How Much Do Anesthesiologists Make?
If you’re entertaining becoming an anesthesiologist in the future, we’ve put together this little salary guide just for you! Take an in-depth look at what we can expect from job growth and salaries of this position will look like for the coming years.
Anesthesiologists work as part of the surgical team to administer anesthetics to those undergoing varying degrees of procedures. They must make assessments of an individual's response to anesthesia by studying their medical history and identifying any potential allergies or intolerances to medications or chemicals. Additionally, they must monitor the patient's condition throughout the operation to ensure ideal outcomes.
Anesthesiology is a very demanding field meaning that those tasked with the job must have astute stress management skills, be keen critical thinkers, and be decisive in their choices regarding their patients.
How Much Do Anesthesiologists Make?
How much an anesthesiologist can make via salary varies depending on the location of the job, experience of the individual, and the current demand.
Use the table at the end of this article to find out whether your state, or the state you eventually want to work in, pays its anesthesiologists above or below the national average.
As represented in the graph below, anesthesiologist can expect to earn a median hourly wage of $129.62, or $269,600 per year:
Return on Investment for Anesthesiologists
In order to become an anesthesiologist students must first earn a bachelor's degree, then take the MCAT in order to get into medical school, and complete a residency program after their medical education. All in all, this can take up to 12+ years to complete and can be very expensive, racking up as much as over $400,000 in debt once finished.
While that may sound daunting (and it is), it should not outright deter you from pursuing this path if it is what you truly want. However, you must be absolutely certain and have the drive to succeed in this field. Medical students who drop out and don't complete their programs are putting themselves in a position to be burdened with debt that has not benefited them for the rest of their lives. If you're going to be an anesthesiologist, see it through!
Best States for Anesthesiologist Salaries
A major factor in determining what your salary may look like is the location in which you plan to work. However, this principle applies to nearly all occupations largely due to the varying cost-of-living rates across the country.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics collects salary and employment data for nearly all positions, nationwide. The following table includes all data compiled from the BLS from each state including total number of jobs and wages as of May 2016.
Search or sort the table to find out what you can expect to make if anesthesiology is in your future:
*Location quotients serve as a statistical representation of the concentration of a resource, like jobs, with a broader base area.