Is this a competitive Anesthesiologists salary in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS May 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q1 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$101K
P25$207K
P50$391K
P75$491K
P90$557K
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Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- health care job openings are running at 5.6% (JOLTS, May 2026), a tight market. Candidates have leverage, so a competitive offer sits at or above the median; below-median offers often will not close.
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Merit budget: Wages in health care are rising about 4% a year (BLS ECI, Q1 2026). Budget a 3.6-4.1% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Bottom line
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $391,498 to $490,526 (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.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Anesthesiologists is $391,498 per year ($188.22/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $207,002 and $490,526 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $557,128 per year. There are approximately 38,760 anesthesiologists employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Administer anesthetics and analgesics for pain management prior to, during, or after surgery.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.2%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
1K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
45K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
11% from new growth89% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Internship/residency
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
29K
$399,990
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
8K
$285,310
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
1K
$391,490
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals
NAICS 622300
230
$384,510
Outpatient Care Centers
NAICS 621400
180
$497,800
Wage range across top 5 industries: $285,310 to $497,800 (74% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$48.78
$101,462
P25
$99.52
$207,002
P50MEDIAN
$188.22
$391,498
P75
$235.83
$490,526
P90
$267.85
$557,128
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.6%
Quits Rate
1.7%
Health Care & Social Assistance openings eased to 1.42M (-115K) in May, rate 5.6%, but the sector stays structurally tight. Quits edged down to 1.7%; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average anesthesiologists salary?
The national median salary for Anesthesiologists is $391,498 per year ($188.22/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $207,002 and $490,526 annually.
How much do top-earning anesthesiologists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Anesthesiologists is $557,128 per year ($267.85/hr). The 75th percentile is $490,526 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for anesthesiologists?
Entry-level Anesthesiologists (10th percentile) earn approximately $101,462 per year ($48.78/hr). The 25th percentile is $207,002 per year.
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.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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