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Ottawa, ON posts a physician assistant median of $185,000, which is 29% under the Canada average. The useful question is whether lower prices (COL index 100) and a modeled 1-bedroom near $2,290/month close that gap in real life.
Physician assistants examine, diagnose, and treat patients under a physician's supervision. Healthcare pay in Ottawa, ON is sensitive to setting, shifts, and public vs private employers. The $185,000 median is a useful average, not what a night-shift specialist or a clinic role will actually land. Long-term employment for this occupation is modeled at about +27% over a decade — a national sketch, not a Ottawa, ON hiring guarantee.
The percentiles on this page are observed metro figures for Physician Assistant in Ottawa, ON, not a national median multiplied by a pay index. That matters: you are looking at how this labour market actually priced the role, including local industry mix. They are still estimates of the market — not a promise of what one employer will offer.
Among the 4 Canada metros we can compare for this role, Ottawa ranks 2 by median. Toronto leads this comparison at $199,000 (+8% vs Ottawa), while Montreal sits at $164,000. Use those gaps to test a relocation thesis: a 15% cash raise that lands in a much more expensive metro can disappear in rent.
Ottawa’s COL index (100) sits nearer the global baseline, so headline and adjusted pay are not far apart ($185,000 vs $185,000). Rent still matters: the 1-bedroom model is $2,290 / month, about 18% of take-home, with leftover near $7,670.
If you are comparing a Ottawa office offer with a location-flexible one, the Canada national median for this role is about $262,000. Local pay is 29% lower — a $77,000 gap. Remote employers often anchor to the national figure; on-site employers in Ottawa are anchoring to this page.
World Bank consumer-price inflation for Canada was about 2.1% in 2025; an illustrative model tied to inflation and the occupation’s outlook suggests pay has risen about 21% over the last few years. Express Entry / work permit is the usual skilled-hire route (moderate for typical hires): Skilled workers often use Express Entry (CRS points) or an employer-supported work permit; many tech roles score well when language and education criteria are met. At 2.4× Canada GDP per capita, this median is well above a typical national living standard. Unemployment was about 6.9% in 2025. None of that is tax, immigration, or career advice — run the calculators and confirm rules officially.
How to read a physician assistant offer in Ottawa
Start with gross cash, not the recruiting headline. If an offer lands near $185,000, you are in the lower half of this metro’s observed distribution; near $185,000 you are already paid like a stronger local hire. Then subtract a realistic tax path (simplified national effective rate here is about 19%, leaving $150,201 a year) and a housing number you would actually accept — not only the $2,290 model.
Because this distribution is relatively compact (2.0× from 10th to 90th), a “market” offer in Ottawa will often cluster near $185,000. Negotiation still matters, but the bigger lever may be seniority rules, a different setting, or a different occupation rather than a 3% cash bump.
Demand and the physician assistant pipeline
Occupation-level employment for physician assistants is projected at about +27% over ten years. That is a national sketch of demand, not a forecast that Ottawa will hire at that rate. Local openings still follow Ottawa’s industry mix — hospitals, studios, public employers, or product companies — which is already baked into the observed percentiles more than into the outlook percentage.
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