Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners

How to become an Anesthesiologist

Official title: Anesthesiologists

Also called: Anesthesiologist MD (Anesthesiologist Medical Doctor), Anesthesiology Resident, Attending Anesthesiologist, Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologist, Critical Care Anesthesiologist, Medical Doctor (MD), Obstetrical Anesthesiologist, Pediatric Anesthesiologist, Physician, Physician Anesthesiologist

Administer anesthetics and analgesics for pain management prior to, during, or after surgery.

Main tasks

Examine patient, obtain medical history, and use diagnostic tests to determine risk during surgical, obstetrical, and other medical procedures.
Administer anesthetic or sedation during medical procedures, using local, intravenous, spinal, or caudal methods.
Record type and amount of anesthesia and patient condition throughout procedure.
Monitor patient before, during, and after anesthesia and counteract adverse reactions or complications.
Decide when patients have recovered or stabilized enough to be sent to another room or ward or to be sent home following outpatient surgery.
Coordinate administration of anesthetics with surgeons during operation.
Position patient on operating table to maximize patient comfort and surgical accessibility.
Coordinate and direct work of nurses, medical technicians, and other health care providers.

How to become one

Physicians and surgeons typically need a bachelor's degree as well as a medical degree, which takes an additional 4 years to complete. Depending on their specialty, they also need 3 to 9 years in internship and residency programs. Subspecialization includes additional training in a fellowship of 1 to 3 years.

Typical education to start: Doctoral or professional degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

College: Medicine & Dentistry degrees, Offered by 23 universities in the US
Licence: A licence is required in 49 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $391,490 a year The middle half earn $207,000 to $490,530.
About 41,500 people work in this job now, and about 43,000 are projected by 2035. (+3.6%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become an Anesthesiologist?

How much does an Anesthesiologist earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $391,490 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $207,000 to $490,530.

Is an Anesthesiologist a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 41,500 to about 43,000 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become an Anesthesiologist?

Usually. 100% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of an Anesthesiologist?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.