Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
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National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Doctoral or professional degree
None
Internship/residency
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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Anesthesiologists are highly trained physicians who specialize in anesthesia care and related medical decision making. National employment stands at 45,000, with projected employment growth of 3.2% and about 1,000 annual openings. This combination points to a profession with ongoing demand for new talent. The role calls for a strong mix of science knowledge, critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and decision making, as well as detail orientation and adaptability. Interpersonal skills, leadership, and solid writing and reading abilities also contribute to success in this field. Mathematics and project management round out the core skill profile, reflecting the need to handle complex information and organized workflows. People considering this career can also explore related paths such as radiologists, obstetricians and gynecologists, nurse anesthetists, podiatrists, and ophthalmologists (except pediatric) as alternative options within advanced medical practice. SalaryAnalysis Anesthesiologists can see very different salary levels depending on location. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $215,230 in Texas to $499,990 in Washington, with New York at $445,660, Minnesota at $496,510, and Vermont at $434,780. At the metro level, the spread is also wide. The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro shows a median salary of $646,930, while New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reports $460,800 and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV reports $397,210. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX is at $218,060. The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro lists a median salary of $77,770, which is much lower than the other highlighted metros. These figures illustrate that earning potential for anesthesiologists is strongly tied to geographic choice and local labor markets. OutlookAnalysis Nationally, anesthesiologists account for 45,000 jobs, with projected employment growth of 3.2%. The field is expected to have about 1,000 annual openings. Together, these numbers indicate a stable need for new anesthesiologists over time, due to growth and other workforce changes. The same 3.2% growth rate appears across the highlighted states and metro areas, suggesting that the growth projection is consistent across different regions featured here. For someone entering this field, this means that while the profession is relatively specialized, there is a defined flow of opportunities each year. Comparing the national employment total with the annual openings also shows that a modest share of the workforce turns over or is added annually, which can matter for long-term career planning, residency decisions, and geographic mobility. LocationAnalysis Career opportunities for anesthesiologists vary significantly by state and metro area when looking at salaries, employment levels, and opportunity scores together. Among states, New York stands out with 7,230 employed anesthesiologists, a median salary of $445,660, and the highest state opportunity score listed at 65.78. Washington and Minnesota have relatively high median salaries ($499,990 and $496,510) but smaller employment bases of 1,540 and 870. Texas combines a larger workforce (2,800) with a lower median salary of $215,230, while Vermont has a small employment base (90) and a median salary of $434,780. At the metro level, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has a very high opportunity score of 77.27, with 7,080 employed and a median salary of $460,800. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA shows a high median salary of $646,930 and an opportunity score of 61.92, while Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX offer different mixes of pay, employment size, and opportunity score. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN combines relatively high employment (1,700) with a notably lower median salary. EducationAnalysis Becoming an anesthesiologist typically requires a doctoral or professional degree. This advanced education level reflects the complexity and responsibility associated with the role. The skill profile further clarifies what is important for success. Strong science knowledge and mathematics form a critical foundation for understanding medical information and quantitative data. Critical and analytical thinking, along with problem solving and decision making, support sound clinical judgments. Being detail oriented and adaptable is important in managing changing situations and precise requirements. Interpersonal skills and leadership help anesthesiologists work effectively with patients and healthcare teams, while writing and reading skills are important for documentation and understanding medical information. Project management skills support organizing tasks, coordinating care, and managing time and resources. Together, the doctoral or professional degree requirement and this broad skill set point to a demanding but structured educational and professional development path for those pursuing this career.
Anesthesiologists can see very different salary levels depending on location. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $215,230 in Texas to $499,990 in Washington, with New York at $445,660, Minnesota at $496,510, and Vermont at $434,780. At the metro level, the spread is also wide. The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro shows a median salary of $646,930, while New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reports $460,800 and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV reports $397,210. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX is at $218,060. The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro lists a median salary of $77,770, which is much lower than the other highlighted metros. These figures illustrate that earning potential for anesthesiologists is strongly tied to geographic choice and local labor markets.
Nationally, anesthesiologists account for 45,000 jobs, with projected employment growth of 3.2%. The field is expected to have about 1,000 annual openings. Together, these numbers indicate a stable need for new anesthesiologists over time, due to growth and other workforce changes. The same 3.2% growth rate appears across the highlighted states and metro areas, suggesting that the growth projection is consistent across different regions featured here. For someone entering this field, this means that while the profession is relatively specialized, there is a defined flow of opportunities each year. Comparing the national employment total with the annual openings also shows that a modest share of the workforce turns over or is added annually, which can matter for long-term career planning, residency decisions, and geographic mobility.
Career opportunities for anesthesiologists vary significantly by state and metro area when looking at salaries, employment levels, and opportunity scores together. Among states, New York stands out with 7,230 employed anesthesiologists, a median salary of $445,660, and the highest state opportunity score listed at 65.78. Washington and Minnesota have relatively high median salaries ($499,990 and $496,510) but smaller employment bases of 1,540 and 870. Texas combines a larger workforce (2,800) with a lower median salary of $215,230, while Vermont has a small employment base (90) and a median salary of $434,780. At the metro level, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has a very high opportunity score of 77.27, with 7,080 employed and a median salary of $460,800. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA shows a high median salary of $646,930 and an opportunity score of 61.92, while Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX offer different mixes of pay, employment size, and opportunity score. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN combines relatively high employment (1,700) with a notably lower median salary.
Becoming an anesthesiologist typically requires a doctoral or professional degree. This advanced education level reflects the complexity and responsibility associated with the role. The skill profile further clarifies what is important for success. Strong science knowledge and mathematics form a critical foundation for understanding medical information and quantitative data. Critical and analytical thinking, along with problem solving and decision making, support sound clinical judgments. Being detail oriented and adaptable is important in managing changing situations and precise requirements. Interpersonal skills and leadership help anesthesiologists work effectively with patients and healthcare teams, while writing and reading skills are important for documentation and understanding medical information. Project management skills support organizing tasks, coordinating care, and managing time and resources. Together, the doctoral or professional degree requirement and this broad skill set point to a demanding but structured educational and professional development path for those pursuing this career.
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