Medical career In demand

Details on becoming a physician assistant:

Education: 27 months of training, typically in the form of a master’s degree.

License: Required, issued by the state after passage of an exam.

Salary: $55,000 to start in Florida, about $99,000 for experienced workers, according to the state labor department.

Employment growth: 29,000 new jobs expected in the United States by 2018, a 39 percent increase, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

For more information: American Academy of Physician Assistants, aapa.org.