Anesthesiologist pay keeps climbing even as the reimbursement underneath it keeps shrinking, which is a gap ASCs are increasingly bridging themselves.
Here’s what anesthesiologist compensation looks like right now in 10 numbers:
$568,454. The average total compensation for anesthesiologists nationally, based on 1,260 self-reported salaries on physician salary transparency platform Marit Health, as of Aug. 6.
$388K to $811K+. The spread between the bottom and top of the distribution. Anesthesiologists at or below the fifth percentile average $388,000 a year; those above the 95th percentile average more than $811,000, more than a twofold gap within the same specialty.
$649K. Portland, Ore., is the highest-paying major metro for anesthesiologists among the cities Marit tracks, followed by St. Louis ($596,000), Seattle ($586,000), New York ($581,000) and Indianapolis ($569,000).
$159,000. The gap between the highest- and lowest-paid anesthesia subspecialties. Cardiac anesthesiologists lead at roughly $610,000 a year; OB anesthesiologists trail the field at about $451,000.
$205,000. Practice setting matters more than most specialties. Self-employed anesthesiologists average $600,000, the highest of any employment type, while those in government or military roles average just $395,000, which is the widest gap by practice type Marit tracks.
4.3%. Anesthesiologists in non-academic settings out-earn their academic counterparts by about $23,500 a year on average ($568,000 versus $544,500), according to Marit.
$10,000. The gender pay gap among anesthesiologists, men average $569,000, women $559,000, is notably narrower than the gap seen in most other physician specialties.
$46,500. Experience buys less of a raise than many assume. Compensation rises from about $526,500 for anesthesiologists with zero to two years of experience to roughly $573,000 for those with 11-plus years — a relatively flat career-long climb.
44%. The share of ASCs that expected to pay anesthesia stipends in 2025, up from 28% in 2024, according to a survey from VMG Health, which is a direct byproduct of the same compensation numbers above, as facilities compete for a limited anesthesiologist supply.
$247,000. For comparison, anesthesiologist assistants, increasingly used to fill ASC coverage gaps, earn less than half of what physician anesthesiologists make, according to a separate Marit Health breakdown of 170 AA salaries.
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.
