Healthcare Practitioners
Anesthesiologist Assistants
Also called: Anesthesia Assistant, Anesthesia Orderly, Anesthesia Technician (Anesthesia Tech), Anesthesiology Assistant
US median pay
$135,880
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+21.1%
faster than average
Openings a year (US)
11,500
168,900 employed
Typical entry education
Master's degree
Preparation 5/5 · Extensive preparation
What this job is
Assist anesthesiologists in the administration of anesthesia for surgical and non-surgical procedures. Monitor patient status and provide patient care during surgical treatment.
What they do day to day
- Provide airway management interventions including tracheal intubation, fiber optics, or ventilary support.
- Assist anesthesiologists in monitoring of patients, including electrocardiogram (EKG), direct arterial pressure, central venous pressure, arterial blood gas, hematocrit, or routine measurement of temperature, respiration, blood pressure or heart rate.
- Control anesthesia levels during procedures.
- Administer anesthetic, adjuvant, or accessory drugs under the direction of an anesthesiologist.
- Pretest and calibrate anesthesia delivery systems and monitors.
- Respond to emergency situations by providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), basic cardiac life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), or pediatric advanced life support (PALS).
- Collect and document patients' pre-anesthetic health histories.
- Administer blood, blood products, or supportive fluids.
- Verify availability of operating room supplies, medications, and gases.
- Assist anesthesiologists in performing anesthetic procedures, such as epidural or spinal injections.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6/5
- Operations Monitoring3.5/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4/5
- Service Orientation3.2/5
- Time Management3.1/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.1/5
- Coordination3.1/5
- Operation and Control2.9/5
Knowledge
- Medicine and Dentistry5.0/5
- Biology4.4/5
- English Language4.1/5
- Mathematics4.0/5
- Chemistry3.9/5
- Physics3.9/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 5 of 5 — Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree (master's, PhD, MD, JD) and extensive experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Master's degree.
Who this job suits
Mostly Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.