State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Anesthesiologist Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Anesthesiologists is $391,490 a year ($188.22/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 3.2% through 2034, with about 1,300 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.
SOC 29-1211Healthcare Practitioners and TechnicalLast updated August 23, 2026
- Median pay
- $391,490
- Projected growth
- +3.2%
- Openings a year
- 1,300
- Typical education
- Doctorate
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Medical Doctor (MD), Obstetrical Anesthesiologist, Staff Anesthesiologist, Staff Anesthetist.
How much do Anesthesiologists make?
10th percentile$101,460
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$207,000
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$391,490
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$490,530
Upper quartile
90th percentile$557,130
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $391,490 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $188.22/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $360,570 |
| People employed | 38,760 |
Versus all US occupations
At $391,490, Anesthesiologists earn 668% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $340,510 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $97,870, this is 300% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $557,130 or more while the bottom 10% earn $101,460, a gap of 5.5×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 100% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Washington posts the highest raw median ($499,990), but once local prices are taken into account Ohio leads at $528,736 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Anesthesiologists the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $499,990 | $467,224 | 1,540 |
| Minnesota | $496,510 | $503,453 | 870 |
| Ohio | $490,530 | $528,736 | 780 |
| Virginia | $488,310 | $482,978 | N/A |
| Connecticut | $481,820 | $465,032 | N/A |
| New Hampshire | $481,640 | $462,382 | 330 |
| Florida | $465,370 | $450,007 | 2,530 |
| Pennsylvania | $461,390 | $472,871 | 410 |
| Idaho | $449,990 | $471,223 | N/A |
| New York | $445,660 | $412,950 | 7,230 |
Is Anesthesiologist a growing career?
Anesthesiologists3.2%
All US occupations3.1%
+3.2% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Anesthesiologists to change 3.2% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 1,400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,300 openings are projected each year, 2.9% of the 45,300 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of physicians and surgeons is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of physicians and surgeons varies by occupation (see table). An increasing number of older adults, who are more likely than younger people to experience health problems and to need complex care, is expected to drive overall employment growth for physicians and surgeons.
In addition, increasing rates of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, will result in continued reliance on physicians and surgeons by large numbers of people seeking medical care.
How to become an Anesthesiologist
Physicians and surgeons typically need a bachelor’s degree as well as a degree from a medical school, which takes an additional 4 years to complete. Depending on their specialty, they also need 3 to 9 years in internship and residency programs. Subspecialization includes additional training in a fellowship of 1 to 3 years.
| Typical entry-level education | Doctoral or professional degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Considerable preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Internship/residency |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as anesthesiologists.
- Post-Doctoral Training69.2%
- Doctoral Degree24.7%
- First Professional Degree4.9%
- Master's Degree1.3%
What does an Anesthesiologist do?
Administer anesthetics and analgesics for pain management prior to, during, or after surgery.
Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses and address health maintenance. Physicians examine patients; take medical histories; prescribe medications; and order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests. They often counsel patients on diet, hygiene, and preventive healthcare. Surgeons operate on patients to treat injuries, such as broken bones; diseases, such as cancerous tumors; and deformities, such as cleft palates.
There are two types of physicians, with similar degrees: M.D. (Medical Doctor) and D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). Both use the same methods of treatment, including drugs and surgery, but D.O.s place additional emphasis on the body's musculoskeletal system, preventive medicine, and holistic (whole-person) patient care. D.O.s are most likely to be primary care physicians, although they work in all specialties.
Day-to-day tasks
- Monitor patient before, during, and after anesthesia and counteract adverse reactions or complications.
- Record type and amount of anesthesia and patient condition throughout procedure.
- Provide and maintain life support and airway management and help prepare patients for emergency surgery.
- Administer anesthetic or sedation during medical procedures, using local, intravenous, spinal, or caudal methods.
- Position patient on operating table to maximize patient comfort and surgical accessibility.
- Decide when patients have recovered or stabilized enough to be sent to another room or ward or to be sent home following outpatient surgery.
- Confer with other medical professionals to determine type and method of anesthetic or sedation to render patient insensible to pain.
- Order laboratory tests, x-rays, and other diagnostic procedures.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most physicians and surgeons work full time. Some work more than 40 hours per week. Many physicians and surgeons work long shifts, which may include irregular and overnight hours or being on call. Physicians and surgeons may travel between their offices and the hospital to care for patients. While on call, a physician may need to address a patient’s concerns over the phone or make an emergency visit to another location, such as a nursing home.
Where the work happens
- Indoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day
Working with people
- Constant contact with other people
- Face-to-face discussions every day
Pressure and stakes
- Meeting strict deadlines at least weekly
- Mistakes carry very serious consequences
Autonomy
- A lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey, showing only the signals people in the job report decisively one way or the other.
Core skills
- Critical Thinking4.5/5
- Active Listening4.1/5
- Monitoring4.1/5
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Writing4.0/5
- Science4.0/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Active Learning3.6/5
Transferable skills
- Judgment and Decision Making4.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving4.0/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.8/5
- Time Management3.8/5
- Operations Monitoring3.6/5
- Service Orientation3.3/5
- Systems Evaluation3.3/5
- Coordination3.1/5
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Medical software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Billing and invoicing software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits an Anesthesiologist?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary5.2
Investigativeprimary5.7
Artistic1.2
Socialprimary5.3
Enterprising2.5
Conventional3.7
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with teaching, helping and working directly with other people.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Anesthesiologist: frequently asked questions
How much do Anesthesiologists make?
Anesthesiologists earn a median of $391,490 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 668% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $188.22/hr. The middle half earn between $207,000 and $490,530. The top 10% earn $557,130 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Anesthesiologist?
Yes, and beyond a bachelor's: BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry requirement for Anesthesiologists. BLS also lists internship/residency as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 69.2% hold post-doctoral training.
Is Anesthesiologist a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.2% over 2024–2034, about the same as the 3.1% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 1,300 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Anesthesiologist do?
Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses and address health maintenance. A core O*NET task: monitor patient before, during, and after anesthesia and counteract adverse reactions or complications. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Medical software.
Which states pay Anesthesiologists the most?
The highest state medians for Anesthesiologists are Washington ($499,990), Minnesota ($496,510), Ohio ($490,530) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Ohio moves to the top at $528,736.
What personality type suits an Anesthesiologist?
O*NET scores Anesthesiologists highest on the Investigative, Social and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with teaching, helping and working directly with other people. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ISTP, ISFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.