Summary of “How Improved Health Workforce Projection Models Could Support Policy”

Figure 1

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2012-May 2021. Accessed July 20, 2023. https://www.bls.gov/oes/

Figure 1 Overview

The figure contains a bar chart that shows the growth in employed physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) in the United States from 2012 to 2021. It shows that both NP and PA workforces have grown across each year. The number of employed NPs is higher than the number of employed PAs from 2012 to 2021. Employed NPs have more than doubled, while the number of employed PAs have increased at a slower rate. 

Figure 1 Values

Year	Employed PAs	Employed NPs
2012	83,640	105,780
2013	88,110	113,370
2014	91,670	122,050
2015	98,470	136,060
2016	104,050	150,230
2017	109,220	166,280
2018	114,710	179,650
2019	120,090	200,600
2020	125,280	211,280
2021	132,940	234,690

Figure 1 Presentation 

The bar chart represents employment growth trends of PAs and NPs in the United States. from the years 2012 to 2021. The x-axis represents the years 2012 through 2021 from left to right. The y-axis represents the number of employed PAs and NPs, ranging from 0 to 300,000 from bottom to top. Employment growth of PAs and NPs is represented for each year by two bars from left to right: Employed PAs (gold) and Employed NPs (teal). 

Figure 2

Sources: PA Education Association. Annual reports, 2012-2019. Accessed July 20, 2023. https://paeaonline.org/resources/public-%20resources/research-reports/program-survey-and-reports ; Hooker RS, Cawley JF. Physician assistants/associates at 6 decades. Am J Manag Care. 2021;27(11):498-504. doi:10.37765/ajmc.2021.88777 ; Salsberg E. Changes in the Pipeline of New NPs and RNs: Implications for Health Care Delivery and Educational Capacity. Health Affairs Blog. Published 2018. doi:10.1377/hblog20180524.993081; American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Enrollment and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in Nursing reports, 2018-2019, 2019-2020, and 2020-2021.

Figure 2 Overview

The figure contains a bar chart that shows the growth in PA and NP graduates in the United States from 2010 to 2020. It shows that the production of new PAs and NPs has increased in the past decade. The number of PA graduates increased by more than 3,000 from 2010 to 2020, and the number of NP graduates more than doubled (an increase of more than 24,000). 

Figure 2 Values  

Year	PA Graduates	NP Graduates
2010-11	6,545	11,715
2011-12	6,225	13,809
2012-13	6,508	15,571
2013-14	7,556	17,840
2014-15	7,394	21,506
2015-16	8,081	24,757
2016-17	8,336	27,967
2017-18	9,202	28,700
2018-19	9,446	30,161
2019-20	10,121	36,000

Figure 2 Presentation

The bar chart represents growth trends of new PA and NP graduates in the United States from 2010 to 2020. The x-axis represents the years 2010 through 2020 from left to right. The y-axis represents the number of new PA and NP graduates, ranging from 0 to 40,000 from bottom to top. Growth of new PA and NP graduates is represented for each year by two bars from left to right: PA Graduates (gold), and NP Graduates (teal).