for eMaxHealth
Yesterday CNN published a survey of Top 50 Jobs In U.S. where both Anesthesiologists and Anesthesiologists assistants ranked very high in terms of salaries and pay.
The profession of Anesthesiologist is ranked as the 11th best job in the nation and the median salary is $292,000 dollars. Anesthesiologist assistant, which is also called Nurse Anesthetist is ranked as the 15th best job in America with a median salary of $157,000 dollars.
In fact the top salary the Anesthesiologists can get in USA reaches to $408,000 dollars according to the survey. I remember once I read that this was a top salary that a cardiologist may receive. However, here is what reflects this type of salary. It is the "inherent stress in a job that is literally about life and death."
What surgeon does to a patient is of utmost importance. Yet, it is the Anesthesiologist who readies the patient through the operation safely. He he or she does not do the job right, what the surgeon does may be fatal for the life of the patient.
No wonder the job of the Nurse Anesthetist, or the Anesthesiologist assistant is of equal importance and ranked high in the job survey. The median salary of the Anesthesiologist assistant is $157,000 dollar. This type of assistant nurse may take home up to $214,000 dollar annually. Likes Anesthesiologists, to whom they report, these nurses make sure to not make a mistake. The high salaries and good training have helped to drop the failure rates to 1 in 200,000 in these professions.
For comparison the media hourly rate of a registered nurse (RN) that has 20 years or more experience ranges from 26 to 35 dollars hourly, according to Payscale. The starting median salary for RN ranges from $19 to 25 dollars.
Written by Armen Hareyan
eMaxHealth welcomes your comments and feedback on this story without registration, but keep the comments meaningful please. Links are not accepted.
Comments
#1 Re: Anesthesiologist, Assistant Top Paying U.S. Jobs
i know this article is old but which school offer CRNA as an online programs since mg1270 mentioned that "there IS one other difference between the two....you can't get your AA degree online."
#2 Anesthesiologist Assistant
Anesthesiologist Assistants are licensed to practice in 18 states (more every year, and more schools opening), and have the same job descriptions and responsibilities as CRNA’s.
mg1270 was entirely correct in his previous statements.
cbetpr: In response to your earlier comments physician assistants are also assistants and look at what they are licensed to do. The “Assistants” I believe you were referring to are Anesthesia Technicians, Certified Anesthesia Technicians and Certified Anesthesia Technologists (please use a web browser to research and educate yourself about these professions).
What mg1270 stated was entirely correct, research Anesthesia Assistants online. You will find that just because it is not something you are familiar with does not mean it does not exist. The education received AA-C’s is believed to be by many physicians to be superior to that of CRNA’s. Anesthesia Assistants were created by Anesthesiologists to help assist them, with the idea that a medical education, not a nursing education was best to prepare people to assist them in their delivery of Anesthesia. AA-C’s must have a pre med education, meeting the same requirements as students applying to medical school (most Anethsia Assitnat programs are as hard to get into as many medical schools). Most AA-C programs require the MCAT, and those that don’t require the GRE. As mg1270 stated many AA-C students are former RRT, RT, paramedics, PA-C’s and other allied health professionals. There is no reason nurses should have a monopoly on mid level Anesthesia care. Studies on the performance of AA-C’s vs. CRNA’s starting clinicals show an initial advantage to those with more healthcare experience (i.e. nurses), but within a matter of weeks that difference has disappeared. Read a little bit before making statements about things you are not well read-well informed on.
#3 The actual facts
Just felt the need to set cbeptr straight on what I am sure are just honest oversights (nothing to do with nurses bias...). First off, most AA students are not English majors, and if they are, they have completed a rigorous pre-requisite science course load before they apply. AA students are required to complete basically the same pre-med course work to get into graduate school that med students have to take. Unlike nursing school, AA students must take pre-med level chemistry, organic chem, biochem, physics, and calculus (among others), no "survey of" courses are allowed. Applicants also are required to take the MCAT/GRE in order to be accepted. And although not specifically required, most students have some degree of health care experience, i.e. formers nurses, RTs, perfusionists, ER tech/OR tech, etc.
Second, AAs are allowed to practice in 18 states currently, and in all 50 states if it is at a VA hospital...with more states on the way. The only real difference in practice rights is due to the lack of a monstrous political machine that the nursing lobby has. Most CRNAs and AAs work in the ACT (anesthesia care team) setting. And whenever a CRNA and AA are employed at the same facility, they have the same job description, responsibilities, and pay (assuming equal years in the field).
A small number of CRNAs do practice independently (as a result of political lobbying, not a difference in skill set), but they are by far the minority. Both AAs and CRNAs are quality midlevel providers of anesthesia and have a high degree of responsibility in the OR.
Oh, I guess there IS one other difference between the two....you can't get your AA degree online.
Record NOW set straight.
#4 Thumbs up from an AA-student,
Thumbs up from an AA-student, who has been a primary care Physician Assistant for the past 6 years.
#5 Nurse anesthetists and AAs not the same thing
Armen Hareyan's comments on nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologist assistants (AAs) are simply not correct. These healthcare providers are different and unique specialties. To become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), one is required to have a bachelor of science degree in nursing, become an RN, and have at least one year of acute care nursing experience before even applying to a 2-3 year master’s degree program in nurse anesthesia. After graduation they have to pass a national certification examination before becoming a CRNA. On the other hand, to enter an AA program one does not require any healthcare experience and can have a bachelor’s degree in English! Clearly they are relegated to “assistant” status and required by law to work under the scrutiny of a physician anesthesiologist for a reason. CRNAs, on the other hand, have no such requirements, and often work in facilities where there are no anesthesiologists.
There are other important differences. AAs have been around for approximately 40 years, and yet there are still only six schools producing approximately 100 new AAs per year. While the exact number of AAs in the healthcare workforce is sketchy, the association that represents the profession claims there are fewer than 1,000 AAs in the United States. Only 12 states and the District of Columbia allow AAs to practice within their borders. In comparison, nurse anesthetists have been around since the Civil War, there are more than 100 nurse anesthesia education programs producing more than 2,000 new CRNAs annually, and there are more than 40,000 nurse anesthetists currently int he workforce. In addition, CRNAs can practice in every state and the District of Columbia, and in 15 states they are not required to be supervised by a doctor. In no state are they required to be supervised or directed by an anesthesiologist.
Thank you for allowing me to set the record straight.
#6 Re: Nurse anesthetists and AAs not the same thing
It's the same job and it comes back to the age old debate:
(AA)Education vs (CRNA)Experience
BSN track programs are 4yrs long which at the conclusion of the program leads to RN certification testing NCLEX. After that the RN has to work for a year doing clinical work before applying to a 2yr CRNA masters program.
AA's are on the same undergrad track as Doctors. Majors are irrelevant for both as long as Pre-Med courses are taken (4yrs) which are not req. of nurses. AA's also must take the MCAT or GRE (school pending) to be admitted into a 2yr AA masters program.
The AA program seems to be more difficult partly because it must make up for the lack of experience/training that RN's already possess going into their program. That would explain the online degree option for nurses.
The recognition of these "Assistant" jobs is insulting to Nursing. Nurses have to jump through many hoops and pay their dues to ascend to those career levels. And with their lobbying power, its doubtful that Assistant jobs will be nationally recognized anytime soon. But when Hospitals realize that they won't have to pay for CRNA malpractice by hiring an AA then maybe things will change.