Certified anesthesiologist assistants are increasingly sought after as health systems and ASCs navigate a structural anesthesia shortage.
As of April 2026, the average annual salary for anesthesiologist assistants is $247,000, according to Marit Health’s compilation of 170 salaries. Most earn between $220,000 at the 25th percentile and $270,000 at the 75th percentile, with top earners at the 90th percentile reaching $327,000 annually.
Here are 10 more things to know:
1. The average base salary is $227,000. Forty-two percent of anesthesiologist assistants report other income such as overtime or leadership stipends, averaging $14,090. Forty-six percent receive a bonus averaging $6,220. Thirty-eight percent receive call pay, averaging $1,057 annually.
2. The average starting salary for a new anesthesiologist assistant graduate is $239,000, including an average base salary of $220,500, an average bonus of $6,500, and other income. Based on 59 new graduate salaries, the average sign-on bonus is $34,500 and the average relocation bonus is $8,000. The sign-on bonus figure indicates how facilities are competing for a limited supply of new graduates. CAA training programs are fewer than CRNA programs, and the pipeline is smaller as graduates enter a workforce where demand is already outpacing supply.
3. Advertised annual base pay for certified anesthesiologist assistants pushed past fourth-quarter 2025’s ceiling in the first quarter of 2026, with top offers climbing to $350,000, according to a May 2026 report from BagMask.com. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the advertised CAA ceiling sat at $330,000.
4. Peak advertised maximums reached $350,000 in Texas, $340,000 in Georgia, and $330,000 in Wisconsin. Markets that previously did not lead the leaderboard now post some of the most aggressive offers in the country, with Texas taking the high-water mark for advertised maximum pay.
5. While most CAA salaries fall between $180,000 and $250,000 annually, average compensation in the nation’s highest-paying states now exceeds $280,000, according to BagMask. New Mexico ranked as the highest-paying state for CAAs in 2025, based on a BagMask analysis of full-time job postings listing salary ranges.
6. Male anesthesiologist assistants report average total compensation of $254,000, compared to $237,000 for female anesthesiologist assistants. The $17,000 difference is driven by higher average other income among male respondents ($17,500 versus $10,000) and a higher average base salary ($230,000 versus $219,500).
7. Anesthesiologist assistants in academic settings report average total compensation of $249,500, compared to $247,000 for those in non-academic roles. Academic positions carry a higher base salary ($229,500 versus $225,000) offset by a lower bonus component ($5,000 versus $6,500), reflecting a more stable but less incentive-heavy structure.
8. Nearly 30% of anesthesiologists are expected to leave the workforce by 2033, prompting many organizations to increase reliance on certified anesthesiologist assistants and CRNAs. To retain provider talent, healthcare systems are offering higher salaries, relocation incentives and retention bonuses.
9. CAAs work under the supervision of physician anesthesiologists in a care team model, which distinguishes them from CRNAs, who can practice independently in opt-out states. That supervision requirement limits where CAAs can be deployed but also positions them within the higher-resource hospital and academic medical center environments where physician anesthesiologist oversight is standard.
10. CAAs are not yet licensed in every state. In early 2026, Michigan and Kansas both had pending legislation to establish licensure for anesthesiologist assistants.