Nurse Anesthetist Salary Information

Becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) can be quite a long process. In the United States, nurse anesthetists must first become licensed registered nurses, then complete a rigorous training program. These programs are very competitive; many have waiting lists that are months or even years long. Once the program is complete, one of the duties of a nurse anesthetist is to complete ongoing training and recertification. However, when it comes to nurse anesthetist salaries, not all training programs are created equal. View the median Nurse Anesthetist Salary by School Name for a look at which schools can help a graduate earn a high nurse anesthetist salary.

The report on Nurse Salaries by Skill for anesthesia shows that certified registered nurse anesthetist salaries make up for the time and effort it takes to enter the field; salaries among nurses who list anesthesia as a skill are by far the highest for those who have worked to become a CRNA. Compare this data with the Nurse Anesthetist Salary by City chart and you'll find that location also has a big impact on nurse anesthetist salaries. According to this chart, New York, Houston and Chicago are the current front-runners for highest average nurse anesthetist salaries.

Nurse Anesthetist Salaries (CRNA): A Broad Spectrum

The average salary nurse anesthetist professionals earn is hard to pin down, as the duties of a nurse anesthetist vary a great deal from state to state, and from hospital to hospital. In some states, a nurse anesthetist must work under the supervision of a physician, while in others they may work independently. In any state, however, you will find nurse anesthetists working in a variety of industries and health care settings, above and beyond the surgical duties that may first spring to mind when thinking of a nurse anesthetist position. Salary will also vary accordingly. But how do factors such as industry and employer type affect nurse anesthetist salaries?

Researching the Average Salary for Nurse Anesthetist by Employer Type shows some interesting and even surprising results. For the average nurse anesthetist, salary is highest when self-employed. Of course, being your own boss can be challenging; even the most skilled CRNA may not be able to treat that kind of headache. For those who don't want to go the self-employed route, competitive nurse anesthetist salaries can be found in hospital, non-profit and university positions. If the hustle and bustle of the surgical floor appeals to you, consider plying your trade in general surgery - the Nurse Anesthetist Salary by Industry chart puts acute care and general surgery toward the top of the list for nurse anesthetist salaries. For the average nurse anesthetist, salary is not going to be the only factor affecting career decisions; there are a lot of career paths available. Becoming a CRNA may involve many years of hard work, but it is still only the beginning of a rewarding and lucrative career.

Average Salary for Nurse Anesthetists

Learn why, "what are median nurse anesthetist salaries" is a better question than, "what is the average salary for nurse anesthetists" in the Ask Dr. Salary article, "Why is Median Better than Mean for a Typical Salary?" For more nursing salary research, see PayScale's salary data for LPN Salary and Nurse Practitioner Salaries.