Nurse Anesthetists: salary, outlook & degrees
Administer anesthesia, monitor patient's vital signs, and oversee patient recovery from anesthesia. May assist anesthesiologists, surgeons, other physicians, or dentists. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.
Middle half $206,730–$294,350. 51,840 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
97% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $201,095.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 2,400 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Extensive preparation (usually a graduate degree).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 68% | Nursing |
| Biology | 6% | Biology |
| Finance | 2% | Finance · Insurance |
| Biochemical Sciences | 2% | Biochemistry |
| General Medical And Health Services | 2% | Health Sciences |
| Physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure | 1% | Kinesiology / Exercise Science · Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies |
| Psychology | 1% | Psychology |
| Business Management And Administration | 1% | Business Administration |
| Mathematics | 1% | Mathematics |
| Chemistry | 1% | Chemistry |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $341,210 |
| New York | $321,030 |
| Massachusetts | $295,550 |
| California | $292,410 |
| New Jersey | $291,350 |
| Illinois | $286,830 |
| Vermont | $283,060 |
| West Virginia | $278,530 |
| Montana | $277,380 |
| New Hampshire | $275,980 |
| Washington | $274,390 |
| Wisconsin | $273,170 |
| Iowa | $273,070 |
| Oregon | $272,330 |
| Minnesota | $266,190 |
| South Carolina | $265,480 |
| South Dakota | $263,930 |
| Idaho | $263,130 |
| Wyoming | $255,250 |
| Virginia | $252,110 |
| Arizona | $248,660 |
| Maine | $247,470 |
| Michigan | $247,010 |
| Nebraska | $246,730 |
| Texas | $244,990 |
| North Dakota | $244,240 |
| Missouri | $242,630 |
| Connecticut | $236,960 |
| Ohio | $231,810 |
| Georgia | $224,630 |
| North Carolina | $224,610 |
| Arkansas | $224,280 |
| Maryland | $223,140 |
| Kentucky | $222,520 |
| Louisiana | $222,130 |
| Pennsylvania | $221,530 |
| Kansas | $212,090 |
| Tennessee | $211,450 |
| Florida | $210,570 |
| Mississippi | $198,410 |
| Alabama | $190,300 |
| Oklahoma | $156,830 |
| New Mexico | $129,370 |
| Utah | $126,600 |
Florida metro areas
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$206,270
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$214,690
- Jacksonville$416,000
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$205,330
- Panama City-Panama City Beach$207,470
- Gainesville$225,280
- Ocala$203,850
- Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach$219,990
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$223,150
- Charlottesville$241,460
- Richmond$235,320
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$233,060
California metro areas
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$298,910
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$282,930
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Active Learning
Knowledge used
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Customer and Personal Service
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Stress Tolerance
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Self-Control
People in this job tend to have Social (helping), Investigative (analytical), Realistic (hands-on) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Nurse Anesthetists: questions
How much do nurse Anesthetists make?
Nurse Anesthetists earn a U.S. median $236,590 a year; the middle half earn $206,730 to $294,350 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $199,399 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is nurse Anesthetists a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 9.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,400 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a nurse Anesthetist?
BLS lists the typical entry education as master's degree. In O*NET's survey, 100% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is nursing (68%).
How much do nurse Anesthetists make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $210,570 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $236,590 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 29-1151. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Nurse Anesthetists: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/nurse-anesthetists.