With a national median of $236,590 and +8.6% projected job growth through 2034, Nurse Anesthetist offers both strong financial return and stable long-term demand.
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.
Also known as:
Nurse Anesthetist earn $236,590 nationally, well above the national median for college graduates. The middle 50% of earners fall between $206,730 and $294,350. Actual pay varies by employer, specialization, and location.
Well above average for college graduates.
25th to 75th percentile. Most workers earn within this band.
O*NET data identifies 5 core activities and 5 measurable skills for Nurse Anesthetist roles. Use this section to judge whether the day-to-day reality aligns with what you actually want to spend time doing.
Working closely with people, teaching, advising, or helping others navigate challenges is a defining feature of this career's daily work.
Hands-on tasks, physical activity, or working with tools and real materials are central parts of the daily work here.
This career demands analytical thinking: researching problems, interpreting data, and applying logical reasoning to find practical solutions.
What the physical and mental conditions of this job actually look like day to day, based on O*NET Work Context data collected from people working in this occupation.
Split between indoor and outdoor or field settings.
Mix of sitting and movement throughout the day.
High time pressure and significant consequences for errors. Deadline-driven or high-stakes decisions are common.
The BLS projects +8.6% employment change for Nurse Anesthetist through 2034, well above the national average of +5%. About 2,700 openings per year keep the field accessible to new entrants.
Faster than average.
New positions plus replacements for retirees and career-changers.
Total US employment as of BLS May 2024.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024.
The five states below employ the most Nurse Anesthetist professionals nationwide. State-level wages can differ significantly from the $236,590 national median. Research your specific market before committing to a program.
| # | State | Jobs | Median Wage | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | 6,140 | $197,940 | -16.3% |
| 2 | Texas | 3,660 | $227,580 | -3.8% |
| 3 | Michigan | 2,960 | $234,520 | -0.9% |
| 4 | North Carolina | 2,820 | $226,460 | -4.3% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 2,660 | $217,670 | -8.0% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Employment figures rounded. Read our methodology →
Most Nurse Anesthetist positions require a master's degree to qualify. The program below is the most common academic pathways into this field, ranked by how many graduates they produce each year.
Extensive education (usually a master's or doctoral degree) plus years of field experience is required to qualify for most positions.
| # | Program | Graduates/yr | 4yr Median | Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 308,114 | $88,910 | 2,190 |
Colleges offering the degree programs that lead to this career, ranked by UCD Score. A strong program plus solid outcomes is a good place to begin your search.
| # | College | UCD Score | Net Price | Salary 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | 93 | $12,548 | $82,511 |
| 2 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | 93 | $6,541 | $71,588 |
| 3 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA | 92 | $14,251 | $80,735 |
| 4 | North Florida College Madison, FL | 91 | $804 | $33,929 |
| 5 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | 91 | $13,138 | $83,648 |
| 6 | University of Florida-Online Gainesville, FL | 90 | $4,815 | $71,588 |
Once you've sized up Nurse Anesthetist, these tools turn the numbers into a plan. Estimate the real cost of a degree that leads here, weigh the long-term payoff, compare specific colleges side-by-side, and find programs that match your profile.
See if the degree that leads to Nurse Anesthetist pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings graduates see.
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
Strong earnings and growing demand make Nurse Anesthetist a compelling path. The 3 strengths and 1 trade-offs below are drawn from BLS wage data and employment projections.
Group every career by the degree it requires and master's-level jobs pay a median of about $91,000, statistically tied with bachelor's-level work. The premium hides in a few fields.
From a $37,000 dietetic technician to a $238,000 family physician, healthcare pay climbs with required schooling. But one rung breaks the pattern.
Air traffic controllers earn more than the typical bachelor's-degree career, with an associate degree. The occupations that pay six figures without four years of college.
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