Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist salary
A certified registered nurse anesthetist earns about $223,210 a year — roughly $107.31/hour, with most earning between $178,050 and $239,200. This is a verified national figure from official public wage data.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist — U.S. national
Verified public wage dataMedian annual pay
$223,210
Hourly
$107.31/hr
- Typical range
- $178,050–$239,200
- What most nurses earn
- High end
- $239,200
- Top earners
- Entry level
- $145,410
- Newer nurses
What affects this pay
- State and metro labor market
- Independent vs supervised practice
- Call coverage and overtime
- Setting (hospital, surgery center)
- Experience
About Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists
What they do
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists deliver anesthesia for surgery, obstetrics, and pain management — often as the sole anesthesia provider in rural hospitals and surgery centers. It is among the highest-paid nursing roles.
How to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
CRNAs are experienced critical-care RNs who complete a doctoral nurse-anesthesia program (a DNP or DNAP, now the entry standard) and pass the National Certification Examination. Training typically requires 1+ years of ICU experience before admission.
What drives the pay
Nurse anesthetists are tracked directly in public wage data. The high pay reflects the doctoral training, the autonomy and liability of administering anesthesia, and call coverage. Independent-practice settings and overtime push it higher still.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist pay by state
Where this role tends to pay the most.
| State | Annual pay | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| California | $308,030 | +38% vs national |
| Hawaii | $267,850 | +20% vs national |
| Alaska | $263,390 | +18% vs national |
| Oregon | $263,390 | +18% vs national |
| Washington | $263,390 | +18% vs national |
| Massachusetts | $256,690 | +15% vs national |
| New York | $252,230 | +13% vs national |
| District of Columbia | $250,000 | +12% vs national |
Compare next
Roles nurses weigh against this one.
Source & confidence— A verified figure from official U.S. public wage data.
BLS OEWS (May 2024, national)
National wage figures for SOC 29-1151 are seeded from published BLS OEWS May 2024 national data. Run `npm run import:oews` to replace seed values with figures parsed directly from official OEWS files.
Source year 2024. Last reviewed June 1, 2025. Full methodology