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Anesthesiologist Assistants

Assist anesthesiologists in the administration of anesthesia for surgical and non-surgical procedures. Monitor patient status and provide patient care during surgical treatment.

Median salary (BLS)

$135,880

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$99k – $190k

Job outlook

+20% (much faster than average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $93,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Anesthesiologist Assistants

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Education

Typical entry: Master's degree

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$64,200–$231,000

Time to qualify

6.2 yr

Renewal

$75/yr

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Master's degree

    Degree

    Typically two years; average graduate tuition ≈ $20,000/yr at public universities (NCES).

    $24,000–$80,000 · 2 years source

  3. 3

    National & state licensure

    License

    A national board/registry exam plus a state license application (the NCLEX pattern). Exact exam and fees depend on the role and state.

    $200–$1,000 · 2 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Anesthesiologist Assistants" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Anesthesiologist Assistants

    Entry / Junior

    $99,380

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Anesthesiologist Assistants

    Established

    $135,880

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Anesthesiologist Assistants

    Senior

    $163,080

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Provide airway management interventions including tracheal intubation, fiber optics, or ventilary support.
  • •Respond to emergency situations by providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), basic cardiac life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), or pediatric advanced life support (PALS).
  • •Verify availability of operating room supplies, medications, and gases.
  • •Pretest and calibrate anesthesia delivery systems and monitors.
  • •Participate in seminars, workshops, or other professional activities to keep abreast of developments in anesthesiology.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Healthcare

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.