How much do anesthesiologists make?
Answer
Anesthesiologists in the US earned a median of $391,490 a year ($188.22 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $207,000 to $490,530.
- Median annual pay
- $391,490
- Mean $360,570
- Median hourly pay
- $188.22
- Mean $173.35
- Typical range (10th–90th)
- $101K–$557K
- $101,460 to $557,130
- US jobs
- 38,760
- +3.6% projected, 2025–35
BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology
How to become an anesthesiologist: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Ohio
Anesthesiologist pay range
Annual wages, May 2025
- 10th percentile$101,460
- 25th percentile$207,000
- Median$391,490
- 75th percentile$490,530
- 90th percentile$557,130
Half of all anesthesiologists earned more than $391,490 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $101,460; the top 10% made over $557,130. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $207,000 to $490,530.
These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $101,460 | $48.78 | $8,455 |
| 25th | $207,000 | $99.52 | $17,250 |
| Median (50th) | $391,490 | $188.22 | $32,624 |
| 75th | $490,530 | $235.83 | $40,878 |
| 90th | $557,130 | $267.85 | $46,428 |
| Mean (average) | $360,570 | $173.35 | $30,048 |
Anesthesiologist salary by state
Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024
Highest-paying states
- 1. Washington $499,990
- 2. Minnesota $496,510
- 3. Ohio $490,530
- 4. Virginia $488,310
- 5. Connecticut $481,820
Lowest-paying states
- 25. District of Columbia $202,570
- 24. Texas $215,230
- 23. Georgia $230,000
- 22. South Carolina $238,970
- 21. Tennessee $330,620
Best after cost of living: Ohio. Its median of $490,530 is worth about $528,736 at national-average prices, more than in Washington once prices are counted.
| Alabama | $392,350 | 18 | $441,721 | 14 | $188.63 | — | — |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 120 | 0.36 |
| Arizona | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| California | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | $481,820 | 5 | $465,032 | 10 | $231.65 | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | $202,570 | 25 | $184,320 | 25 | $97.39 | 100 | 0.14 |
| Florida | $465,370 | 7 | $450,007 | 12 | $223.74 | 2,530 | 0.26 |
| Georgia | $230,000 | 23 | $238,854 | 23 | $110.58 | 1,040 | 0.21 |
| Hawaii | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Idaho | $449,990 | 9 | $471,223 | 7 | $216.34 | — | — |
| Illinois | — | — | — | — | — | 1,570 | 0.26 |
| Indiana | $394,060 | 16 | $422,227 | 16 | $189.45 | 1,460 | 0.46 |
| Iowa | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 450 | 0.29 |
| Kansas | $437,030 | 12 | $485,222 | 3 | $210.11 | 600 | 0.42 |
| Kentucky | $347,960 | 19 | $385,940 | 19 | $167.29 | 1,090 | 0.54 |
| Louisiana | $410,500 | 15 | $465,383 | 9 | $197.35 | 190 | 0.10 |
| Maine | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 200 | 0.31 |
| Maryland | $418,010 | 14 | $398,260 | 18 | $200.97 | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — | — | — | 1,100 | 0.30 |
| Michigan | — | — | — | — | — | 1,270 | 0.29 |
| Minnesota | $496,510 | 2 | $503,453 | 2 | $238.71 | 870 | 0.29 |
| Mississippi | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Missouri | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | — | — |
| Montana | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | — | — |
| Nebraska | $334,210 | 20 | $370,920 | 20 | $160.68 | 260 | 0.26 |
| Nevada | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 50 | 0.04 |
| New Hampshire | $481,640 | 6 | $462,382 | 11 | $231.56 | 330 | 0.48 |
| New Jersey | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | $393,970 | 17 | $427,244 | 15 | $189.41 | 50 | 0.06 |
| New York | $445,660 | 10 | $412,950 | 17 | $214.26 | 7,230 | 0.75 |
| North Carolina | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 980 | 0.20 |
| North Dakota | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 60 | 0.13 |
| Ohio | $490,530 | 3 | $528,736 | 1 | $235.83 | 780 | 0.14 |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oregon | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 390 | 0.20 |
| Pennsylvania | $461,390 | 8 | $472,871 | 5 | $221.82 | 410 | 0.07 |
| Rhode Island | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 80 | 0.16 |
| South Carolina | $238,970 | 22 | $254,904 | 22 | $114.89 | 950 | 0.41 |
| South Dakota | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 210 | 0.46 |
| Tennessee | $330,620 | 21 | $359,878 | 21 | $158.95 | 840 | 0.26 |
| Texas | $215,230 | 24 | $221,756 | 24 | $103.48 | 2,800 | 0.20 |
| Utah | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | — | — |
| Vermont | $434,780 | 13 | $443,843 | 13 | $209.03 | 90 | 0.28 |
| Virginia | $488,310 | 4 | $482,978 | 4 | $234.77 | — | — |
| Washington | $499,990 | 1 | $467,224 | 8 | $240.38 | 1,540 | 0.43 |
| West Virginia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | $443,990 | 11 | $471,853 | 6 | $213.46 | 790 | 0.27 |
| Wyoming | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure (13 states). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.
Best-paying metro areas for anesthesiologists
65 metro areas with published pay
| Metro area | Median | Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage, AK | $239,200+ | — | 110 |
| Asheville, NC | $239,200+ | — | 80 |
| Boise City, ID | $239,200+ | — | — |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $239,200+ | — | — |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $239,200+ | — | 50 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $239,200+ | — | 400 |
| Cleveland, OH | $239,200+ | — | 190 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $239,200+ | — | 190 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | $239,200+ | — | 40 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $239,200+ | — | 50 |
| Metro area | Jobs | Median | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 7,080 | $460,800 | $409,371 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1,700 | $77,770 | $75,071 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 1,160 | $210,230 | $213,152 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 990 | $646,930 | $582,122 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 950 | $218,060 | $211,524 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 860 | — | — |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 770 | $226,830 | $226,699 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 700 | $239,200+ | — |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 560 | $374,730 | $391,584 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 510 | — | — |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).
What moves anesthesiologist pay: employers and settings
Anesthesiologist pay is high but varies widely with the employer. Anesthesiologists in offices of physicians, the physician groups that employ most of them, earn a median of $399,990. Hospital-employed anesthesiologists are lower at $285,310 and the small group working in outpatient care centers is higher at $497,800. State government employers, a group that includes public universities and their hospitals, have a median of $225,670.
State makes a large difference. Washington leads at $499,990, followed by Minnesota at $496,510, Ohio, Virginia and Connecticut. Pay is far lower in Georgia at $230,000, Texas at $215,230, and the District of Columbia at $202,570. Adjusted for living costs, Ohio is highest at $528,736 adjusted.
The 10th percentile, $101,460, sits far below the median. That spread reflects differences such as setting, location and hours worked, and should not be read as a starting salary or as pay at a given career stage. Subspecialty training, call burden, practice ownership and the group's contracts with hospitals all shape individual pay, though our data does not split pay by those factors.
| Industry | Share of jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Offices of Physicians | 74% | $399,990 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 20.7% | $285,310 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 3.4% | $391,490 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | 0.6% | $384,510 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 0.5% | $497,800 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 0.1% | — |
| Employer type | Jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Private employers | 36,940 | $396,180 |
| State government (incl. schools and hospitals) | 1,300 | $225,670 |
| Local government (incl. schools and hospitals) | 510 | $446,730 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).
What anesthesiologists do
An anesthesiologist is a physician (MD or DO) who keeps patients safe and free of pain during surgery and other procedures. Before an operation, they review the patient's history, heart and lung function, medications and airway, and choose a plan: general anesthesia, a spinal or epidural, a nerve block or sedation. In the operating room they place IV and arterial lines, secure the airway, give the drugs and then watch heart rhythm, blood pressure, oxygen levels and breathing minute by minute, adjusting doses and treating bleeding or reactions as they happen. Afterward they manage the wake-up and decide when a patient can leave recovery.
Most anesthesiologists work in hospital operating rooms, surgery centers and labor and delivery units, usually as members of physician groups: about three in four in our data are employed by offices of physicians. Many lead a care team that includes nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and anesthesiologist assistants. Others focus on intensive care, chronic pain clinics or children's hospitals. Cases often start early in the morning, and nights, weekends and on-call shifts for emergencies and labor epidurals are part of the job.
A typical day
- Meet patients before surgery to review their health, explain the anesthesia plan and get consent
- Insert IV and arterial lines, place breathing tubes and perform spinal, epidural and nerve block injections
- Give anesthetic, pain and blood pressure drugs and adjust them through the operation
- Track vital signs and monitors continuously and respond fast to bleeding, low oxygen or drug reactions
- Supervise nurse anesthetists, anesthesiologist assistants and residents in several rooms at once
- Manage pain and recovery afterward and clear patients to leave the recovery unit
- Take night and weekend call for emergency surgery, trauma and labor epidurals
Also called: anesthesiologist md (anesthesiologist medical doctor), anesthesiology resident, attending anesthesiologist, cardiothoracic anesthesiologist, critical care anesthesiologist, medical doctor (md), obstetrical anesthesiologist, pediatric anesthesiologist.
How to become an anesthesiologist
Full guideTo become an anesthesiologist, you earn a bachelor's degree, finish 4 years of medical school (MD or DO), pass the USMLE or COMLEX licensing exams and complete a 4-year anesthesiology residency, then get a state medical license and ABA board certification. That is about 12 years after high school, plus an optional 1-year fellowship.
- Typical time
- 12-13 years
- Fastest: About 12 years after high school
- Minimum education
- MD or DO degree plus a 4-year ACGME-accredited anesthesiology residency
- License
- Medical license required in all 50 states and DC; board certification is voluntary but expected by most employers
- Typical training cost
- $305K–$415K
- See the guide for what it includes
Read the step-by-step guide to becoming an anesthesiologist: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.
Is it worth it? Training cost against pay
Compare careers- Training time
- 12-13 years
- Typical path in our guide
- Training cost
- $305K–$415K
- Tuition and exam fees, before aid
- Median pay
- $391,490
- $340,510 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
- Cost vs. one year's pay
- 78–106%
- Training cost as a share of a year at the median
Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($340,510 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year to 1.2 years after training ends (12-13 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.
Job outlook for anesthesiologists
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +3.6%
- All occupations +3.5%
- Jobs in 2025
- 41,500
- 43,000 projected for 2035
- Openings each year
- 1,100
- New jobs plus replacements
- Self-employed
- 3.9%
- Not in the pay figures above
BLS projects anesthesiologist jobs to grow 3.6% from 2025 to 2035, from 41,500 to 43,000, about the same pace as the 3.5% for all occupations. That means roughly 1,100 openings a year, most of them from anesthesiologists retiring or leaving the field. A growing number of older adults, who need more complex care, and rising rates of chronic illness like heart disease, diabetes and cancer drive demand for physicians overall, including those who provide anesthesia for surgery and procedures.
Related careers and their pay
- Orthopedic Surgeon$358,550
- Cardiologist$496,010
- CRNA$236,590
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- OB-GYN$292,910
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- Paramedic$60,600
- Neurologist$248,560
Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Anesthesiologist salary FAQ
How much do anesthesiologists make an hour?
The median hourly wage for anesthesiologists was $188.22 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $48.78 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $267.85. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.
Which state pays anesthesiologists the most?
Washington has the highest median pay for anesthesiologists, $499,990 a year, followed by Minnesota ($496,510) and Ohio ($490,530). After adjusting for each state's price level, Ohio comes out ahead at about $528,736 in national-average dollars.
Do anesthesiologists make $200,000 a year?
Most do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 75% and 90% of anesthesiologists earn more than $200,000 a year. The median is $391,490, and the top 10% earn more than $557,130. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.
What is the difference between an anesthesiologist and a nurse anesthetist?
An anesthesiologist is a physician who went to medical school and completed a four-year anesthesiology residency. A certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) is an advanced practice nurse who completed a graduate nurse anesthesia program, now at the doctoral level for new students. Both give anesthesia. In many hospitals they work as a team, with an anesthesiologist directing several CRNAs, though rules on CRNA supervision vary by state and facility. See our nurse anesthetist page for that path.
Do anesthesiologists work long hours?
Often, yes. Operating room days start early, frequently before 7 a.m., and cases can run late. Most anesthesiologists also share overnight, weekend and holiday call for emergency surgery, trauma and obstetrics. Schedules depend heavily on the setting: an outpatient surgery center may have predictable daytime hours, while a trauma hospital or labor and delivery unit has round-the-clock coverage.
Do anesthesiologists stay with the patient during the whole surgery?
Anesthesia care continues for the whole operation, but the person at the bedside may vary. An anesthesiologist working alone stays in the room. In a care team model, the anesthesiologist handles the plan, the start of anesthesia and critical moments, and remains immediately available while a nurse anesthetist, anesthesiologist assistant or resident monitors the patient continuously.
Sources
Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 29-1211
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
- O*NET 31.0 Database (29-1211.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
- Physicians and Surgeons, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- 2026 ABA Fee Adjustment, American Board of Anesthesiology · checked October 28, 2026
- APPLIED Exam; BASIC Exam; Special Training; Subspecialty Exams, American Board of Anesthesiology · checked October 28, 2026
- ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Anesthesiology, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education · checked October 28, 2026
- You Can Afford Medical School, Association of American Medical Colleges · checked October 28, 2026
- United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), NBME · checked October 28, 2026
- MCAT Scheduling Fees, Association of American Medical Colleges · checked October 28, 2026
- Frequently Asked Questions (COMLEX-USA fees), National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners · checked October 28, 2026
- License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
Careers and Salaries is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are listed on the editorial policy page.