Anesthesiologist Salary in the US: 2023 Insights & Breakdown

Based on Medscape Anesthesiologist Compensation Report 2023 and MGMA data:

Compensation Overview

• Mean Annual Compensation: $420,000 – $450,000
• Median: ~$400,000 – $430,000
• Range (10th–90th percentile): $280,000 – $600,000+
• Hourly (estimated): $130–$220 (based on 2000–2500 hrs/yr)

Key Determinants

Factor	Impact
Practice Setting	Private practice > Hospital-employed > Academic
Region	Highest: Northeast, West Coast, Sun Belt metros. Lowest: Rural, Midwest, academic centers
Subspecialty	Pain management, cardiac, pediatric, critical care > general
Call Burden	High call = higher pay (or comp time)
Ownership	Partner/shareholder > employee
Volume/Complexity	High-acuity, cardiac, transplant, trauma centers pay more

Compensation Components

• Base salary + productivity (wRVU) bonus
• Call stipends ($500–$1500/shift)
• Quality/value-based incentives
• Retirement: 401k/403b match, profit sharing, cash balance plan
• Benefits: CME ($3–5k), malpractice (often paid), health, disability, life
• Sign-on/retention bonuses ($50k–$200k+ in competitive markets)

Trends

• Shortage-driven increases (ASA projects 12,500 shortfall by 2033)
• Shift to employed models (60%+ now employed)
• CRNA supervision models affecting anesthesiologist ratios
• Locums rates: $130–$180/hr + housing/travel

Gender Gap

Female anesthesiologists earn ~15–20% less (Medscape), partly explained by hours, practice setting, negotiation.

Always negotiate with data: MGMA, AMGA, Merritt Hawkins, state society surveys.