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Physician Assistant (Mid-Level Practitioner) - Recruitment Incentive

Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System

Aliceville, ALFull-time$57–129K/yrSeen 2mo ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$57–129K/yr
Location
Aliceville, AL
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
US work authorization required

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

National Commission On Certification Of Physician Assistants ExaminationCurrent Active Unrestricted Physician Assistant License

Job overview

Physician Assistants at Bureau of Prisons facilities provide primary health care to inmate patients, collaborate with physicians on program planning, manage clinic operations and daily sick calls, and maintain institutional security as part of correctional duties.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Minor Surgical ProceduresIncision and DrainageSuturing of LacerationsRemoval of CystsHypertension ManagementDiabetes ManagementPreventive CareEmergency ServicesTrauma CarePatient Education

Qualifications

Graduation From Accredited Physician Assistant ProgramNational Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants ExaminationCurrent Active Unrestricted Physician Assistant LicenseU.S. CitizenshipSelective Service RegistrationCTAP or ICTAP Eligibility

Full job description

Summary

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Duties

Serves as a Physician Assistant at a Bureau of Prisons' correctional facility and is responsible for providing primary health care for inmate patients. Works collaboratively with the staff physician(s) and consulting physician(s) in planning, instituting, evaluating and revising program plans. Assists in determining conditions, resources and policies essential to delivery of the health care services. Manages the daily operation of the clinic and conducts daily sick call; which may also include securing health and developmental history from the patient, recording findings and making critical evaluations. Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staff correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis. Requirements

Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; Be rated well-qualified for the position [with a score of 85 or above] based on the competencies listed above; and Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility: A copy of the agency notice (i.e., separation notice or agency RIF letter), Most recent performance appraisal, and Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location. See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information. EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: U.S Department of Justice - Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Key Requirements: U.S. Citizenship is Required. See Special Conditions of Employment Section. Selective Service Requirement Qualifications

Basic Requirements: All applicants must meet the following basic requirements for all grade levels: Graduation from a physician assistant educational program, accredited by the Accreditation Review Committee on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) or its predecessors, at a college, university, or educational institution that is accredited by an accrediting body or organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. Successful completion of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) examination; must maintain status as a certified physician assistant, including completion of all requirements for Continuing Medical Education (CME) and re-certification. NOTE: ALL applicants MUST electronically upload proof of completion of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) examination, including completion of all requirements for continuing medical education (CME) and recertification. AND Licensure: For ALL grade levels and positions, applicants must possess and electronically upload proof of a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a Physician Assistant from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States. All qualified referred candidates will undergo a credentialing process prior to employment with the Bureau of Prisons. This process includes validation of medical examinations, education, internship and residency. Please electronically upload these documents along with your required supporting documentation at the time you apply. AND Additional Requirements: GS-07: Applicants must meet at least one of the following requirements: Completion of an accredited physician assistant educational program (certificate of completion, associate degree, bachelor's degree); OR Completion of a bachelor's degree in a related health care or health related science and graduation from an accredited physician assistant educational program. GS-09: In addition to the requirements for the GS-07 (or equivalent) level, applicants must meet one of the following requirements: Completion of Master of Physician Assistant Studies; OR Completion of a master's degree in a related health care or health related science and completion of an accredited physician assistant educational program. Examples of related master's degree programs include, but are not limited to, Master of Medical Sciences, Master of Public Health, Master of Biomedical Sciences, or other related major fields of study; OR A minimum of one full year of work experience as a certified physician assistant equivalent to the GS-07 grade level and graduation from an accredited physician assistant educational program as described above. GS-11: In addition to the requirements for the GS-09 (or equivalent) level, applicants must meet one of the following requirements: Completion of Doctorate of Physician Assistant Studies, Doctorate of Science Physician Assistant (DScPA) or equivalent; OR Completion of a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree in a related health field and completion of an accredited physician assistant educational program. Examples of related doctoral degree programs include, but are not limited to, public health; allied health field; public health education; or other related health science programs; OR A minimum of one full year of work experience as a certified physician assistant equivalent to the GS-09 grade level and completion of an accredited physician assistant educational program as described above. Some examples of this qualifying experience are: GS-09: Experience performing minor surgical procedures, such as, incision and drainage, suturing of laceration, and removal of cysts after consultation with the physician. Experience treating chronic health problems, such as hypertension and diabetes. Experience providing preventive care and guidance in treating a variety of common illnesses, as well as guidance on nutrition. GS-11: Experience identifying medical problems and determining appropriate action to treat the problem, including referral to a physician. Experience performing specified diagnostic and therapeutic practices and procedures. Experience providing a wide range of emergency services in the absence of the physicians, including primary care for trauma and life-saving procedures. If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities. You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/30/2027. Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume. After you submit your application, you will receive notification indicated whether or not the USA Hire assessment is required. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment which is part of your application.

Education

See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable. ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty. How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials, your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies: Attention to Detail Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Overstating your qualifications or experience in your application may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are found qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to the responses you provided on the online assessment. Your application will be evaluated and rated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Based upon your responses to the assessment questions during the application process, your application will be placed into one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Applications will be reviewed from the top quality category. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are found qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to the responses you provided on the online assessment. Candidates within the top-quality category and who are eligible for veterans' preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles. If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you should indicate the type of veteran's preference you are claiming on your resume. Although veterans' preference points are not assigned under the category rating procedures described under "How You Will Be Evaluated", veterans preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-veterans within each category for which they are qualified. Qualified veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more are placed at the top of the highest qualified category as defined by category rating procedures. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). As noted above, an agency may not select a non-preference eligible in lieu of a preference eligible in the same category unless there are grounds for a passover and the agency has complied with the passover procedures at 5 U.S.C. § 3318(b). In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Your USAHIRE assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13067394 Benefits

ADDITIONAL SALARY INFORMATION: A 30% Recruitment Incentive will be paid to selectee(s) who meets the criteria for recruitment bonuses. For more information, visit BOP Incentives. 25% Retention Incentive may be authorized upon completion of the recruitment service agreement period. Contact the institution of interest for specific information. Nonforeign Area Cost-of-Living Allowances (COLA): There is an 8.64% (of basic pay) Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) authorized for FDC Honolulu, HI, and a 2.49% for MDC Guaynabo, PR. See COLA and Locality Pay Rates in Nonforeign Areas for more information. To contact a recruiter for further information, visit Medical Staffing and Recruitment or visit our Medical Professionals page for more information. Other Information

Additional selections may be made from this announcement. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. LENGTH OF ELIGIBILITY: Eligible applicants will remain on the inventory until the closing date of the vacancy announcement. NOTE: This announcement is posted on a yearly cycle. The announcement will EXPIRE on 09/30/2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. In order to receive consideration for the next cycle, applicants MUST reapply to the new vacancy announcement. SALARY RANGE: The salary listed includes Special Salary Rates. See current pay scales for locality area for which you are applying. To view the current locality tables, visit OPM and search pay tables. SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT SECTION: Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a pre-employment and panel interview, urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to and must satisfactorily pass all screening requirements in relation to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit check. All applicants not currently working in an institution will be required to complete a qualification inquiry regarding convictions of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence in order to be authorized to carry a firearm. Successful completion of the "Introduction to Correctional Techniques," three-week training course at Glynco, Georgia is required. ACCELERATED TRAINING PROGRAM: The Bureau of Prisons has an accelerated training program for Physician Assistants which provides an opportunity for promotion from GS-07 to GS-09 or GS-09 to GS-11 after successful completion of a 26-week training program within the first six months of employment. The training is a combination of four weeks of classroom training and 22 weeks of on-the-job training. Participants must sign a training agreement and satisfactorily demonstrate knowledge and abilities in laboratory, radiology, dental, diagnostic studies, therapeutics, patient education, pharmacy, psychiatry and administrative functions. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

How this job compares

Set against the 7,929 open Physician Assistant jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 1, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$57–129K/yr
  • US median$110–167K/yr2,798 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $93K, is 32% below the US median midpoint ($137K) — in the lowest quarter of Physician Assistant salary ranges across the US.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 14 open Physician Assistant jobs in Alabama and 7,929 across the US. 1% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most across the US
Experience
Physician Assistant postings that state a minimum ask for 2 years of experience at the median; the middle half ask for 1 to 2 years (2,123 postings).
Education
2,620 of the 7,929 open Physician Assistant jobs (33%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 1, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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