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.
Also called: Anesthesia Assistant, Anesthesia Orderly, Anesthesia Technician (Anesthesia Tech), Anesthesia Technologist, Anesthesiology Assistant, Anesthesiology Technician (Anesthesiology Tech)
Median pay
$135,880
Pay for the broader BLS group “Physician Assistants”
Pay range (10th–90th)
$99,380 – $190,280
People employed
162,150
Whole BLS group
Holland code
CSI
Conventional · Social · Investigative
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you prefer working indoors?
- 2.Are you happy talking and working with people most of the day?
- 3.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
The hard parts
- Mistakes can have serious consequences
- Exposure to disease or infection
- Tight deadlines are common
Anesthesiologist Assistants pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (50 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, for the broader group “Physician Assistants”.
What anesthesiologist assistants do
- 01Provide airway management interventions including tracheal intubation, fiber optics, or ventilary support.
- 02Assist anesthesiologists in monitoring of patients, including electrocardiogram (EKG), direct arterial pressure, central venous pressure, arterial blood gas, hematocrit, or routine measurement of temperature, respiration, blood pressure or heart rate.
- 03Control anesthesia levels during procedures.
- 04Administer anesthetic, adjuvant, or accessory drugs under the direction of an anesthesiologist.
- 05Pretest and calibrate anesthesia delivery systems and monitors.
- 06Respond to emergency situations by providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), basic cardiac life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), or pediatric advanced life support (PALS).
Skills that matter most
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Active Learning
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Biology
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
Work styles that stand out
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Cautiousness
- Cooperation
- Achievement Orientation
Education and first steps
O*NET has no education survey data for this job.
How people get started
- Usually needs a graduate degree (O*NET Job Zone 5).
- Related work experience: none.
- On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.
- A professional certification is often expected.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from anesthesiologist assistants
- Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians75% · —
- Surgical Assistants75% · —
- Radiologic Technologists and Technicians72% · —
- Nuclear Medicine Technologists72% · —
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists71% · —
Majors that lead here
- Physician Assistant
- Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program, General
- Combined Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
- Acute Care Medicine Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
- Acute Care Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
- Cardiology Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
- Cardiothoracic Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
- Critical Care Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
- Critical Care and Trauma Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
- Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
- ENT Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
- Family Medicine Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.