Advertised W-2 base pay for physician anesthesiologists jumped sharply in the first quarter of 2026, with peak offers reaching seven figures for the first time, according to a May 20 report from anesthesia career platform BagMask.com.
The report, built from thousands of job postings collected January through March 2026, delivers state-by-state advertised averages, minimums, maximums and rankings.
Four things to know:
- In fourth-quarter 2025, advertised anesthesiologist salaries typically ran from roughly $400,000 to more than $650,000 for W-2 positions. First-quarter 2026 broke that ceiling, with peak advertised maximums climbing to levels not previously tracked.
- The rankings reshuffled at the top. Long-standing leaders shifted and new markets entered the top tier of highest-paying states.
- A Southern market led the 10 states with the biggest advertised increases since fourth-quarter 2025, posting an average jump of more than $70,000 in a single quarter.
- Certain markets are now establishing minimum entry points well above $500,000 for baseline W-2 positions.
The report focuses on advertised W-2 base pay and does not capture call pay, callback pay, extra OR blocks, signing and retention bonuses, loan repayment, or CME and retirement benefits.
The fourth-quarter 2025 and first-quarter 2026 reports are available here.
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