Anesthesiology Salaries

Less than a century ago, surgical procedures were incredibly limited by the pain management methods of the day. Ether could be used to sedate patients for surgery, but it was difficult to administer and had a huge potential for brain damage. As time has passed, new pharmaceutical developments and greater understanding of the human body have led to tremendous advances in anesthesiology. However, due to the risk involved in depressing a person's nervous system, anesthesiology still remains a tremendously delicate and difficult practice. When researching anesthesiology salaries, it's important to keep in mind that, on average, anesthesiologists take about 12 years to finish medical school and residency (view Anesthesiology Salaries by School Name to compare medical schools and their effect on anesthesiologist salary). Anesthesiologists are involved in patient care long before the anesthetic is actually administered; they collect extensive patient histories and blood work before the operation, examine the patient thoroughly, and often are involved in patients' post-operative recovery. This peri-operative care, combined with the delicate nature of the work and the patient risk associated with it, make anesthesiology one of the highest-pressure, highest-stress areas of medical practice. Anesthesiology salaries are, correspondingly, among the highest. Compare PayScale's anesthesiology salary data with average physician salaries and see for yourself.

Anesthesiologist Salary Data

While average anesthesiologist salary is above the $200,000 mark, there are a variety of elements that can raise or lower an anesthesiologist's salary. For example, Pennsylvania is a hot spot for high anesthesiology salary: it's one of the highest on the Average Anesthesiologist Salary by State chart, and Philadelphia has one of the highest Anesthesiology Salaries by City. Measuring Anesthesiology Salary by Degree, we can see that anesthesiology salaries are highest for those with M.D.s. Medical schools can be highly competitive, but does a school's reputation have an effect on anesthesiology salaries? View Anesthesiology Salaries by School Name to see how different institutions stack up. For further research into anesthesiology salaries, take a look at nurse anesthetist salaries.