Nurse anesthetists salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $155,250 | $74.64 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $236,590 | $113.75 |
| Mean (average) | $248,320 | $119.38 |
| 90th percentile | $339,500 | $163.22 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Nurse anesthetists pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 47 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $190,300 | $101,450 | $270,220 | 1,810 | 2.57 |
| Alaska | $341,210 | $212,150 | $366,160 | 90 | 0.82 |
| Arizona | $248,660 | $228,390 | $313,990 | 310 | 0.28 |
| Arkansas | $224,280 | $87,120 | $300,080 | ||
| California | $292,410 | $200,530 | $335,550 | 2,230 | 0.37 |
| Colorado | Data unavailable | 800 | 0.83 | ||
| Connecticut | $236,960 | $101,520 | $325,790 | 480 | 0.86 |
| Florida | $210,570 | $125,680 | $416,000 | 4,600 | 1.39 |
| Georgia | $224,630 | $167,110 | $303,900 | 1,170 | 0.72 |
| Idaho | $263,130 | $216,820 | $338,620 | ||
| Illinois | $286,830 | $103,490 | $335,610 | 1,140 | 0.56 |
| Indiana | Data unavailable | 600 | 0.56 | ||
| Iowa | $273,070 | $124,470 | $315,610 | 380 | 0.74 |
| Kansas | $212,090 | $166,080 | $243,000 | 910 | 1.9 |
| Kentucky | $222,520 | $189,630 | $289,230 | 1,640 | 2.46 |
| Louisiana | $222,130 | $176,660 | $304,640 | 900 | 1.39 |
| Maine | $247,470 | $219,970 | $336,050 | 380 | 1.78 |
| Maryland | $223,140 | $81,970 | $351,020 | 840 | 0.92 |
| Massachusetts | $295,550 | $199,760 | $391,170 | 500 | 0.41 |
| Michigan | $247,010 | $220,840 | $299,120 | 2,300 | 1.57 |
| Minnesota | $266,190 | $221,970 | $292,200 | 2,130 | 2.16 |
| Mississippi | $198,410 | $177,110 | $281,010 | 480 | 1.23 |
| Missouri | $242,630 | $177,900 | $362,800 | 1,550 | 1.58 |
| Montana | $277,380 | $233,670 | $325,620 | ||
| Nebraska | $246,730 | $188,560 | $331,660 | 430 | 1.26 |
| New Hampshire | $275,980 | $231,560 | $320,140 | 490 | 2.15 |
| New Jersey | $291,350 | $229,130 | $370,880 | ||
| New Mexico | $129,370 | $64,560 | $271,970 | ||
| New York | $321,030 | $144,900 | $342,480 | 2,450 | 0.76 |
| North Carolina | $224,610 | $117,170 | $323,640 | 3,340 | 2.03 |
| North Dakota | $244,240 | $223,490 | $287,480 | 250 | 1.73 |
| Ohio | $231,810 | $148,690 | $329,690 | 2,300 | 1.24 |
| Oklahoma | $156,830 | $156,830 | $296,200 | 990 | 1.75 |
| Oregon | $272,330 | $205,180 | $339,300 | 370 | 0.56 |
| Pennsylvania | $221,530 | $155,250 | $303,640 | 2,500 | 1.24 |
| Rhode Island | Data unavailable | 120 | 0.74 | ||
| South Carolina | $265,480 | $210,100 | $401,600 | 1,010 | 1.31 |
| South Dakota | $263,930 | $194,200 | $287,650 | 400 | 2.62 |
| Tennessee | $211,450 | $167,480 | $286,630 | 1,690 | 1.55 |
| Texas | $244,990 | $169,350 | $340,950 | 4,060 | 0.86 |
| Utah | $126,600 | $93,350 | $208,310 | ||
| Vermont | $283,060 | $222,080 | $310,160 | 40 | 0.4 |
| Virginia | $252,110 | $174,210 | $387,020 | 700 | 0.51 |
| Washington | $274,390 | $218,640 | $358,160 | 760 | 0.64 |
| West Virginia | $278,530 | $226,300 | $380,340 | 740 | 3.18 |
| Wisconsin | $273,170 | $223,690 | $320,630 | 990 | 1.01 |
| Wyoming | $255,250 | $188,650 | $399,220 | 80 | 0.85 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for nurse anesthetists
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 2,400. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 2.8%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for nurse anesthetists
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Nurse Anesthetist CIP 51.3804
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Manage patients' airway or pulmonary status, using techniques such as endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, pharmacological support, respiratory therapy, and extubation.
- Respond to emergency situations by providing airway management, administering emergency fluids or drugs, or using basic or advanced cardiac life support techniques.
- Monitor patients' responses, including skin color, pupil dilation, pulse, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, ventilation, or urine output, using invasive and noninvasive techniques.
- Select, order, or administer anesthetics, adjuvant drugs, accessory drugs, fluids or blood products as necessary.
- Select, prepare, or use equipment, monitors, supplies, or drugs for the administration of anesthetics.
- Assess patients' medical histories to predict anesthesia response.
- Perform or manage regional anesthetic techniques, such as local, spinal, epidural, caudal, nerve blocks and intravenous blocks.
- Develop anesthesia care plans.
Technology skills
- Epic Systems (in demand)
- Patient management software (in demand)
- MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- AetherPalm InfusiCalc
- Allscripts Professional EHR
- Amkai AmkaiCharts
- Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR
- Cerner Millennium
- ChartWare EMR
- Drug database software
- EDImis Anesthesia Manager
- GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
- Medscribbler Enterprise
- MicroFour PracticeStudio.NET EMR
Transferable skills for career changers: Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Coordination, Time Management.
Common job titles: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), Nurse Anesthetist, Staff Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (Staff CRNA), Staff Nurse Anesthetist.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do nurse anesthetists make?
The national median annual wage for nurse anesthetists was $236,590 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $155,250 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $339,500. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do nurse anesthetists need?
BLS lists master's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is nurse anesthetists a growing career?
BLS projects employment of nurse anesthetists to change +9.7% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 2,400 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay nurse anesthetists the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Alaska ($341,210), New York ($321,030), Massachusetts ($295,550). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.