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Dr. Rob Anderson started the Pay Transparency Project at Marit with Anesthesiology, so we're excited to kick off a series of deep dives into Marit's compensation data - beginning with Anesthesiology. The average Anesthesiologist salary varies significantly based on employer type, compensation model, and location, among other factors. In this post, we'll explore these variations using Marit's unique dataset of thousands of anonymous and verified physician salaries. Because each contract is unique, we also encourage you to explore the individual Anesthesiologist Salaries on Marit that are most relevant to your individual situation.
Executive Summary
Anesthesiology remains among the higher-paying physician specialties with an average annual salary of $540k, with a range of $330k to $800k. Salaries vary significantly depending on employment type, compensation structure, location and more. Below are some key trends -
1. Self-employed Anesthesiologists earn 10% or more than their hospital-employed counterparts but this often comes with higher financial risk, administrative burden, and the responsibility to carry their own malpractice insurance.
2. Academic Anesthesiologists see lower base salaries but often have better benefits and fewer hours, with a median Academic pay gap of ~$40k compared to non-academic settings.
3. Compensation Models Matter: While most Anesthesiologists receive a straight salary, productivity-based models (e.g., wRVU-based) can lead to higher averages of ~$100k above their salary counterparts, but with significant pay variability.
4. Location matters, quite a bit: Like many other specialties, we see significant variances in compensation across Regions, and there is a significant "rural premium" of ~10%
5. Men get paid more than Women: As is the case across almost all specialties, Male Anesthesiologists average approximately 5% more ($24k) than their Female counterparts, for the same amount of working hours on an average.
In the full analysis below, we’ll break down salaries across all the relevant dimensions - by employer type, work schedule, compensation models, location, demographics, etc. to get a deeper sense of compensation dynamics in this specialty.
The average Annual Salary for Anesthesiologists is $540k
Anesthesiologist Salaries show significant variation, with total compensation averaging $540k, but ranging from $332k (5%-ile) to over $800k (95%-ile). While most earnings come from base salary ($497k average), approximately 1 in 3 anesthesiologists get additional bonuses ($22k average) or other forms of income ($22k average). Workload in this specialty tends to be high ~48 hrs/wk, but PTO is substantial as well (7.5 wks average) - suggesting a balance between intense schedules and extended time off.
Marit vs Other Benchmarks
At Marit, our goal is to provide accurate and comprehensive salary benchmarks. We do this by collecting data anonymously, to encourage honesty, and also verify submissions, to ensure authenticity. In addition, we will also share other publicly available benchmarks from other compensation surveys - so you can find all the info in one place. This also helps us verify our accuracy compared to others.
Marit's benchmarks compare favorably to others and tend to be slightly higher. This difference occurs because Marit's data captures the most recent clinician submissions, offering a real-time representation of the market, whereas other benchmarks are published annually, and typically lag by 1-2 years. Additionally, Marit includes clinicians from all employment settings - hospital employed, private practice, and self-employed. Since private practice and self-employed clinicians typically earn more (see breakdown by Employer Type and Tax Statuses below) than those who are hospital-employed, our averages tend to be higher, and we believe, more representative of the market.
Sources - AMGA, Doximity, AMN, Medscape
Note - MGMA data is behind a paywall, so we are unable to include it as a publicly available benchmark
Which subspecialties pay the most?
If you are considering additional training, Pain and Cardiac Anesthesiology offer higher compensation compared to other subspecialties. However, compensation differences among other subspecialties are typically modest. Ultimately, the decision about sub-specialization should reflect your personal interests, and professional goals, as these dynamic tend to change over time. Regardless of specialty, the current shortage of anesthesiologists is broad-based, driving compensation levels to be across the field.
Compensation increases predictably with years of experience, from approximately $525k for new grads to ~$580k with more experience. However, satisfaction with compensation is less linear. New grads often report strong satisfaction despite working longer hours, likely due to early-career enthusiasm and incentives like sign-on bonuses. Over time, even as total compensation increases, satisfaction drops quickly as factors beyond pay, such as workload balance and evolving personal expectations, affect satisfaction.
What are the best Employers & Practice Settings to work for?
The variances in compensation can be striking based on Employer you work for. Unsurprisingly, while Academic institutions pay ~8% less on average, these positions do come with more predictable hours, institutional support, and teaching, or research opportunities.
While most Anesthesiologists practice within Health Systems or Medical Groups, solo practitioners stand out with significantly higher compensation - averaging around $591k, roughly 10% more than their peers. They also report the highest satisfaction with their earnings. See here for detailed Anesthesiologist salaries for different pratice settings
W-2 vs 1099? Salary or Productivity?
One of the most common questions is whether to accept a W-2 position or operate as a 1099 contractor. While 1099 roles often pay around $35k more, you’ll be responsible for your own benefits, taxes, and administrative overhead - which is indicated in the slightly lower average satisfaction for 1099. In exchange, you claim claim more tax deductions and maintain flexibility in structuring your work. Ultimately, it comes down to weighing higher pay and independence against the simplicity and security of W-2 employment.
Compensation model structure significantly impacts total earnings. Productivity/wRVU and hourly models often top an average ~of $630k, reflecting higher output potential but it does come with more hours and with higher income variability. Meanwhile, a straight salary offers predictable pay - averaging around $530k - but typically caps the upside. Partnership based models, also pay much higher (>$600k on average) by pooling revenue and distributing it equitably among group members. See here for detailed Anesthesiologist salaries for various compensation models
What are the best cities for Anesthesiologists?
Regional compensation for anesthesiologists shows meaningful variations, with the West leading at around $575k on average. But interestingly, anesthesiologists in the Midwest - Great Lakes region represent the best balance of high pay and highest compensation satisfaction - likely because of perks like lower living costs, manageable work hours, and supportive local communities.
Large or Mega cities offer slightly lower average compensation (around $542k) compared to smaller metros and rural areas. Rural settings tend to offer higher salary and notably larger sign-on bonuses ($74k on average), reflecting strong incentives needed for relocation. For Mega Cities, the lower pay combined with the high cost-of-living, these factors contribute to significantly lower satisfaction in Mega cities. See here for detailed Anesthesiologist Salaries for various metros and states.
Lower cost of living cities often see both competitive pay and higher satisfaction relative to higher cost cities. For physicians not tied to a specific big city, these areas can offer a solid balance of strong earnings and reduced financial pressure.
Do Men get paid more than Women?
Unfortunately, the gender pay gap in anesthesiology persists, with female anesthesiologists earning approximately 5% less than their male counterparts, despite working a similar number of hours. Note that this is the observed gap, and may not necessarily indicate inequity. We hope to publish more research in the future to explore and inspect this gap in more detail.
We hope this overview sheds valuable light on the nuances of Anesthesiology compensation. Keep in mind, averages only get you so far—every contract is different. For more detailed insights, including real, anonymized salary data by compensation structure, location, hours, benefits, and more, check out Anesthesiologist salaries on Marit. We can only create deep dives like this with lots of salary submissions, so if you found this helpful, consider adding your anonymous salary and share this with a peer.
About the Data & Methodology
Marit's Data is different. It is -
Unique - since it captures the compensation data along with all the details that matter - bonuses, shifts, scheduls, benefits, and more
Comprehensive - Across all specialties and Professions (Physicians & APPs), Employer Types (large and small, including Self-employed, Academic & Non Academic), Job Types (Full Time, Part Time, PRNs and Locums) and Employment Types (W-2, 1099, K-1)
Current - Unlike other benchmarks that only update their data once a year, all salaries reflect the clinician’s current compensation, and all averages are updated in real-time as new salaries are added
All data in this report comes from anonymized salary contributions on Marit, as of March 12, 2025. Only verified salary reports approved by our moderation team are included. Gender data is sourced from the NPI Registry, and stored on a separate server from salary data.
Want to collaborate?
If you have any suggestions or requests for customized analysis, or would like to to do deep-dive - we'd love to hear from you
