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Nurse Anesthetists Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 29-1151 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary
$236,600
$113.75/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Nurse Anesthetists salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$155K
P25$207K
P50$237K
P75$294K
P90$339K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
🔥
Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- health care job openings are running at 5.3% (JOLTS, June 2026), a tight market. Candidates have leverage, so a competitive offer sits at or above the median; below-median offers often will not close.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in health care are rising about 3.6% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 3.2-3.7% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $236,600 to $294,341 (market median to the 75th percentile). Lean toward the top of the range for senior or hard-to-fill roles.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Nurse Anesthetists pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 6.0% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.6% wage growth of Health Care & Social Assistance (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · HOT

Health Care & Social Assistance is running a 5.3% job-openings rate with quits at 1.9% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has cooled for 2 straight months (6.1% down to 5.3%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.2 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings fell from 5.9% to 5.3% (down 147K), the sharpest monthly cooling this year, though still the second-tightest market.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.6% per year, the fastest of any major sector. Health benefit costs rose 6.0% nationally.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Nurse Anesthetists is $236,600 per year ($113.75/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $206,731 and $294,341 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $339,498 per year. There are approximately 51,840 nurse anesthetists employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Administer anesthesia, monitor patient’s vital signs, and oversee patient recovery from anesthesia. May assist anesthesiologists, surgeons, other physicians, or dentists. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+8.6%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
3K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
54K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
17% from new growth83% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Master's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
26K$222,530
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
17K$260,990
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
NAICS 621300
4K$201,370
Outpatient Care Centers
NAICS 621400
2K$288,880
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
870$244,810
Wage range across top 5 industries: $201,370 to $288,880 (43% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salary
P10$74.64$155,251
P25$99.39$206,731
P50MEDIAN$113.75$236,600
P75$141.51$294,341
P90$163.22$339,498

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.3%
Quits Rate
1.9%

Health Care & Social Assistance openings fell 147K to 1.35M in June, rate down from 5.9% to 5.3% -- the sector's biggest monthly cooling this year, though it remains the second-tightest market. Quits edged up to 1.9%; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average nurse anesthetists salary?

The national median salary for Nurse Anesthetists is $236,600 per year ($113.75/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $206,731 and $294,341 annually.

How much do top-earning nurse anesthetists make?

The 90th percentile salary for Nurse Anesthetists is $339,498 per year ($163.22/hr). The 75th percentile is $294,341 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for nurse anesthetists?

Entry-level Nurse Anesthetists (10th percentile) earn approximately $155,251 per year ($74.64/hr). The 25th percentile is $206,731 per year.

Related Salary Data

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Nurse Anesthetists Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment
Florida4,600 workersTexas4,060 workersNorth Carolina3,340 workersPennsylvania2,500 workersNew York2,450 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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