Certified-registered nurse anesthetists have become a central facet of ASC staffing strategies as they gain broader legal authority to practice independently and the anesthesia workforce shortage deepens.
Here are 10 statistics, trends and data points illustrating the CRNA workforce in 2026:
1. There are an estimated 67,700 CRNAs in the United States, about 200 per 100,000 people, according to a white paper from Medicus Healthcare Solutions published in May 2025.
2. Employment for CRNAs is projected to grow 10% from 2023 to 2033, creating roughly 5,200 new job openings, according to the white paper.
3. States with the highest number of CRNAs per capita:
- South Dakota: 51
- North Dakota: 50
- Delaware: 44
- Minnesota: 42
4. States with the lowest number of CRNAs per capita:
- Nevada: 5
- California: 6
- Hawaii: 7
- Indiana: 9
5. As of May 2025, 4.1% of CRNAs are working locum tenens.
6. Around 12% of CRNAs plan to retire by 2027.
7. Training remains highly competitive, with an average program acceptance rate of 24%.
8. CRNAs provide more than 80% of anesthesia care in rural counties.
9. The average annual salary for nurse anesthetists has increased from $181,040 in 2019 to $231,700 in 2024, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the past six years, compensation for the profession has climbed more than $50,000, or about 28%.
10. As surgical care continues to shift to the outpatient setting amid soaring operational costs, some ASCs are moving to CRNA-only models. A white paper from Medicus Healthcare Solutions found that 75% of CRNAs reported practicing without physician oversight as of 2023.
“Most of the ASCs in my area are also becoming CRNA-only,” Jesse Johnson, CRNA at Springdale, Ark.-based Chief Anesthesia Services, told Becker’s. “This helps keep costs down for anesthesia services.”
