An access terminal, comprising: a processing unit; a memory operably connected to said processing unit; a receive circuitry operably connected to said processing unit; a transmit circuitry having a power amplifier used in both single carrier and multi-carrier operations, wherein said transmit circuitry is operably connected to said processing unit; and a throttle control unit operably connected to said power amplifier, wherein said processing unit is adapted to execute instructions stored in said memory to: determine if the power amplifier headroom is sufficient by: summing a pilot channel power level, an overhead channel power level and a traffic channel power level over all assigned carriers, and determining if the sum is less than or equal to, or exceeds a maximum allowed transmit power for the power amplifier; and if the power amplifier headroom is not sufficient, throttle power by reducing transmit power of one or more channels in accordance with power throttling rules until the sum is less than or equal to the maximum allowed transmit power for the power amplifier to provide sufficient headroom for said power amplifier; wherein said instructions to throttle power to provide sufficient headroom for said power amplifier further comprises instructions to throttle power over a reverse link having multiple carriers, comprising: throttle power of at least one secondary reverse link carrier; and throttle power of a primary reverse link carrier; wherein the at least one secondary reverse link carrier and the primary reverse link carrier are throttled in the order secondary and then primary. a processing unit; a memory operably connected to said processing unit; a receive circuitry operably connected to said processing unit; a transmit circuitry having a power amplifier used in both single carrier and multi-carrier operations, wherein said transmit circuitry is operably connected to said processing unit; and a throttle control unit operably connected to said power amplifier, determine if the power amplifier headroom is sufficient by: summing a pilot channel power level, an overhead channel power level and a traffic channel power level over all assigned carriers, and determining if the sum is less than or equal to, or exceeds a maximum allowed transmit power for the power amplifier; and if the power amplifier headroom is not sufficient, throttle power by reducing transmit power of one or more channels in accordance with power throttling rules until the sum is less than or equal to the maximum allowed transmit power for the power amplifier to provide sufficient headroom for said power amplifier; summing a pilot channel power level, an overhead channel power level and a traffic channel power level over all assigned carriers, and determining if the sum is less than or equal to, or exceeds a maximum allowed transmit power for the power amplifier; and if the power amplifier headroom is not sufficient, throttle power by reducing transmit power of one or more channels in accordance with power throttling rules until the sum is less than or equal to the maximum allowed transmit power for the power amplifier to provide sufficient headroom for said power amplifier; wherein said instructions to throttle power to provide sufficient headroom for said power amplifier further comprises instructions to throttle power over a reverse link having multiple carriers, comprising: throttle power of at least one secondary reverse link carrier; and throttle power of a primary reverse link carrier; wherein the at least one secondary reverse link carrier and the primary reverse link carrier are throttled in the order secondary and then primary. throttle power of at least one secondary reverse link carrier; and throttle power of a primary reverse link carrier; wherein the at least one secondary reverse link carrier and the primary reverse link carrier are throttled in the order secondary and then primary.