Anesthesiologist Salary: 10 Best Facts About Pay, Career & Earnings

An anesthesiologist salary is among the highest in medicine, reflecting the years of education, specialized training, demanding clinical work, and significant responsibility associated with the profession. Anesthesiologists are physicians who specialize in anesthesia care, perioperative medicine, pain management, and the monitoring of patients before, during, and after medical procedures.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual wage for anesthesiologists was $391,490 in May 2025. That places anesthesiology among the highest-paying physician specialties in the United States.

However, $391,490 should not be interpreted as the amount every anesthesiologist earns. Actual pay can vary considerably based on experience, location, employer, workload, subspecialty, call schedule, productivity, and practice type.

Compensation surveys can also produce different figures from federal wage statistics. For example, Doximity’s 2026 Physician Compensation Report lists average anesthesiology compensation of $557,131. The difference illustrates an important point: salary, wages, and total compensation are not always the same measurement.

So, how much do anesthesiologists make, what affects their earnings, and is the career worth the extensive training required?

This complete guide covers anesthesiologist salary, hourly and monthly pay, earnings by experience and workplace, education requirements, CRNA salary comparisons, career outlook, and 10 frequently asked questions.

Anesthesiologist Salary Quick Facts

The BLS May 2025 occupational wage data also report a mean annual wage of $360,570 and a median hourly wage of $188.22 for anesthesiologists.

Before comparing salary figures, it is important to understand the terminology. A median wage, mean wage, base salary, and total compensation package can represent different things. Bonuses, call pay, profit sharing, retirement contributions, partnership distributions, and productivity incentives can all affect what a physician ultimately earns.

Read more: Anesthesiologist Salary

1. What Is the Average Anesthesiologist Salary?

The average anesthesiologist salary depends on the source being used and what that source considers compensation.

According to BLS data for May 2025:

• Median annual wage: $391,490
• Mean annual wage: $360,570
• Median hourly wage: $188.22
• Mean hourly wage: $173.35

The median is particularly useful because it identifies the midpoint of the wage distribution: half of workers earn more and half earn less.

Other physician compensation reports can show substantially higher figures. Doximity’s 2026 Physician Compensation Report, for example, lists average anesthesiology compensation of $557,131.

That does not necessarily mean one source is right and another is wrong. The sources may be measuring different populations and different forms of compensation.

Why Do Anesthesiologist Salary Estimates Differ?

Salary estimates vary for several reasons.

Government wage statistics, physician surveys, job postings, and compensation databases may use different methodologies. Some focus on direct wages, while others may include bonuses, incentives, practice income, or other forms of compensation.

When comparing anesthesiologist pay, consider:

• Whether the figure is a mean or median
• Whether it represents base salary or total compensation
• The year in which the data were collected
• Whether bonuses are included
• Whether self-employed physicians are included
• Whether partnership income is included
• The geographic area represented
• Whether full-time and part-time physicians are combined

For this reason, a single salary number rarely tells the whole story.

2. How Much Does an Anesthesiologist Make Per Hour?

According to BLS May 2025 wage data, the median anesthesiologist salary per hour was $188.22. The mean hourly wage was reported as $173.35.

An hourly wage should be interpreted carefully for physicians.

Anesthesiologists may work long clinical days and can have overnight, weekend, holiday, or emergency call responsibilities. Some compensation arrangements also include productivity incentives, bonuses, additional call payments, or partnership distributions.

Therefore, dividing annual compensation by a standard 40-hour workweek may not accurately represent what an individual anesthesiologist earns for each hour actually worked.

Anesthesiologist Salary Per Year, Month, Week and Day

Using the BLS median annual wage of $391,490 as a simple mathematical reference:

*The daily calculation assumes approximately 260 working days per year and is provided only for illustration. Actual schedules vary.

These figures are useful for understanding the scale of anesthesiologist earnings, but they should not be treated as a guaranteed paycheck.

3. Why Is an Anesthesiologist Salary So High?

Anesthesiologists are highly trained physicians whose decisions can have an immediate effect on patient safety.

Their responsibilities extend well beyond simply “putting a patient to sleep.”

Anesthesiologists may evaluate patients before surgery, select an appropriate anesthesia plan, administer anesthetic medications, manage airways, continuously monitor vital functions, treat pain, respond to emergencies, and oversee recovery from anesthesia.

Major Responsibilities of an Anesthesiologist

Depending on the procedure and workplace, an anesthesiologist may:

• Review the patient’s medical history
• Evaluate anesthesia-related risks
• Develop an individualized anesthesia plan
• Administer appropriate anesthesia
• Monitor blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, oxygenation, and other vital functions
• Manage the patient’s airway
• Adjust medications throughout a procedure
• Maintain appropriate anesthesia depth
• Respond to unexpected complications
• Help manage pain
• Oversee recovery from anesthesia
• Coordinate care with surgeons, nurses, and other clinicians

This combination of specialized expertise, extensive training, procedural skills, high responsibility, and demanding working conditions helps explain why anesthesiology is a highly compensated medical specialty.

4. Anesthesiologist Salary by Experience

Experience can affect an anesthesiologist salary, but physician compensation does not generally follow one universal experience-based pay scale.

An anesthesiologist with fewer years in practice can sometimes earn more than a more experienced physician if the first physician works in a high-demand market, takes substantial call, or has a different compensation arrangement.

Entry-Level Anesthesiologist Salary

Newly trained anesthesiologists can receive very different job offers.

Compensation may depend on:

• Geographic location
• Employer
• Local physician demand
• Work schedule
• Call responsibilities
• Case volume
• Benefits
• Signing incentives
• Employment model

A physician accepting a hospital-employed position, for example, may have a different compensation structure from someone joining a private practice with a partnership track.

Mid-Career Anesthesiologist Salary

With several years of experience, physicians may gain additional negotiating power and professional opportunities.

A mid-career anesthesiologist may take on more complex responsibilities, pursue leadership positions, develop a subspecialty focus, or move to a practice offering a different compensation model.

Experienced Anesthesiologist Salary

Experienced anesthesiologists may increase their earnings through:

• Clinical leadership
• Additional call coverage
• Higher productivity
• Specialized procedures
• Administrative roles
• Practice ownership
• Partnership
• Work in high-demand locations

However, greater compensation can also involve longer hours or additional responsibilities.

5. Anesthesiologist Salary by State and Location

Location can have a significant effect on an anesthesiologist salary in the USA.

The BLS publishes occupational wage estimates by state, metropolitan area, and nonmetropolitan area. These data show that physician earnings are not identical throughout the country.

Why Does Location Affect Anesthesiologist Pay?

Several factors can create geographic salary differences:

• Physician supply and demand
• Difficulty recruiting specialists
• Rural versus urban location
• Cost of living
• Competition among hospitals
• Regional healthcare demand
• Call requirements
• Local economic conditions
• Availability of anesthesia professionals

Some areas may offer higher compensation to attract physicians when recruitment is difficult.

However, a higher salary does not necessarily mean a physician will have more disposable income.

Housing, taxes, insurance, transportation, and everyday expenses can significantly affect purchasing power. A lower-paying job in an affordable area can sometimes provide greater financial flexibility than a higher salary in an extremely expensive city.

When comparing jobs, physicians should therefore evaluate salary, total compensation, workload, benefits, and cost of living together.

6. Anesthesiologist Salary by Workplace

Where an anesthesiologist works can influence both earnings and lifestyle.

Hospitals

Hospitals are major workplaces for anesthesiologists.

Hospital-based anesthesiologists may provide care for scheduled operations, emergency surgery, obstetric procedures, trauma cases, diagnostic procedures, and other services.

Compensation packages may include:

• Base salary
• Productivity bonuses
• Call compensation
• Health insurance
• Retirement contributions
• Paid time off
• Malpractice coverage
• Continuing medical education benefits
• Signing bonuses
• Relocation assistance

Hospital employment may provide greater income predictability than some ownership-based practice models.

Private Practice

Private practice can offer a different financial structure.

Physicians may work as employees, associates, partners, or owners depending on the practice.

A partnership or ownership position may provide access to practice profits or distributions in addition to direct clinical compensation. However, ownership can also bring financial risk and administrative responsibilities.

Ambulatory Surgery Centers

Anesthesiologists can also work in ambulatory or outpatient surgery centers.

Because many outpatient procedures are scheduled in advance, these positions may sometimes offer more predictable schedules.

The actual workload and compensation depend on procedure volume, case complexity, staffing, contracts, and the facility.

Academic Medical Centers

Academic anesthesiologists may divide their time among:

• Patient care
• Teaching
• Research
• Administration
• Leadership

Salary is therefore only one consideration.

Research opportunities, protected academic time, teaching responsibilities, benefits, and opportunities for professional advancement can also make an academic position attractive.

7. What Factors Affect Anesthesiologist Salary?

Several factors determine how much an anesthesiologist makes.

Geographic Location

Locations facing physician shortages or recruitment difficulties may provide more competitive offers.

Experience

Experienced physicians may have access to leadership, partnership, and specialized clinical opportunities.

Subspecialty Training

Anesthesiologists can pursue additional training in areas such as:

• Cardiothoracic anesthesiology
• Pediatric anesthesiology
• Obstetric anesthesiology
• Critical care medicine
• Pain medicine
• Regional anesthesiology
• Neuroanesthesiology

Additional specialization does not automatically guarantee a higher salary, but it can affect the positions and responsibilities available.

Work Schedule and Call

Night, weekend, holiday, and emergency call can substantially affect workload.

Depending on the employment agreement, additional call responsibilities may also affect compensation.

Employment Model

Compensation can differ among:

• Hospital employees
• Private-practice physicians
• Partners
• Practice owners
• Independent contractors
• Academic physicians

Each model has different financial advantages and risks.

Productivity

Some anesthesiologist compensation plans include productivity-based incentives.

Greater clinical volume can potentially increase compensation under certain arrangements, although workload and sustainability should also be considered.

Benefits and Bonuses

A job offering a slightly lower base salary may still provide greater total value if the benefits are strong.

A physician compensation package may include:

• Health insurance
• Retirement contributions
• Paid time off
• Disability insurance
• Malpractice coverage
• CME allowances
• Signing bonuses
• Relocation assistance
• Productivity bonuses
• Call compensation

For this reason, physicians should compare total compensation rather than base salary alone.

8. How Do You Become an Anesthesiologist?

The high earning potential of anesthesiology comes after a lengthy educational and clinical training process.

An anesthesiologist is a physician, meaning the pathway involves undergraduate education, medical school, postgraduate training, and medical licensure.

Step 1: Complete a Bachelor’s Degree

Aspiring physicians generally complete undergraduate education while satisfying prerequisite coursework required or recommended for medical-school admission.

There is not necessarily one required undergraduate major. Students can choose different fields while completing the necessary prerequisites.

Step 2: Attend Medical School

Students who are admitted to medical school work toward an MD (Doctor of Medicine) or DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) degree.

Medical school includes classroom education and supervised clinical training.

Step 3: Complete Anesthesiology Residency

After medical school, physicians enter postgraduate clinical training.

Anesthesiology residency provides extensive experience in:

• Anesthesia care
• Airway management
• Perioperative medicine
• Pharmacology
• Physiology
• Patient monitoring
• Emergency management
• Pain management
• Critical patient care

This supervised training prepares physicians for the complex responsibilities of anesthesiology practice.

Step 4: Obtain Medical Licensure

Physicians must satisfy applicable licensing requirements before practicing medicine independently.

Specific requirements vary by jurisdiction.

Step 5: Consider Fellowship Training

Some anesthesiologists complete additional subspecialty training.

Potential fellowship areas include:

• Cardiothoracic anesthesiology
• Pediatric anesthesiology
• Pain medicine
• Critical care medicine
• Obstetric anesthesiology

Fellowship training can provide expertise in a more specialized area of anesthesia practice.

9. Anesthesiologist vs. CRNA Salary

Anesthesiologists and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) can both play important roles in anesthesia care, but they have different education, training, licensing, and professional pathways.

An anesthesiologist is a physician who completes medical school followed by specialized postgraduate physician training.

A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist is an advanced practice registered nurse with specialized graduate-level education and clinical training in anesthesia.

According to BLS May 2025 wage figures:

Based on these figures, anesthesiologists have a substantially higher median annual wage.

However, salary is only one difference between the professions. The educational pathways, professional responsibilities, licensing requirements, and scope of practice are also different.

10. Is Becoming an Anesthesiologist Worth It?

For the right person, anesthesiology can offer a financially rewarding and intellectually demanding medical career.

However, deciding whether the profession is “worth it” requires looking beyond the anesthesiologist salary.

Advantages of Becoming an Anesthesiologist

Potential advantages include:

• High earning potential
• Specialized medical expertise
• Procedural and technical work
• Diverse clinical environments
• Opportunities for subspecialization
• Important role in surgical care
• Opportunities in hospitals and private practice
• Academic and research career options
• Direct involvement in patient safety

Challenges of Becoming an Anesthesiologist

Potential challenges include:

• Lengthy education and training
• Medical-school expenses
• Potential student debt
• Significant clinical responsibility
• Emergency situations
• High-pressure decision-making
• Long or irregular hours in some positions
• Night, weekend, or holiday call

Prospective physicians should weigh financial rewards against the time, cost, workload, and responsibilities associated with the profession.

Anesthesiologist Salary Compared With Other Physicians

Anesthesiology is one of the highest-paying medical specialties.

BLS May 2025 median annual wage figures include:

These figures demonstrate why anesthesiology is frequently described as a high-paying medical career.

Nevertheless, salary comparisons should be interpreted carefully. Work hours, employment arrangements, location, benefits, and compensation methodology can all influence earnings.

Anesthesiologist Salary vs. Total Compensation

One reason anesthesiologist salary estimates vary so much is that salary and total compensation are not necessarily the same thing.

Base salary generally represents direct employment earnings.

Total compensation may include:

• Base salary
• Productivity bonuses
• Signing bonuses
• Call pay
• Profit sharing
• Partnership distributions
• Retirement contributions
• Employer-paid insurance
• Paid leave
• CME allowances
• Other contractual benefits

This distinction helps explain why BLS wage statistics and physician compensation surveys can produce substantially different figures.

For example, the BLS median annual wage cited in this guide is $391,490, while Doximity’s 2026 report lists average anesthesiology compensation of $557,131.

The two figures should not be directly treated as equivalent because the underlying methodologies and definitions can differ.

How Can Anesthesiologists Increase Their Earning Potential?

There is no guaranteed formula for increasing anesthesiologist earnings, but several career decisions can affect compensation.

Anesthesiologists may consider:

• Working in areas with strong physician demand
• Negotiating compensation packages
• Taking additional call responsibilities
• Developing specialized expertise
• Pursuing leadership roles
• Joining productivity-based practices
• Pursuing partnership opportunities
• Considering practice ownership

Higher compensation, however, can come with trade-offs.

A position paying considerably more may require additional nights, weekends, call coverage, longer hours, greater clinical volume, or relocation.

The best-paying position is therefore not automatically the best overall job.

Anesthesiologist Job Outlook

Anesthesiology remains an important physician specialty because anesthesia services are required for a wide range of surgical, diagnostic, obstetric, and other medical procedures.

Employment opportunities can vary significantly by location and healthcare system.

Factors that may influence demand include:

• Population growth
• An aging population
• Demand for surgical procedures
• Physician retirements
• Regional physician shortages
• Hospital staffing needs
• Access to healthcare
• Changes in healthcare delivery

Physicians evaluating the profession should consider both national trends and employment conditions in the specific region where they intend to practice.

Final Thoughts on Anesthesiologist Salary

An anesthesiologist salary is among the highest in the U.S. healthcare system. BLS May 2025 data report a median annual wage of $391,490 for anesthesiologists, along with a mean annual wage of $360,570.

Physician compensation surveys can report substantially higher figures. Doximity’s 2026 Physician Compensation Report, for example, lists average anesthesiology compensation of $557,131.

The difference highlights why readers should distinguish between wages, salary, and total compensation.

Ultimately, how much an anesthesiologist makes depends on location, experience, employer, work schedule, subspecialty, call responsibilities, productivity, benefits, and practice structure.

Anesthesiology can provide substantial financial rewards, but becoming an anesthesiologist requires years of education and specialized medical training. Anyone considering the career should evaluate salary alongside professional interests, educational costs, workload, lifestyle, and long-term career goals.

Frequently Asked Questions