How much do CRNAs make?

CRNA salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Nurse Anesthetists (SOC 29-1151) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

CRNAs in the US earned a median of $236,590 a year ($113.75 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $206,730 to $294,350.

Median annual pay: $236,590; Mean $248,320
Median hourly pay: $113.75; Mean $119.38
Typical range (10th–90th): $155K–$340K; $155,250 to $339,500
US jobs: 51,840; +9.7% 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 a CRNA: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Alaska

CRNA pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$155,250
25th percentile$206,730
Median$236,590
75th percentile$294,350
90th percentile$339,500

Half of all CRNAs earned more than $236,590 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $155,250; the top 10% made over $339,500. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $206,730 to $294,350.

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	$155,250	$74.64	$12,938
25th	$206,730	$99.39	$17,228
Median (50th)	$236,590	$113.75	$19,716
75th	$294,350	$141.51	$24,529
90th	$339,500	$163.22	$28,292
Mean (average)	$248,320	$119.38	$20,693

CRNA salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for CRNAs by state. Darker tiles pay more. A dash means BLS did not publish a figure.

Highest-paying states

1. Alaska $341,210
2. New York $321,030
3. Massachusetts $295,550
4. California $292,410
5. New Jersey $291,350

Lowest-paying states

44. Utah $126,600
43. New Mexico $129,370
42. Oklahoma $156,830
41. Alabama $190,300
40. Mississippi $198,410

Best after cost of living: Alaska. Its median of $341,210 is worth about $333,346 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$190,300	41	$214,246	39	$91.49	1,810	0.86
Alaska	$341,210	1	$333,346	1	$164.04	90	0.27
Arizona	$248,660	21	$246,988	30	$119.55	310	0.09
Arkansas	$224,280	32	$257,980	22	$107.83	—	—
California	$292,410	4	$264,099	20	$140.58	2,230	0.12
Colorado	—	—	—	—	—	800	0.28
Connecticut	$236,960	28	$228,704	36	$113.92	480	0.28
Delaware	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
District of Columbia	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Florida	$210,570	39	$203,618	41	$101.24	4,600	0.46
Georgia	$224,630	30	$233,278	34	$108.00	1,170	0.24
Hawaii	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Idaho	$263,130	18	$275,546	12	$126.50	—	—
Illinois	$286,830	6	$286,951	9	$137.90	1,140	0.19
Indiana	—	—	—	—	—	600	0.19
Iowa	$273,070	13	$311,148	3	$131.29	380	0.25
Kansas	$212,090	37	$235,478	33	$101.97	910	0.63
Kentucky	$222,520	34	$246,808	31	$106.98	1,640	0.82
Louisiana	$222,130	35	$251,828	27	$106.80	900	0.46
Maine	$247,470	22	$254,992	25	$118.98	380	0.59
Maryland	$223,140	33	$212,597	40	$107.28	840	0.31
Massachusetts	$295,550	3	$279,461	11	$142.09	500	0.14
Michigan	$247,010	23	$256,722	23	$118.76	2,300	0.52
Minnesota	$266,190	15	$269,912	16	$127.98	2,130	0.72
Mississippi	$198,410	40	$228,181	37	$95.39	480	0.41
Missouri	$242,630	27	$267,164	18	$116.65	1,550	0.53
Montana	$277,380	9	$293,074	6	$133.36	—	—
Nebraska	$246,730	24	$273,831	15	$118.62	430	0.42
Nevada	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
New Hampshire	$275,980	10	$264,945	19	$132.68	490	0.72
New Jersey	$291,350	5	$267,773	17	$140.07	—	—
New Mexico	$129,370	43	$140,296	43	$62.20	—	—
New York	$321,030	2	$297,468	5	$154.34	2,450	0.25
North Carolina	$224,610	31	$238,121	32	$107.99	3,340	0.68
North Dakota	$244,240	26	$274,553	14	$117.42	250	0.58
Ohio	$231,810	29	$249,865	28	$111.45	2,300	0.41
Oklahoma	$156,830	42	$178,534	42	$75.40	990	0.58
Oregon	$272,330	14	$263,475	21	$130.93	370	0.19
Pennsylvania	$221,530	36	$227,043	38	$106.50	2,500	0.41
Rhode Island	—	—	—	—	—	120	0.25
South Carolina	$265,480	16	$283,182	10	$127.64	1,010	0.44
South Dakota	$263,930	17	$297,936	4	$126.89	400	0.87
Tennessee	$211,450	38	$230,162	35	$101.66	1,690	0.52
Texas	$244,990	25	$252,419	26	$117.78	4,060	0.29
Utah	$126,600	44	$128,055	44	$60.86	—	—
Vermont	$283,060	7	$288,961	8	$136.09	40	0.13
Virginia	$252,110	20	$249,357	29	$121.21	700	0.17
Washington	$274,390	11	$256,408	24	$131.92	760	0.21
West Virginia	$278,530	8	$311,217	2	$133.91	740	1.06
Wisconsin	$273,170	12	$290,313	7	$131.33	990	0.34
Wyoming	$255,250	19	$275,377	13	$122.71	80	0.28

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 (7 states). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for CRNAs

142 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	$239,200+	—	170
Ann Arbor, MI	$239,200+	—	290
Bismarck, ND	$239,200+	—	40
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$239,200+	—	530
Green Bay, WI	$239,200+	—	80
Rochester, MN	$239,200+	—	440
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$239,200+	—	460
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$239,200+	—	30
Sheboygan, WI	$239,200+	—	30
Syracuse, NY	$239,200+	—	40

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	2,310	$321,030	$285,200
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	1,290	$218,650	$212,096
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	1,250	$258,570	$246,675
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	1,190	$238,540	$232,599
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	1,170	$243,130	$242,408
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	1,070	$206,270	$204,450
Kansas City, MO-KS	980	$218,080	$235,653
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	910	$277,550	$285,111
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	840	$265,880	$256,653
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	830	$211,450	$219,488

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves CRNA pay: employers and settings

State makes a large difference. Alaska has the highest median at $341,210, followed by New York at $321,030, Massachusetts at $295,550, California at $292,410, and New Jersey at $291,350. The lowest medians are in Oklahoma at $156,830, New Mexico at $129,370, and Utah at $126,600. Alaska also stays first after adjusting for living costs, at $333,346.

Setting is the next factor. Outpatient care centers have the highest median in our data at $288,880 and general hospitals pay $260,990. Physicians' offices, the largest employer group and home to many anesthesia practices, pay $222,530 while offices of other health practitioners, such as dental and podiatry offices, pay $201,370. Local government employers, mainly public hospitals, report $257,650.

How the work is organized also matters: call, nights and weekends, independent contracting, and practicing as the sole anesthesia provider in a rural facility can all change total pay. Across all nurse anesthetists, pay runs from $155,250, the 10th percentile, to $339,500, the 90th. That spread reflects state, setting and practice model, not just years in the job.

Where CRNAs work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Offices of Physicians	50.7%	$222,530
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	32.1%	$260,990
Offices of Other Health Practitioners	7.9%	$201,370
Outpatient Care Centers	4%	$288,880
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	1.7%	$244,810
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	1.2%	$249,590

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	47,720	$235,630
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	1,770	$244,810
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	2,350	$257,650

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

CRNA pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$237K $157K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $157,140 in 2015 to $236,590 in 2025, up 51% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $212,422 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay grew 11% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What CRNAs do

A CRNA, or certified registered nurse anesthetist, is an advanced practice registered nurse who gives anesthesia and keeps patients safe before, during and after surgery and other procedures. Before a case, the nurse anesthetist reviews the patient's history, medications and airway, and builds an anesthesia plan. In the operating room they put the patient to sleep or numb part of the body, place breathing tubes, run the ventilator and give drugs, fluids and blood while watching heart rhythm, blood pressure and oxygen levels minute by minute. Afterward they wake the patient and hand them off to the recovery team.

CRNAs work in hospital operating rooms and labor and delivery units, ambulatory surgery centers, and the offices of dentists, podiatrists, pain physicians and plastic surgeons. In our data, half of nurse anesthetists (50.7%) are employed by physicians' offices, many of them anesthesia groups that staff hospitals and surgery centers, and 32.1% by hospitals. Depending on the state and the facility, a CRNA may work in an anesthesia care team with anesthesiologists or be the only anesthesia provider, which is common in small rural hospitals.

A typical day

Meet each patient before surgery to review history, airway, allergies and past reactions to anesthesia
Plan the anesthetic: general, spinal, epidural, nerve block or sedation
Check the anesthesia machine, monitors, drugs and emergency airway equipment
Induce anesthesia, place breathing tubes or airways and manage the ventilator
Watch vital signs throughout the case and adjust drugs, fluids and blood products
Place labor epidurals and respond to emergencies such as airway loss or cardiac arrest
Wake patients, manage pain and nausea, and hand off care in the recovery room

Also called: nurse anesthetist, certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified registered nurse anesthetist (crna), staff certified registered nurse anesthetist (staff crna), staff nurse anesthetist.

How to become a CRNA

Full guide

To become a CRNA, you earn a BSN and RN license, work at least a year as a critical care nurse, finish a COA-accredited doctoral nurse anesthesia program (about 36 months), and pass the NBCRNA National Certification Examination. AANA puts the total at about 8 to 8.5 years.

Typical time: 8-10 years; Fastest: About 8 years
Minimum education: Doctoral degree (DNP or DNAP) from a COA-accredited nurse anesthesia program, required for students accepted on or after January 1, 2022
License: RN license plus an APRN license or recognition in all states; most states require national certification
Typical training cost: $87.0K–$218K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a CRNA: 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: 8-10 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $87.0K–$218K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $236,590; $185,610 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 37–92%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($185,610 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year to 1.2 years after training ends (8-10 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 CRNAs

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +9.7%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 54,500; 59,800 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 2,400; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 2.8%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects nurse anesthetist jobs to grow 9.7% from 2025 to 2035, from 54,500 to 59,800, well above the 3.5% expected for all occupations. About 2,400 openings a year are expected, many from CRNAs who retire.

The openings figure is modest because the occupation is small, and new CRNAs come only from accredited programs that admit about 3,000 nurses a year. BLS links demand for advanced practice nurses to an aging population, more chronic disease, and wider use of team-based care in hospitals, physician offices and outpatient settings.

Related careers and their pay

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

CRNA salary FAQ

How much do CRNAs make an hour?

The median hourly wage for CRNAs was $113.75 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $74.64 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $163.22. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays CRNAs the most?

Alaska has the highest median pay for CRNAs, $341,210 a year, followed by New York ($321,030) and Massachusetts ($295,550). After adjusting for each state's price level, Alaska comes out ahead at about $333,346 in national-average dollars.

Do CRNAs make $200,000 a year?

Most do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 75% and 90% of CRNAs earn more than $200,000 a year. The median is $236,590, and the top 10% earn more than $339,500. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

What is the difference between a CRNA and an anesthesiologist?

Both give anesthesia, but their training differs. A CRNA is a registered nurse with ICU experience who completes a doctoral nurse anesthesia program, about 8 years of education and experience in all. An anesthesiologist is a physician who finishes medical school and a four-year residency. Many hospitals use care teams where anesthesiologists supervise several CRNAs; in other settings CRNAs work without an anesthesiologist.

Where do nurse anesthetists earn the most?

In our data, Alaska, New York, Massachusetts, California and New Jersey have the highest state medians. By setting, outpatient care centers ($288,880) and general hospitals ($260,990) are above physicians' offices ($222,530). Some of the lowest state medians are in Utah, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Rural facilities that have no anesthesiologist may also depend on CRNAs for all their anesthesia coverage.

Do CRNAs work long hours or take call?

Often, yes. Surgery starts early, cases can run late, and hospitals that offer obstetrics, trauma or emergency surgery need anesthesia coverage around the clock. Many CRNAs work long shifts or take overnight and weekend call. Ambulatory surgery centers and office-based settings usually have more predictable daytime hours.

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 29-1151
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (29-1151.00), 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
Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
NCE Resources, National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists · checked October 28, 2026
CRNA Education and Training, American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology · checked October 28, 2026
Nurse Anesthesia (BSN-DNP) CRNA Overview, University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing · checked October 28, 2026
FAQ: DNP Nurse Anesthesiology Admission, New Mexico State University School of Nursing · checked October 28, 2026
Fees and Payment, NCSBN (NCLEX) · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
Continued Certification: MAC Program, National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists · checked October 28, 2026
Nurse Anesthesia DNP, University of North Dakota · checked October 28, 2026
Standards for Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Programs: Practice Doctorate (revised January 29, 2022), Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) · checked October 28, 2026
2026 Fee Schedule, National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists · checked October 28, 2026

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