Anesthesiologist Assistant Salary

What is an Anesthesiologist Assistant?

An anesthesiologist assistant else known as Anesthesia Assistant or AA is one of the non-physicians providers of anesthesia who perform their job under the direct surveillance of an anesthesiologist. This highly skilled professional works as an integral member of the ACT else known as the Anesthesia Care Team.

In this healthcare environment as described by the ASA or the American Society of Anesthesiologists their part is to design and then implement anesthesia care plans. The main role of these professionals is to operate with specific anesthesia equipment, monitor the condition of patients and assure quality anesthesia care.

Job Description of an Anesthesiologist Assistant

The job of an anesthesiologist assistant is mainly performed under the surveillance of a licensed anesthesiologist, helping them with the necessary procedures such as providing the right pain management to those patients that are involved in medical procedures.

The daily tasks and responsibilities of these professionals include recording and keeping the health history of the patients and meeting with them. It is also among the daily duties to develop, implement, apply and monitor efficient and safe strategies in which concerns the pain management. Anesthesiologist assistants play an important part and role in the anesthetic team, their contribution being a valuable asset.

In some of their duties, these professionals will assist the physicians before, during and after the surgical procedures with multiple tasks. Under the direct guidance of the physician, the role of an anesthesiologist assistant will also involve administering the necessary diagnostic. These experts also administer laboratory tests such as taking blood, perform a physical examination. Such examination will allow them to identify if there are any issues present that might affect the care plan of anesthesia. They need to inject the anesthetic, as well as apply the local or the general anesthesia, control all the advanced life support systems.

These professionals will monitor the state of each patient that is under the influence of anesthesia during surgery. Their job after the surgery will be to perform rounds on each patient and check their condition and many other activities and duties.

In some cases, they will have to deal with administrative parts, with research and clinical instruction as well as with various functions in the pain clinic and the intensive care unit. They will make sure that every patient receives a continuous care throughout the post-operator recovery period.

How to Become an Anesthesiologist Assistant?

Getting a career as an Anesthesiologist Assistant will require first getting through all the stage so educational requirements. Based on the AAAA or else known as the American Academy of Anesthesiology Assistants any of these future specialists must have a bachelor’s degree granted with a pre-medical background. They also need a specialty program graduate level fully completed including clinical work as well as didactic instruction.

A bachelor degree usually is obtained after a pre-medical major such as biology, microbiology or chemistry. The next step subsequent to obtaining a bachelor’s degree will be to enroll for the classes of a master’s degree accredited program. The accredited anesthesiology program curriculum is extended to two years or even more years of completion. The subjects that are mainly studied here involve physiology, pharmacology, anatomy as well as anesthetic science. To get into a Master’s degree program, you’ll first need to pass the GRE or the MCAT exam as well. Being in a Master’s degree program you’ll get different certification such as in Basic Life Support, and other.

After the formal education is finished in order to have the right to practice, an anesthesiologist assistant can obtain certification and state license. The license and certification requirements vary from state to state. Make sure that you are truly informed before pursuing to obtain them. According to the work that an anesthesiologist assistant performs in the operating room there are specific state regulations that must be fulfilled.

The certification examination that is accomplished by passing a written exam is administered by the National Board of Medical Examiners else known as the NBME. After every student takes his or her certification examination, he will be entrusted with a time-limited certification that is granted by the NCCAA else known as the National Commission of Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants.

In order to maintain this certification active, they must perform every couple of years no less than 40 hours of medical education that has to be on a continuous base and every six years pass another examination. With other words to get in this field, you’ll have to accomplish between 6 and eight years of training.

To find a great job and be a valuable graduate student from the beginning, you’ll need to develop certain abilities that will help you a lot in this field. Many of their employers are asking from their candidates to possess these skills. In order to perform your duties right, you’ll need to have a great manual dexterity, organization skills, as well as the ability to work well in some of the pressure situations that might appear.

You’re also have to prove that you possess the ability to take directions from the supervising anesthesiologists. Having an eye for details and the desire to help others are traits very important in this field as well as possessing a right critical thinking set of skills will make you a very suitable candidate.

Work Environment and Schedule

The most common places for anesthesiologist assistants are found in hospitals, surgery centers or even emergency care departments. Their work is proceeding under the direct surveillance of a licensed anesthesiologist. In this profession, there are accustomed the usual standard working hour 40 per weeks but with the possibility of being on call on, with evenings and weekend duties to fulfill.

The usual working environment for an anesthesiologist assistant is a bright, illuminated, sterile and well-prepared operating room. Their work is conducted the majority of their time standing on their feet and they like any other professionals must follow strict protocols to assure a great recovery process to the patients that just got out of surgery.

Pros and Cons of Being an Anesthesiologist Assistant

A career as an anesthesiologist assistant can be a very interesting and exciting especially if you like to help people. Before taking any further decisions here, are some pros and cons that will give some amount of information that will make you put in balance all the advantage sand disadvantages that come with this job.

Right from the start you are not linked only to one location, there are plenty of facilities from which to choose such as hospitals and medical centers, and even pain clinics. With other words, you can find very good and accessible options and opportunities.

By being a team member, you are a valuable asset not only for the patients that are entering into an operating room but also your help is giving through a constant routine to the physicians. Besides that when it comes to work in this field, you’ll see that a career as an Anesthesiologist Assistant has very favorable job growth for the years to come.

The disadvantages that are most common in this job involve a certain discomfort after standing for too long on your feet when working. Another con in this job that strikes a lot is according to the place in which you are working. If your job is linked with the hospital environment, then you can wake up with irregular hours of work as well as being on call many times due to a crowded schedule and unexpected situations.

Your training and educational requirements that must be accomplished in this field usually go beyond the level of having a bachelor’s degree. The educational field is many times competitive but with hard work and the ability to understand and have those necessary set skills you’ll get through.

Anesthesiologist Assistant job growth

The employment growth for anesthesiologist assistants is projected at 14% rate of increase or even higher, for the next five to ten years, according to the BLS, or else known as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The job outlook for these professionals is good, mainly due to the number of demanding and the nature itself of the job.

There are plenty of job opportunities, in larger hospitals and in many larger facilities and not only, their main role being to assist anesthesiologists in various settings for a diverse range of procedures. The job satisfaction is really good, with a great amount of reward. The services of these professionals will always be needed since they play a vital part and role in an anesthesia care team.

Anesthesiologist Assistant Salary

Like any other salary in the United States, based on various reports this job offer different salaries based on a number of factors. The anesthesiologist assistant salary that is generated in this job reaches about $89,010 per year and can go up to $129,010 per year and even higher. The median payment that is acquired reaches in the United States at about $97,010 per year. The hourly wage for someone working as an anesthesiologist assistant is estimated to range between $43.02 per hour and up to $63.02 per hour.

According to the number of jobs situated in that city the hourly rates are the following: in Dallas, Texas you’ll receive an hourly wage estimated at $51.02 per hour. Also, being in Los Angeles, California you’ll receive $63.51 per hour. However in the same state but with a different location for instance Huston you can expect to take home an hourly wage that reaches about $62.01 per hour.

When it comes to the annual income in the same cities, the figures are estimated again differently. For instance, being in Dallas will get you an annual income of about $115,010 per year, while in Los Angeles you can expect to take home a salary that reaches about $129,010 per year. Those professionals that are working in Huston can expect to take home an income that reaches about $128,010 per year. Top paying city in this field can be found with a very good annual income in Las Vegas. In this state, the income for an Anesthesiologist Assistant reaches about $138,510 per year.

Each state in the US offers various and different wages. The annual income in Texas is estimated at $124,010 per year while being in Florida you’ll take home a salary that reaches about $123,510 per year. Working in Georgia or Tennessee you can expect to receive a salary of about $117,010 per year. In Illinois, the annual income reaches only at $99,010 per year.

The bonuses that are granted to an anesthesiologist assistant can be comprised between $1,486 and up to $2,367. At the same time, the benefits that are received are estimated to be between $14,613 and up to $26,334 per year. Those professionals who’ve gained years of experience and credentialing can expect to take home an estimated salary that can be comprised somewhere between $160,010 per year and $180,010 per year.

Salary of an Anesthesiologist Assistant in 2015

The salaries in 2015 for these professionals are influenced according to the same early reminded factors. They will vary even in different cities and states due to the economical flux and the number of demanding in the healthcare industry.

For instance in Weston, Florida the salary of an anesthesiologist assistant is estimated to reach at about $148,010 per year while in Alabama the salaries of these professionals are estimated to reach about $130,010 per year. The top paying states can be found in Nevada, Connecticut, and even Wyoming. A higher salary is also granted in Oregon where the annual salary that can be obtained in this field reaches about $170,010 per year, this being also influenced by the working environment.

Anesthesiologist Assistant Salary in 2016

In the United States, for the year 2016, the income of an anesthesiologist assistant is influenced and determined by several major factors such as the geographical location-where one individual has found work, type of employment, industry, company size as well as years of experience in the field. Based upon seniority, the income of these professionals, is estimated to be comprised between $64,005 per year and up to $96,005 per year or even higher. The compensation that is annually granted to these professionals tends to reach at $87,710 per year.

According to the geographical location factor, the earnings tend to vary from state to state, city to city and region to region, with higher points in the salaries as well as lower points. This is mainly due to the specific costs of living that are encountered in that area as well as due to the living expenses. Other differences in the incomes can be noticed between the rural and the urban areas, where as in the first one the incomes that are received are lower than those offered in the second area.

Earnings vary also when it comes to the economic situation between a metropolitan region and a non-metropolitan one, the job situation varying as well. For instance in Nevada, an average job income for someone working as an anesthesiologist assistant, is estimated to be at around $103,510 per year, while in Connecticut the earnings tend to reach out at $96,382 per year.

The incomes tend to vary as well when it comes to industry. Those who work in Public Administration can expect at an average income that is estimated up to $83,186 per year, while those who work in Administrative, Support and Waste Management Services can expect to earn as much as $103,932 per year and even higher.

According to Indeed.com, the earnings of anesthesiologists assistants that are working in Tampa, Florida are estimated to reach at an average of around $60,010 per year. In the same regions the incomes have various estimated figures when it comes to jobs with related titles. For instance an Anesthesiology Physician, in Tampa, Florida can expect to earn around $234,010 per year, while those working as Pain Management APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) also in Tampa, Florida can expect to take home around $67,010 per year.

Anesthesiologist Assistant Salary in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom

This job has a very great estimation salary percentage in other countries as well such as Canada, Australia  and the UK:

• In Canada, the salary for these professionals has an average that reaches between C$100,010 per year and goes up to C$180,010 per year.
• In Australia, the average yearly salary for an anesthesiologist assistant is estimated to reach at about AU$159,010 per year.
• Working in the United Kingdom as a consultant anesthetic that is the equivalent of an anesthesiologist assistant in The US will get you to an income that is usually estimated to reach about £180,010 per year. The private sectors pay remarkably great when it comes to these professionals.

Conclusion on Anesthesiologist Assistant Salary

The job of an anesthesiologist assistant can be very rewarding from a financial point of view as well as from a professional one. The salaries in this field are very different and are mainly influenced by a variety of factors especially those that have to deal with location, the type of employment and other.

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• First Published Date: 29 June, 2015
• Last Updated Date: 14 September, 2016