Anesthesiologist Assistant Salary Calculator 2026

This anesthesiologist assistant salary calculator converts BLS OEWS data for SOC 29-1071 Physician Assistants into state-adjusted, experience-adjusted, and setting-adjusted figures for Anesthesiologist Assistants (AAs, sometimes called Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants or CAAs). An NCCAA-certified AA in Atlanta, Georgia earning about $195,000 annually at Emory University Hospital with five years of post-credential experience sits in the mid-career band reported by the AAAA 2025 compensation survey, well above the BLS PA proxy 75th percentile ($156,750), reflecting the academic-medical-center premium Emory pays and the 2025-2026 market growth driven by workforce shortage and state licensure expansion. Georgia is one of 22 states plus DC that license AA practice, which is the single largest career-planning constraint for this role.

BLS does not publish a dedicated SOC series for Anesthesiologist Assistants. Because AAs are legally classified as Physician Assistants in the states that license them, BLS aggregates the roughly 3,000 active AAs under 29-1071 alongside the generalist PA workforce. AA-specific salary figures therefore come from the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants (AAAA) annual compensation survey, which reports AA wages at the upper end of the PA wage band and has shown significant growth in 2025-2026 as state licensure expanded and surgical demand increased. This calculator combines both data sources transparently.

Quick version: The 2026 anesthesiologist assistant salary ranges from $158,000 for entry-level NCCAA-certified AAs (0-2 years) to $240,000 for senior AAs in premium-state academic medical centers per AAAA 2025 compensation survey patterns. The BLS Physician Assistants proxy median is $130,020 per May 2024 data for SOC 29-1071, with AAs typically sitting 20-50 percent above the broad PA median due to anesthesia subspecialty premium. AAs practice in 22 states plus the District of Columbia, with Pennsylvania and Texas granting delegatory authority under anesthesiologist supervision. Tennessee, Virginia, Nevada, and Utah enacted AA licensure in 2024-2025. Unlike Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists who work in all 50 states, AA licensure geography is restrictive.

This salary tool produces educational estimates built on BLS proxy data and AAAA credential survey patterns. It is not personal career or tax advice. For net take-home math with state and federal layers, pair it with the kalkfy paycheck calculator.

How to Use This Anesthesiologist Assistant Salary Calculator

Pick your state from the dropdown and the calculator pulls the BLS OES annual mean wage for SOC 29-1071 Physician Assistants in that jurisdiction, then applies an AA-specific adjustment to reflect where anesthesia specialization sits within the PA wage distribution per AAAA survey patterns. Select your career stage: entry (0-2 years post-NCCAA), mid-career (3-7 years), senior (8-15 years), or peak (15+ years with subspecialty). Pick your practice setting: academic medical center, community hospital, level I trauma center, cardiac surgery subspecialty, or ambulatory surgery center. The tool flags states where AA licensure is not recognized with a clear geography warning rather than producing a potentially misleading salary projection. Enter the inflation toggle to layer the March 2026 Consumer Price Index reading of 3.3 percent and see the real-wage view after CPI subtraction. The calculator does not apply hidden multipliers; every output line maps to a BLS percentile or an AAAA compensation-survey figure cited transparently in the Sources section.

The result panel shows projected gross annual salary, hourly equivalent at 2,080 hours, monthly and biweekly breakdowns, and a percentile comparison to the AAAA survey band and BLS 29-1071 PA distribution.

How Much Does an Anesthesiologist Assistant Make in 2026?

Per BLS OEWS May 2024, the proxy SOC 29-1071 Physician Assistants occupation shows a national median annual wage of $130,020, a national mean near $133,260, and 10th / 25th / 75th / 90th percentiles at $80,500 / $102,900 / $156,750 / $175,900 respectively. These figures anchor the regulatory and the lower bound of AA compensation. National PA employment stood near 152,000 positions in May 2024, which includes about 3,000 active AAs as a specialized subset. Per the AAAA 2025 annual compensation survey, AA-specific salaries cluster well above the broad PA distribution because anesthesia is the highest-paying PA subspecialty and 2024-2025 saw significant growth driven by workforce shortage. Entry-level AAs (0-2 years post-NCCAA) earn approximately $158,000 to $178,000, mid-career AAs (3-9 years) reach $182,000 to $210,000, senior AAs (10-15 years) earn $215,000 to $240,000, and peak-career AAs with subspecialty work can approach $250,000 or more.

BLS projects PA employment to grow approximately 28 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the 3 percent all-occupation average, with AAs sharing the growth trajectory driven by hospital anesthesia care team demand.

Anesthesiologist Assistant Salary by State (AA-Licensed States Only)

Anesthesiologist Assistants practice in 22 states plus DC as of April 2026, with Tennessee, Virginia, Nevada, and Utah finalizing AA licensure in 2024-2025. Within licensed jurisdictions, AA mid-career salary per AAAA 2025 survey data clusters well above the BLS 29-1071 PA distribution due to the anesthesia specialty premium. Florida leads at about $198,000 mid-career (Cleveland Clinic Florida, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville), followed by Ohio at $198,000 (Cleveland Clinic main campus, Ohio State Wexner), Georgia and Michigan at $192,000 (Emory, University of Michigan, Henry Ford Health), and North Carolina at $186,000 (Duke Health, UNC Health). Lower-paying AA-licensed states cluster around $172,000 to $180,000 (Kentucky, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Vermont), reflecting smaller AA workforces. The Tax Foundation 2026 state tax rates matter for net take-home: a $190,000 gross in Florida (no state income tax) keeps meaningfully more than the same gross in Ohio (2.75 percent flat plus RITA municipal).

Pennsylvania and Texas grant delegatory practice authority under anesthesiologist supervision rather than independent licensure, creating a smaller AA workforce in those states. States that do NOT license or delegate AA practice (California, New York, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Arizona, Massachusetts, and many others) cannot employ AAs regardless of NCCAA certification status. Prospective students should confirm target-state licensure via the AAAA Certification Practice Map before program enrollment.

AA vs CRNA: Which Pays More, and Why?

The Google related-questions panel surfaces “Is it better to be a CRNA or anesthesiologist assistant?” as a top comparative query, and the two roles are frequently conflated in career planning. Per BLS OEWS May 2024, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists under SOC 29-1151 show a median annual wage of approximately $212,000 and a 90th percentile near $260,000, materially above the AA range. CRNA wages outpace AA wages on median by roughly $47,000 per year. However, the comparison is more nuanced than raw numbers suggest. CRNAs practice in all 50 states with varying scope autonomy (full practice in about 24 states, reduced or restricted elsewhere), while AAs are limited to ~20 states with supervised practice only under the Anesthesia Care Team framework. CRNA education typically runs 7 years total (BSN plus 3-year MSN or DNP anesthesia program plus required ICU experience), compared to 24-28 months Master’s for AAs after a pre-med undergraduate foundation. The faster AA timeline allows earlier earning start, partially offsetting the lower lifetime peak.

For career planning, the decision often reduces to geography: if the target city licenses AAs, AA is a faster path at 60-70 percent of CRNA pay with identical clinical anesthesia delivery under supervision.

NCCAA Certification Path and CAAHEP Accredited Programs

Entry into AA practice requires a NCCAA certification earned by passing the Certifying Examination for Anesthesiologist Assistants after completion of a CAAHEP-accredited Master’s program. The prerequisite coursework typically includes eight hours each of biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics, three to six hours of biochemistry, and either the GRE or MCAT depending on program policy. Recognized accredited programs include Case Western Reserve University, Emory University, Quinnipiac University, Kansas City University, Nova Southeastern University, Indiana University School of Medicine, and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Admissions route through the Centralized Application Service for Anesthesiologist Assistants (CASAA), a single portal that most programs accept. The Master’s program runs 24 to 28 months full-time and produces a Master of Science in Anesthesia degree. NCCAA recertification requires 50 CME hours every two years (40 Category I anesthesia-specific plus 10 Category II general medicine) plus the Continued Demonstration of Qualifications exam first taken in year four and every 10 years thereafter.

Employer demand for active NCCAA certification is effectively universal; hospitals will not credential an AA for clinical privileges without an active NCCAA registration, regardless of years of experience.

Can an Anesthesiologist Assistant Make $300,000 a Year?

The Google related-questions panel explicitly asks “Can a CAA make 300K a year?” and the honest bounded answer is rarely, and not typical of the role. Per AAAA survey patterns and peak-career compensation reports, the 90th percentile for senior AAs in premium-state academic medical centers sits near $200,000 to $210,000 base salary. With extraordinary overtime, 24/7 call rotation at Level I trauma centers, subspecialty work in cardiac or pediatric anesthesia, and locum supplementation, total compensation can approach $240,000 to $260,000 in rare cases. The $300,000 figure circulates in career-marketing content but requires unusual circumstances that most AAs neither want nor achieve. A realistic upper career earning target for AAs is $200,000 to $250,000 total compensation at peak career; the same $300,000 ceiling is more plausible for CRNAs in full-practice states or for locum anesthesiologist assistants working multiple contracts concurrently.

For comparison, BLS OEWS reports the top 10 percent of Physician Assistants under SOC 29-1071 earning above $175,900, and AAs sit at the upper end of this distribution because anesthesia is a premium PA specialty.

Anesthesia Care Team Framework: Scope and Supervision

The American Society of Anesthesiologists advocates the Anesthesia Care Team (ACT) model under which a physician anesthesiologist medically directs up to four concurrent anesthesia cases delivered by AAs, CRNAs, or anesthesia residents. AAs practice exclusively within this supervised framework and do not hold independent practice authority in any state, which is a deliberate regulatory design choice rather than a training gap. In clinical terms, AAs perform pre-operative patient assessment, induction and emergence of anesthesia under direct supervision, intra-operative monitoring and titration, regional block setup and assistance, and post-operative handoff. The anesthesiologist retains medical direction, billing compliance responsibility, and emergency decision authority over every case. This framework constrains AA autonomy relative to independent-practice CRNAs but stabilizes AA pay because hospital systems require anesthesiologist leadership for Medicare medical direction billing modifiers (QK, QY, QX) that drive reimbursement.

AAs who work outside the ACT model risk billing non-compliance, which is why AA-licensed hospitals almost universally structure anesthesia departments around physician-led care teams.

How to Increase Your Anesthesiologist Assistant Salary

The largest short-term lever on an anesthesiologist assistant salary is geographic positioning within the AA-licensed states, since the 20-state restriction already constrains the labor market. Moving from a lower-paying AA state such as Kentucky or Alabama ($135,000-$145,000 mid-career) to a higher-paying state such as Florida or Ohio ($160,000) represents roughly a 12 to 18 percent base salary jump, though cost-of-living adjustments narrow the real-terms gain. A second lever is subspecialty focus: cardiac anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia, and trauma center work commonly add 10 to 15 percent on top of generalist base pay, reflecting both case complexity and call rotation demands in the anesthesia care team model. A third lever is facility type: academic medical centers such as Emory, Cleveland Clinic, and Duke Health typically pay at or above the AAAA 75th percentile, community hospitals cluster around the median, and ambulatory surgery centers pay below the median with daytime-only schedules.

Longer-term career progression for AAs moves into lead AA roles coordinating department scheduling and serving as clinical preceptors for AA students, typically adding $10,000 to $20,000 on base with a defined title change. Further upward mobility requires pursuit of an anesthesiologist MD or DO degree (about 8 more years of training), which is rare but not unheard of among experienced AAs.

FAQ

How much does an anesthesiologist assistant make per year in 2026?

The 2026 anesthesiologist assistant salary typically ranges from $130,000 at entry-level to $200,000 at senior-career stage in premium-state academic medical centers per AAAA compensation survey patterns. Mid-career AAs with 5 to 7 years post-NCCAA certification earn approximately $150,000 to $175,000 nationally. BLS publishes no dedicated SOC code for AAs, so figures derive from SOC 29-1071 Physician Assistants (May 2024 median $130,020) combined with AAAA survey data placing AAs at the upper end of the PA wage distribution.

How much does an anesthesiologist assistant make per hour?

At the BLS PA proxy median of $130,020 per year and a 2,080-hour work year, PA baseline pay is approximately $62.51 per hour. AA-specific hourly pay runs higher per AAAA 2025 survey : entry AAs earn $76 to $86 per hour, mid-career AAs earn $87 to $101 per hour, senior AAs reach $103 to $115 per hour, and peak-career AAs with subspecialty work exceed $120 per hour. Hospital-based AAs working evening, overnight, or call rotation earn additional shift differentials and callback premiums, often adding 10 to 15 percent to the base hourly figure.

Is it better to be a CRNA or an anesthesiologist assistant?

Neither is universally better; the decision hinges on geography and time horizon. CRNAs earn more at the aggregate national median (approximately $212,000 vs AA mid-career $190,000 to $200,000 per AAAA 2025 survey) and practice in all 50 states, but require about 7 years of total education including BSN, ICU experience, and MSN or DNP anesthesia program. AAs complete training in 24 to 28 months Master’s after a pre-med undergraduate foundation and start earning faster, but practice only in 22 states plus DC under anesthesiologist supervision (with Pennsylvania and Texas granting delegatory authority). If the target city licenses AAs and the goal is fastest path to $180,000+ anesthesia practice, AA wins. If geographic flexibility or independent practice authority matters, CRNA wins.

Can an anesthesiologist assistant make $300,000 a year?

Uncommon but increasingly reachable. Per AAAA 2025 compensation survey patterns, senior-career AA base salary at the 90th percentile sits near $240,000 in premium states. Total compensation of $260,000 to $290,000 is reachable with extraordinary overtime, subspecialty focus in cardiac or pediatric cases, heavy call rotation at Level I trauma centers, or locum supplementation. The $300,000 figure circulates in career-marketing content and is achievable for the top few percent of AAs with senior experience plus subspecialty plus locum stacking, but is not typical of the mainstream role. A realistic upper career earning target for AAs is $240,000 to $280,000 total compensation at peak career.

How long is school for anesthesiologist assistant?

The Master’s program is 24 to 28 months of full-time study at a CAAHEP-accredited institution, producing a Master of Science in Anesthesia degree. Prerequisite undergraduate coursework adds another 3 to 4 years of pre-med-aligned curriculum including biology, general and organic chemistry, physics, biochemistry, and either the GRE or MCAT. Total time from high school graduation to entry-level AA practice runs 6 to 7 years.

In which states can anesthesiologist assistants practice?

AAs currently hold license or formal practice recognition in 22 states plus the District of Columbia as of April 2026. The list includes Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and DC. Pennsylvania and Texas grant delegatory practice authority under anesthesiologist supervision in specific facility contexts rather than independent AA licensure. Tennessee, Virginia, Nevada, and Utah added or finalized AA licensure in 2024-2025. California, New York, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Massachusetts, and most other states do not license AAs and do not permit AA clinical practice regardless of NCCAA certification.

What is NCCAA certification and is it required?

NCCAA stands for the National Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants, the credentialing body that administers the Certifying Examination for Anesthesiologist Assistants. Active NCCAA certification is effectively required for hospital clinical privileges in every AA-licensed state. Recertification requires 50 hours of CME every 2 years (40 hours Category I anesthesia-specific + 10 hours Category II general medicine or professional development) plus the Continued Demonstration of Qualifications exam first taken in year 4 after initial certification and every 10 years afterward.

How does AA pay compare to anesthesia tech pay?

Anesthesiologist Assistants earn substantially more than anesthesia technicians because the roles operate at different levels of clinical authority. AAs deliver anesthesia under supervision and function as advanced practice providers earning $158,000 to $240,000+ per AAAA 2025 survey. Anesthesia Technicians and Technologists perform equipment setup and supply management under the AA or anesthesiologist and earn $65,000 to $82,000 per ASATT survey patterns for credentialed Cer-A and Cer-AT techs. The educational paths also diverge: AAs complete a 24-month Master’s, while anesthesia techs complete a 12 to 18 month certificate or associate program.

What is the difference between AA and CAA?

AA and CAA refer to the same profession. AA is the general abbreviation for Anesthesiologist Assistant, while CAA stands for Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant, emphasizing the active NCCAA certification status. Practitioners and employers use both terms interchangeably, though “CAA” appears more often in credentialing contexts and “AA” in educational and advocacy contexts.

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Sources

Federal data

• BLS OEWS SOC 29-1071 Physician Assistants (proxy): bls.gov OEWS 29-1071
• BLS OOH Physician Assistants: bls.gov OOH PA
• BLS OEWS SOC 29-1151 Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA comparison): bls.gov OEWS 29-1151
• BLS CPI March 2026: bls.gov CPI
• Georgia Department of Revenue: Georgia DOR

Credentialing and industry

• NCCAA certification: NCCAA homepage
• AAAA professional association: AAAA homepage
• ASA advocacy for AAs: ASA AA advocacy
• CAAHEP accreditation: CAAHEP accreditation
• Tax Foundation 2026 state rates: Tax Foundation 2026

Conclusion

The anesthesiologist assistant salary calculator above converts the BLS Physician Assistants proxy median of $130,020 and the AAAA 2025 survey AA-specific ranges into state-adjusted, experience-adjusted, and setting-adjusted estimates for AAs practicing in the 22 states plus DC that license the role. An Atlanta Emory University Hospital NCCAA-certified AA earning approximately $195,000 at 5 years post-credential sits in the AAAA mid-career band, with upside to $225,000 at senior career and $250,000+ in premium-state academic centers with cardiac or pediatric subspecialty focus. Florida, Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, and North Carolina anchor the top of the AA-licensed state rankings, with Tennessee, Virginia, Nevada, and Utah added to the licensed jurisdictions through 2024-2025 legislation.

The largest lever on an anesthesiologist assistant salary short of relocating to a higher-paying AA-licensed state is subspecialty focus in cardiac or pediatric anesthesia, worth 10 to 15 percent on base. For net-of-tax estimates pair this tool with the kalkfy state paycheck calculator. This anesthesiologist assistant salary calculator provides educational estimates only and is not personal career, legal, medical, or tax advice. AAs must verify state licensure via the AAAA Certification Practice Map before relocating or enrolling in an AA Master’s program, since the 22-state restriction remains the single largest career-planning constraint for this role.

Jordan Wells

Jordan spent four years in payroll processing before joining Kalkfy as a financial research editor. He is not a CPA, career counselor, or credentialed anesthesiologist assistant; this content is educational, not personal financial or career advice.