Anesthesiologist Salary - What A Relief

There is good news for you on the anesthesiologist’s career front. The average anesthesiologist salary is pegged at USD 317, 248 per annum according to one survey. Another survey has figures that are slightly more conservative at USD 264, 900 per annum (ranging from USD 223, 000 per annum to USD 310, 365 per annum). The figures given by the Health Affairs report range from a starting salary of USD 242, 886 per annum to USD 334, 121 per annum. Whichever survey you consider, the anesthesiologist salary is certainly better off than many other professions.

Another issue that is of importance to those entering this profession is the current and predicted shortage of anesthesiologists in the US. The shortage of anesthesiologists is estimated to be around 50, 000 by year 2010 and it would rise up to phenomenal 200, 000 by 2020. These statistics surely indicate rising salaries and opportunities for aspirants and people who are already in the field.

Now what does an anesthesiologist do? An anesthesiologist is trained to provide pain relief and maintenance or restoration of a stable condition during or following an operation or even an obstetric or diagnostic procedure. As an anesthesiologist you would be required to assess the risk of the patient’s condition prior to, during and after surgery as well. Anesthesiologists are also required to provide medical management and consultation on pain management and critical care management. Naturally sub specializations for anesthesiologists would include critical care medicine (diagnose and treat patients suffering from multiple organ dysfunction), pain medicine (high level care for acute chronic and/or cancer pain) and pediatric anesthesiology (for children and adults).

For those interested in knowing about how to become one, an anesthesiologist’s residency training program is a four-year course while fellowship in an anesthesiology subspecialty would take another year.

The bottom line is clear in the life of an anesthesiologist – if you want to earn high, you must be prepared to work longer hours.