College-bound young people sometimes base their degree program selections on how lucrative the future profession will be. Anesthesiologists are among those who receive unusually high pay in the medical industry.
Anesthesiologists typically earn a lot of money since they are essential healthcare providers before, during, and after medical procedures. Anesthesiologists go through years of expensive schooling, training, residency, and fellowship, which is another reason why they make a lot of money (in some circumstances, even more than surgeons).
If you want to become an anesthesiologist yourself and earn a fortune, keep reading.
Almost all the information you require to work as a certified and licensed anesthesia practitioner one day can be found below. You will understand that one needs to put a lot of time, more significantly, money—into preparation before you can start enjoying endless amounts of money.
Becoming an anesthesiologist and the cost involved
For becoming an anesthesiologist, it is important to invest a considerable amount of time along with money. The reality is that someone who wishes to become an anesthesiologist must invest most of their time in college, for someone who wants to become a surgeon doesn’t respond as a surprise because anesthesiologists are a subset of physicians.
A college or university first-year student medical’s degree from a recognized institution is the first step in the process of becoming an anesthesiologist. In most cases, there are no specific vital concerns for becoming an anesthesiologist, so if you believe majoring in a medically related topic is important, think again.
At your preference, it is advised to enroll in a pre-medical program. You might choose a major in a field of study that will help you become ready for medical schools, such as healthcare management, physical science, biology, or chemistry. However, a lot of medical colleges do not demand these as majors. Some anesthesiologists majored in both English and pre-law, in reality.
It’s time to enroll in medical school once you have earned your bachelor’s degree. To finish a Doctorate or Doctorate of Osteopathic Medical program, you must first pass the Medicine College Admissions Test before applying to the medical college of your choosing. You will take customary classes in anatomy, chemistry, and pharmacology throughout your first semester of medical school.
After that, you will carry on with your clinical curriculum by taking electives and rotations in anesthesiology. Anesthesiology residency programs must be finished to get practical experience and fulfill the educational criteria to become a licensed and certified anesthesiologist. Typically, it requires four years to finish this curriculum. It will enable you to investigate your interests and select a specialism.
After receiving your degree in medicine and finishing your residency program, you must complete the US Medical Boards Examination to become a licensed anesthesiologist (USMLE). Additionally, you must become board certified by the American Board of Anesthesiologists (ABA).
What sort of pay do anesthesiologists get?
The average annual pay for anesthesiologists is $261,730, according to the US Bureau for Labor Statistics (BLS). The average annual wage for all professions is $53,490, which is approximately five times that amount. Due to the high expense of schooling, the importance, and the demanding nature of their work, anesthesiologists are compensated well.
According to the BLS, surgeons make an average of $255,110 a year. Some anesthesiologists earn more than some surgeons. Many people might find this startling, and that’s not unlikely. This is particularly true because everyone is aware that the surgeon—the star in every operating room or theatre—is the person who uses a scalpel. You should be aware that not all anesthesiologists make more money than all surgeons in terms of pay.
Although a surgeon is always at the forefront of any surgical process, the anesthesiologist also has a lot of crucial and difficult tasks to complete when a patient is lying on an examination table.
Contrary to popular belief, anesthesiologists do more than just put patients to sleep. An anesthesiologist is responsible for performing the following tasks and duties:
1. Provide analgesics before, during, and after medical operations.
2. Keep track of patients’ vital signs while they are undergoing surgery.
3. Control licensed registered nurse anesthetists and anesthesia assistants (CRNAs).
4. Give your approval for general, sedative, local, regional, or anesthesia.
5. Examine the patient’s medical records and laboratory findings.
6. Make sure patients are aware of the dangers of administering anesthesia.
7. Adhere to hospital regulations and practices regarding medical care.
States in the United States of America with the highest average salary
You must be aware that some anesthesiologists working in specific US states earn more money than the average person, especially if you are committed to finishing an anesthesiology degree.
Listed below are the 10 largest states in the USA with the highest yearly earnings for anesthesiologists:
| State | Average anesthesiologist salary |
|---|---|
| Wyoming | $281,070 |
| Arizona | $280,030 |
| Oklahoma | $278,540 |
| New Mexico | $277,140 |
| Kansas | $276,800 |
| North Carolina | $274,610 |
| Alabama | $274,260 |
| Indiana | $272,630 |
| Louisiana | $269,520 |
| Florida | $268,470 |
Is there a High Demand for Anesthesiologists?
Anesthesiologists have 33,000 employment opportunities. Being unemployed shouldn’t be a concern for anesthesiologists, especially if they are willing to move to a state having a high level of demand for them. From 2016 to 2026, an expected percentage is a 15.5% increase in demand for anesthesiologists.
Anesthesiologists should make a lot of time and money to get certified and licensed. It is for this reason that some students could be hesitant to spend their money to be able to professionally and legally administer anesthesia and carry out the many duties of an anesthesiologist. However, you cannot enroll in the master’s degree in Nurse Anesthesia programs and become a CRNA if you are not a nurse practitioner and do not possess a bachelor’s degree.
Typically, anesthesiologists perform in a variety of industries, with some having higher employment rates than others. Compared to other industries, some seem to need more anesthesiologists, while others don’t. Your likelihood of landing a job as an anesthesiologist is influenced by a variety of factors, not only the sector. A future anesthesiologist like you may be more or less productive depending on their place in space.
The states with the highest employment of anesthesiologists, for example, some of these are listed below, according to data by Kaiser State Health:
| State | Number of anesthesiologists |
| California | 5,624 |
| New York | 3,874 |
| Texas | 3,492 |
| Florida | 2,625 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,146 |
| Illinois | 1,931 |
| Ohio | 1,820 |
| Massachusetts | 1,634 |
| New Jersey | 1,578 |
| Michigan | 1,471 |
Which universities offer the best anesthesia programs?
Getting into one of the best universities is important if you want to receive a higher salary compared to your colleagues. Outstanding anesthesiology programs can be found at many institutions and universities. Most of them are from elite US universities like the Ivy League, John Hopkins Universities, Harvard University, and the University of California- San Francisco, etc. These are a few institutions with renowned anesthesiology programs.
It is a good idea to extract an anesthesiology program from the true institution because providing anesthesia enhances extensive training beforehand and anesthesiologists are one of the most difficult medical specialties. Students in the US who aspire to become anesthesiologists can select from a large range of institutions and universities that provide top-notch anesthesiology programs.
On an honest note, the cost of these programs is high but at the same time, the return on the investment is incredible.
The top universities for anesthesiology programs, according to US News, are as follows:
| UNIVERSITY | RANKING |
| Johns Hopkins University | 1 |
| Harvard University | 2 |
| University of California – San Francisco | 3 |
| Duke University | 4 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 5 |
| University of Michigan – Ann Arbor | 6 |
| Columbia University | 7 |
| Stanford University | 8 |
| New York University | 9 |
| University of California – Los Angeles | 10 |
| Vanderbilt University | 10 |
| Washington University in St. Louis | 10 |
Because the criteria that are employed and how much importance each one of them receives have been determined by the ranking body, even though university ranking websites usually rely on public data and data given by the institutions themselves.
In reality, the rankings of the top anesthesiology programs change often from one rating site to another. This is explained by the reality of the situation. There are several differences at times and subtle ones.
Why does being an anesthesiologist require a whopping amount?
A medical degree is one of those college degrees that are just more costly than the rest. The world invests $100 billion annually in medical education. This explains why going to medical school doesn’t come at a low cost. You can anticipate a costly trip because attending medical school for four years is required to become an anesthesiologist.
At a public university, a bachelor’s degree typically costs between $103,560 and $167,800. (for out-of-state students). On the other hand, the average cost of four years of medical school is $330,180 at private colleges and $250,222 at public institutions. As a result, you will need to pay between $353,782 and $497,980. Textbooks, lodging, clothing, food, transportation, and other necessities are not included in this sum.
For college students, the average annual cost of living is $14,435. You will need to pay an additional $173,220 to pursue a career as an anesthesiologist after multiplying that sum by 12 (four years of undergraduate study, four years of medical school, and an additional four years of resident training). When you do the arithmetic, it becomes clear that being an anesthetic professional is not an inexpensive profession.
Anesthesiologists are among the highest-paid specialists on the planet, which makes sense given that they had to invest a significant amount of money just to reach where they are now. You must be capable or willing to spend a significant amount of money today if you hope to have a tall job in the future. The good news is that finishing your anesthesiology residency program is typically cost-free. In reality, you will profit from it.
Before being able to professionally and legally administer anesthesia and perform the numerous other duties of anesthesiologists within various medical settings, as was previously indicated, anesthesiology students must complete rigorous training and residency. It is not possible to train online to become an anesthesiologist or to be a resident in anesthesiology.
In contrast, earning money as just an anesthesiology resident will be significantly less than earning money as a trained and licensed anesthesiologist at a doctor’s office, hospital, ambulatory care facility, or elsewhere. Anesthesiology residents in the US make an average salary of $172,122 per year.
Conclusion
There are without minimum wages for anesthesiologists. But only because they spent a disproportionate amount of money and time in university before becoming the doctors they are now.
If you want to enjoy the high salary of an anesthesiologist, be sure you are satisfied to spend four decades of your life earning a medical’s degree, four more years of your life attending medical degree, and four more years of your life coming to an end anesthesiology residency program — as well as spending between $300,000 and almost $500,000.
Frequently Asked Question
1. What is the time required to be an anesthesiologist?
The normal training period for anesthesiologists is 12 years. Beginning with a four-year medical degree, accompanied by four years of medical school, is the first step in the process. A residency program takes four more years to complete. Sometimes, a few years in a private practice or fellowship program are needed.
Understandably, anesthesiologists earn so much money given the length of time (and cost) spent on education and the difficulty of the exams they must pass.
2. What is the cost associated with becoming an anesthesiologist?
A licensed and trained anesthesiologist can expect to pay between $300,000 and approximately $500,000. Choosing which colleges to acquire a bachelor’s degree from and what medical schools to enroll in will determine how much money aspiring anesthesiologists need to pay.
3. Do Online Anesthesia Degree Programs Exist?
Many people prefer online anesthesiologist programs as they are cost-efficient but there aren’t any online degree programs for anesthesiology. Distance learning is not possible due to the extensive training and anesthesia residencies needed for students to obtain their licenses and certifications as anesthesiologists. Online nurse anesthesia programs are nevertheless accessible.
