PAS ON FORBES LIST

PAs No. 3 on Forbes list of best master's degrees for jobs 
obtained from : PAs Connect 

For the third year, Forbes examined which master's degrees would provide the best long-term opportunities, based on salary and employment outlook. Physician assistants took the number 3 spot in 2013, behind information systems and physics, respectively.

PAs are in demand and can earn excellent salaries. The study cited an aging population, expanded access under the Affordable Care Act and the return on investment of a PA degree as reasons why the profession ranked so high.

"Similar to the IT sector, healthcare is another sector expected to see tremendous job growth," said Katie Bardaro, lead economist at Payscale, whose data was used to compile the list in addition to Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers. "As our population continues to age and as more people seek healthcare under the Affordable Care Act, more and more medical workers will be needed. Additionally, these are not jobs that can be outsourced. They will need to be filled by people right here, right now. As far as return on investment goes, a PA master's degree is a real win."

The mid-career median pay for a physician assistant is $98,800, according to the study. Employment opportunities are expected to grow 30 percent by 2020 (from the 2010 employment numbers), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.