How Much Do Nurse Anesthetists Make? A Complete Guide
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Credit: Westend61 / Getty Images- Nurse anesthetists made a median salary of $203,090 in 2022, making them the highest-paid nursing specialists.
- The bottom quarter percentile of nurse anesthetists made less than $174,000, and those in the 75th percentile made over $227,000.
- New Jersey and Wisconsin have the highest average certified registered nurse anesthetists salaries, both topping $280,000 in 2023.
- Entry-level nurse anesthetists made roughly $73 per hour, while experienced nurse anesthetists made over $105 per hour in 2023.
Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) have administered anesthesia care since 1956. Each year, CRNAs provide 50 million patients with anesthetics. They also earn the highest salaries of all advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), making over six figures annually.
This guide breaks down salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and other resources to show how CRNA salaries vary by region, industry, and work experience. Find out in which states CRNAs earn the most.
How Much Do Nurse Anesthetists Make?
Nurse anesthetists made a median salary of $203,090 in 2022, according to the BLS. This figure is nearly a 24% increase from 2016, when the median pay was $164,030.
The bottom quarter of nurse anesthetists made less than $174,000, and those in the top quarter percentile made over $227,000.
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What Makes Pay for Nurse Anesthetists Different?
Salaries for nurse anesthetists vary based on various factors, including region, industry, and level of experience.
Nurse Anesthetists’ Salaries by State
New Jersey and Wisconsin have the highest average CRNA salaries, both exceeding $280,000.
At slightly above $187,000 salaries per year, Alabama, Florida, and West Virginia have the lowest average annual salaries for CRNAs.
Nurse Anesthetists’ Pay by Industry
According to BLS, the most common workplaces for nurse anesthetists were offices of physicians and hospitals, where they earned an annual mean salary slightly above $200,000.
Offices of physicians are officially designated as facilities that provide routine, non-emergency healthcare. This includes specialized branches of medical care such as dermatology, pediatrics, dentistry, and women’s health.
The top-paying settings for CRNAs, however, were outpatient care centers and specialty (excluding psychiatric and substance use) hospitals, where they earned average salaries of $246,980 and $230,220, respectively.
Outpatient care centers provide routine preventative care, noncritical acute care, and minor surgical procedures. In contrast to hospitals, outpatient care facilities house patients who do not require overnight stays. Specialty hospitals, as their name suggests, provide expert care in specific areas, such as orthopedic surgery.
Nurse Anesthetists’ Pay by Level of Experience
According to Payscale, nurse anesthetists’ hourly pay rises roughly 45% over the course of their careers.
Entry-level nurse anesthetists made roughly $73 per hour as of August 2023. As they entered midcareer, they made around $96. Experienced nurse anesthetists made more than $105 per hour.
Nurse Anesthetists Continue to Be Top Earners in the Nursing Profession
Nurse anesthetists were the top earners among nurses, making an average salary of $205,770 in 2022.
