has the higher national median pay in the BLS data. Physician Assistant has the higher projected 2024–2034 growth rate. The larger decision is whether you prefer the training path, work style, and occupation-specific tradeoffs of Physical Therapist or Physician Assistant.