Anesthesiologist who specializes in anesthesia, sedation and pain control for newborns, infants and children having surgery and procedures. SullivanCotter 2025 Physician Compensation and Productivity Survey puts typical pay at $525,500 a year (2025). BLS does not publish separate figures for anesthesiologists; it counts them within anesthesiologist (SOC 29-1211), whose median pay is $391,490 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.
- SOC 29-1211
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Pediatric Anesthesiologist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $391,490a year, or $188.22/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $101KTop 10% $557K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.6%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,10041,500 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202541.5K
- Projected 203543K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 41.5K Projected 2035 43K - Typical education
- Doctorateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Master's1.3%
- Professional degree4.9%
- Doctorate24.7%
- Post-doctoral training69.2%
Highest education held by anesthesiologists Segment Value Master's 1.3% Professional degree 4.9% Doctorate 24.7% Post-doctoral training 69.2%
Also advertised as: Pediatric Anesthesia Physician, Pediatric Anesthesiology Specialist, Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesiologist, Children's Anesthesiologist.
Pay
How much do Anesthesiologists make?
Industry-reported pay
$525,500
Median total cash compensation, US pediatric anesthesiologists, employer-reported (90th percentile as high).
- Top earners
- $649,300
Source: SullivanCotter 2025 Physician Compensation and Productivity Survey, 2025 (published compensation survey). This is not a BLS figure: BLS counts anesthesiologists within anesthesiologist, whose pay is shown below. SullivanCotter: Physician Compensation Spotlight, Pediatric Anesthesiology
Every pediatric anesthesiologist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$391,490
Middle half earn $207,000 to $490,530
- 10th
- $101,460
- 25th
- $207,000
- 75th
- $490,530
- 90th
- $557,130
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $101,460 |
| 25th | $207,000 |
| Median | $391,490 |
| 75th | $490,530 |
| 90th | $557,130 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- 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 $102,760, this is 281% 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 99% of the 1,741 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.
Pay by state
Which states pay Anesthesiologists the most?
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.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $499,990 | $467,224 | 1,540 |
| 2Minnesota | $496,510 | $503,453 | 870 |
| 3Ohio | $490,530 | $528,736 | 780 |
| 4Virginia | $488,310 | $482,978 | N/A |
| 5Connecticut | $481,820 | $465,032 | N/A |
| 6New Hampshire | $481,640 | $462,382 | 330 |
| 7Florida | $465,370 | $450,007 | 2,530 |
| 8Pennsylvania | $461,390 | $472,871 | 410 |
| 9Idaho | $449,990 | $471,223 | N/A |
| 10New York | $445,660 | $412,950 | 7,230 |
Job outlook
Is Pediatric Anesthesiologist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.6% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologists | +3.6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Anesthesiologists to change 3.6% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 1,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,100 openings are projected each year, 2.7% of the 41,500 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Pediatric Anesthesiologist
After medical school, physicians complete a four-year ACGME-accredited anesthesiology residency and then a one-year pediatric anesthesiology fellowship. Pediatric cardiac anesthesia usually requires additional training.
The American Board of Anesthesiology certifies them in anesthesiology and offers a subspecialty certificate in pediatric anesthesiology. The Society for Pediatric Anesthesia is the main professional organization. Residents interested in the field complete pediatric rotations at children's hospitals during anesthesiology residency and apply for fellowship through a national match. Training covers newborn and infant airway management, regional anesthesia in children, and anesthesia for congenital heart disease and other complex pediatric surgery. Many graduates then join children's hospital anesthesia departments.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Doctoral or professional degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Internship/residency
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
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%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Post-Doctoral Training | 69.2% |
| Doctoral Degree | 24.7% |
| First Professional Degree | 4.9% |
| Master's Degree | 1.3% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Pediatric Anesthesiologist do?
Pediatric anesthesiologists keep children safe and comfortable during surgery, imaging and other procedures. Children differ from adults in airway anatomy, drug responses and the way they react to stress, so these physicians adjust every part of anesthesia, from calming a frightened child and family before surgery to managing the airway of a premature newborn.
They provide anesthesia for everything from ear tubes to heart surgery and organ transplant, place nerve blocks and epidurals for pain control, and sedate children for MRI and other procedures. Some focus further on pediatric cardiac anesthesia or pediatric pain medicine.
Day-to-day tasks
- Evaluate children before surgery and explain the anesthesia plan to families
- Induce and maintain general anesthesia for newborns, infants and children
- Manage pediatric airways, including difficult airways in newborns
- Place regional nerve blocks and epidurals for pain control
- Provide sedation for MRI, CT and other procedures
- Provide anesthesia for pediatric heart surgery and transplant
- Manage pain and recovery after surgery
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Pediatric anesthesiologists work mainly in children's hospitals and in pediatric units of academic medical centers, in operating rooms, imaging suites and procedure areas. Schedules include early starts, call for emergency surgery, and sometimes in-house nights. The work requires calm under pressure and good communication with families.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes carry very serious consequences.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking4.6
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Monitoring4.1
- Active Listening4.0
- Writing4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Science4.0
- Active Learning3.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 4.6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 |
| Monitoring | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Writing | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Science | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making4.3
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Complex Problem Solving4.0
- Time Management3.9
- Operations Monitoring3.6
- Instructing3.4
- Service Orientation3.4
- Coordination3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.0 |
| Time Management | 3.9 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.6 |
| Instructing | 3.4 |
| Service Orientation | 3.4 |
| Coordination | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
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.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Pediatric Anesthesiologist?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ISR) built on O*NET's Anesthesiologist profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Pediatric Anesthesiologist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 5 |
| Investigative | 6 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 5 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
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.
- Investigative5.8
- Social5.3
- Realistic5.2
- Conventional3.7
- Enterprising2.5
- Artistic1.2
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.
Explore further
Careers related to Pediatric Anesthesiologist
O*NET related occupations
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
More healthcare practitioners and technical careers
Median annual pay, with anesthesiologists highlighted
- Anesthesiologist$391,490
- Pediatric Anesthesiologist$391,490
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- Physical Therapist$102,760
- Dental Hygienist$98,100
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer$96,590
- Radiologic Technologist and Technician$80,110
- Surgical Technologist$64,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologist | $391,490 |
| Pediatric Anesthesiologist | $391,490 |
| Physician Assistant | $135,880 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $132,300 |
| Physical Therapist | $102,760 |
| Dental Hygienist | $98,100 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | $96,590 |
| Radiologic Technologist and Technician | $80,110 |
| Surgical Technologist | $64,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Pediatric Anesthesiologist appears on
Questions
Pediatric Anesthesiologist: frequently asked questions
How much do Anesthesiologists make?
SullivanCotter 2025 Physician Compensation and Productivity Survey reports $525,500 (median total cash compensation, US pediatric anesthesiologists, employer-reported (90th percentile as high), 2025), with top earners around $649,300. BLS does not publish a separate wage for anesthesiologists. It counts them within anesthesiologist, whose median pay is $391,490 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $207,000 and $490,530, and the top 10% earn $557,130 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Pediatric 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 Pediatric Anesthesiologist a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.6% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Pediatric Anesthesiologist do?
Pediatric anesthesiologists keep children safe and comfortable during surgery, imaging and other procedures. A typical task: evaluate children before surgery and explain the anesthesia plan to families. 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 a Pediatric 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 1,731 careers in the bank.