An anesthesiologist salary is one of the highest in the country. In 2009, it was listed #1 among the top paying jobs and #11 among the best jobs in the country by CNN Money. According to their sources, the average annual earning of an anesthesiologist is $ 292,000 with some reporting top earnings of $ 408, 000. But this is only for the year 2009; the 2010 figures were even more amazing! The average expected anesthesiologist salary in 2010 in the United States today is pegged at $334,345 according to the latest survey of Certified Compensation Professionals. This should be incentive enough for a student with medical inclinations to pursue a career as an anesthesiologist.

The job of an anesthesiologist requires precision and dedication. His pay is just commensurate to the heavy responsibility resting on his shoulders every time he performs his role. Anesthesiologists are the licensed medical practitioners who help get patients safely through operations or other medical procedures which are life-threatening or cause severe pain. During surgery, they administer the anesthetics so patients won’t feel the pain and monitor the patient’s vital sign throughout the process. After surgery, the anesthesiologists are still in charge of monitoring the patient’s vital sign in the recovery room. They decide when the patient has recovered enough to be transferred to a regular room.

In recent years, the number of anesthesiologist residents has gone down. At the same time, more and more aging anesthesiologists are retiring! This has created some concern within the medical field. Because of this, the demand for anesthesiologists has gone up and with it went the anesthesiologist salary.

Anesthesiologist Salary Moves Within Different Levels

The anesthesiologists salary may vary from one anesthesiologist to another anesthesiologist or from one place of work to the other. There are actually several factors that determine what an anesthesiologist should get. Among these are:

• Anesthesiologist salary based on experience – Anesthesiologists who have less than 5 years of experience get less than those with 5 to 10 years while those with more than 10 years of experience command the highest pay.
• Anesthesiologist salary based on gender – Male anesthesiologists receive a higher pay than their female counterparts. (Don’t ask me why, but this is what the survey says.)
• Anesthesiologist salary based on employment- Anesthesiologists who owns their own offices or belong to a group (considered as self-employed) receive more than those employed by hospitals.

Anesthesiologist Salary by Location

Different places give anesthesiologist different pay scales. Boston topped the list of cities with the highest anesthesiologist pay. It is followed by Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, and New York.

Anesthesiologist salary of Subspecialty

Sub-specialty may also determine the anesthesiologist income. Pediatric anesthesiologists are paid higher than general anesthesiologists while cardiac anesthesiologists command the highest salary.

Reported Anesthesiologist Salary Levels in 2010

2010 was a good year for anesthesiologists in terms of compensation. Here are some data for this period taken from the Salary & Employment Report of LocumTenens.com:

• The annual anesthesiologist salary was $362,450 on the average in 2010.
• Those with less than five years experience earned $339,055 a year.
• Those with 6-10 years experience earned $330,192.
• Those with over ten years experience earned $377,121.
• On the other hand, the male anesthesiologist salary was $368,654 on the average, while the female anesthesiologist salary was pegged at $313,529 a year.
• The anesthesiologist salary of those who were doing private practice or belonged to a group of private practitioners was tagged at $405,346 on the average
• While salaried anesthesiologists or those who worked medical facilities and other institutions earned an average of $337,187

The Anesthesiologist Salary – A Fitting Reward for Hard Work

Before one can become an anesthesiologist he has to go through years of intensive training and studies. It is such a demanding career that requires hard work, patience and persistence. The job itself requires a great deal of precision and quick mindedness. These are traits that can only be had through years of sometimes cloistered education. The salary of anesthesiologist is indeed one of the highest in the country, and the object of envy by many. However, today’s anesthesiologist salary is but a fitting reward for the 12 years of hard work and sacrifices that goes into the process of producing a full pledge anesthesiologist.