Physician assistants and nurse practitioners outnumber physicians in 10 states: Alabama, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Tennessee, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Becker’s calculated the total physicians and surgeons in every state between 2024 and 2025. This includes the following Bureau of Labor Statistics categories: anesthesiologists, cardiologists, dermatologists, emergency medicine physicians, family medicine physicians, general internal medicine physicians, OB-GYNs, general pediatricians, physicians all other, ophthalmologists, orthopedic surgeons and surgeons all other. Becker’s also collected the total nurse practitioners and physician associates in every state from 2024 and 2025. Becker’s used the total number of employed individuals in these positions to calculate the percent change.
Here are trends to know:
1. In Montana, NPs outnumber physicians, with 1,260 employed NPs compared to 1,090 physicians. NP employment grew 20% from 2024 to 2025 while physician employment fell 10.7%.
2. In New Jersey, PA employment more than doubled, going from roughly 2,370 to 4,790, while physician employment fell 4.5%. NP employment grew 3.8%.
3. In Missouri, PA and NP employment increased 39.4% and 13%, respectively, while physician employment fell 6.9%.
4. In Alabama, PA and NP employment rose 20.8% and 19.2%, respectively, and physician employment dropped 9.9%.
5. In Oregon, physician employment dropped 10.9%, but PA employment rose 16.6% and NP employment rose 16%.
6. Largely rural states Wyoming, North Dakota, Idaho and Montana all have NP-to-physician ratios above 0.6, meaning there are at least six NPs per every 10 physicians.
https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/workforce/10-states-where-apps-outnumber-physicians-6-notes/
Here are the states with their total physicians, PAs and NPs, along with the percent change in each position.
| State | Physicians | Physician assistants | Nurse practitioners | |||
| Total employed 2025 | % change 2024-2025 | Total employed 2025 | % change 2024-2025 | Total employed 2025 | % change 2024-2025 | |
| Alabama | 5,260 | -9.9% | 930 | 20.8% | 5,640 | 19.2% |
| Alaska | 1,460 | 22.7% | 700 | 4.5% | 710 | 24.6% |
| Arizona | 14,170 | 8.1% | 3,750 | 5.9% | 7,220 | -4.2% |
| Arkansas | 5,960 | 38.9% | 850 | -12.4% | 3,970 | 18.5% |
| California | 44,170 | -33.8% | 13,600 | 0.2% | 25,120 | 19.7% |
| Colorado | 7,610 | -3.5% | 3,270 | 2.8% | 4,270 | 3.4% |
| Connecticut | 8,870 | 6.4% | 3,570 | -3.5% | 3,750 | 1.9% |
| Delaware | 2,580 | 5.7% | 860 | 24.6% | 1,430 | 18.2% |
| District of Columbia | 2,910 | -19.4% | 470 | -24.2% | 680 | -13.9% |
| Florida | 35,340 | -11% | 9,310 | -11.9% | 21,790 | -11.7% |
| Georgia | 21,330 | 9.2% | 5,610 | 27.5% | 10,460 | -1.1% |
| Hawaii | 3,550 | 13.8% | 530 | 20.5% | 550 | 17% |
| Idaho | 2,810 | 17.1% | 1,320 | 12.8% | 1,750 | 11.5% |
| Illinois | 29,670 | 9.1% | 3,790 | -3.6% | 9,270 | -3% |
| Indiana | 15,230 | 18.1% | 2,110 | -1.9% | 7,450 | -0.3% |
| Iowa | 4,460 | 8.5% | 1,200 | 0% | 3,240 | 15.3% |
| Kansas | 6,210 | 16.9% | 890 | -11.9% | 3,780 | 24.8% |
| Kentucky | 7,790 | 8.3% | 1,360 | 8.8% | 4,770 | 1.3% |
| Louisiana | 6,310 | 2.9% | 1,360 | -23.2% | 5,380 | 20.1% |
| Maine | 3,300 | 6.8% | 1,030 | 10.8% | 1,650 | 1.2% |
| Maryland | 16,350 | -0.5% | 2,950 | 1% | 6,710 | 1.1% |
| Massachusetts | 19,420 | -6.7% | 4,470 | 3.7% | 8,070 | -9.5% |
| Michigan | 23,740 | -6.9% | 6,310 | 14.9% | 8,290 | 4.9% |
| Minnesota | 14,590 | 12.1% | 3,660 | -3.4% | 7,780 | -10.5% |
| Mississippi | 1,290 | -50.4% | 320 | -13.5% | 4,690 | 12.5% |
| Missouri | 8,700 | -6.9% | 2,300 | 39.4% | 7,710 | 13% |
| Montana | 1,090 | -10.7% | 600 | -1.6% | 1,260 | 20% |
| Nebraska | 4,270 | 12.7% | 1,330 | 6.4% | 2,340 | 8.8% |
| Nevada | 3,220 | -16.1% | 1,090 | -8.4% | 1,930 | -34.4% |
| New Hampshire | 3,140 | 1% | 1,060 | 0% | 1,770 | -1.1% |
| New Jersey | 19,400 | -4.5% | 4,790 | 102.1% | 9,950 | 3.8% |
| New Mexico | 3,250 | -1.5% | 700 | 9.4% | 1,770 | -5.3% |
| New York | 57,650 | 17% | 19,140 | -1.3% | 22,890 | 12% |
| North Carolina | 22,090 | 3.7% | 7,490 | -12.1% | 9,800 | 22.2% |
| North Dakota | 1,680 | 12.8% | 510 | -1.9% | 1,290 | 2.4% |
| Ohio | 31,040 | -5.3% | 4,900 | 8.2% | 15,400 | 5.8% |
| Oklahoma | 5,760 | 6.5% | 1,770 | -0.6% | 3,620 | 19.9% |
| Oregon | 8,440 | -10.9% | 2,250 | 16.6% | 2,820 | 16% |
| Pennsylvania | 32,170 | 8.5% | 9,020 | 16.2% | 10,670 | -1.7% |
| Rhode Island | 2,330 | 4% | 810 | 35% | 1,180 | -1.7% |
| South Carolina | 9,360 | -0.5% | 2,250 | 9.8% | 5,670 | -3.1% |
| South Dakota | 1,530 | -1.3% | 680 | 4.6% | 1,020 | 7.4% |
| Tennessee | 12,470 | -4.7% | 2,240 | -5.9% | 12,150 | -15% |
| Texas | 54,320 | 2.6% | 10,110 | 0.8% | 25,970 | 19.7% |
| Utah | 5,220 | -9.8% | 1,610 | -3.6% | 2,740 | -4.2% |
| Vermont | 1,480 | -7.5% | 410 | 0% | 700 | 2.9% |
| Virginia | 14,370 | 0.3% | 4,340 | 22.9% | 7,110 | 9.9% |
| Washington | 12,370 | 5.3% | 3,540 | 6.9% | 6,700 | 39.9% |
| West Virginia | 3,580 | 0.3% | 1,080 | 12.5% | 2,550 | 11.8% |
| Wisconsin | 12,440 | 8.7% | 3,580 | 17.8% | 5,160 | 4.2% |
| Wyoming | 730 | -17% | 330 | -19.5% | 440 | 0% |
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