Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are advanced practice registered nurses trained and certified to administer anesthesia before medical operations, such as surgery, emergency care, pain management, or labor and delivery. As of May 2021, the average salary for a Nurse Anesthetist in the United States is $202,470 – an effective hourly rate of $97.34.
CRNAs are also among the highest-earning categories of nurses, considering registered nurses overall earn an average salary of $82,750.
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Highest-paying states for nurse anesthetists
In addition to specialty, location also plays a major factor in a nurse’s expected wages – driven by cost-of-living and the overall job market in each area.
For nurse anesthetists, Connecticut tops the list of highest-paying states with an average annual wage of $276,540. New Jersey comes in at second with an average CRNA salary of $263,850, followed by Illinois at $250,280.
Top 10 highest-paying states for nurse anesthetists
| Rank | State | Average CRNA Salary | Local Estimates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $276,540 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/ct |
| 2 | New Jersey | $263,850 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/nj |
| 3 | Illinois | $250,280 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/il |
| 4 | West Virginia | $247,650 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/wv |
| 5 | Washington | $244,730 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/wa |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $235,550 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/wi |
| 7 | California | $232,540 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/ca |
| 8 | Nebraska | $232,230 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/ne |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $227,130 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/nh |
| 10 | Oregon | $225,560 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/or |
Top 10 highest-paying cities for nurse anesthetists
| Rank | City | Average CRNA Salary | Local Estimates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Springfield, IL | $298,890 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/il/springfield |
| 2 | Riverside, CA | $283,550 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/ca/riverside |
| 3 | Ann Arbor, MI | $276,810 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/mi/ann-arbor |
| 4 | Hartford, CT | $273,060 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/ct/hartford |
| 5 | San Antonio, TX | $262,560 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/tx/san-antonio |
| 6 | New York, NY | $247,850 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/ny/new-york |
| 7 | Charleston, WV | $246,060 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/wv/charleston |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | $239,110 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/wa/seattle |
| 9 | Washington, DC | $237,860 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/dc/washington |
| 10 | Trenton, NJ | $237,410 | Get local estimate | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/salaries/crna/nj/trenton |
Nurse anesthetist salary vs other types of nurses
Nurse anesthetists are among the highest-paid healthcare professions, and the career is projected to grow in demand by 17.5% over the next few years. However, it can take many years to become certified as a nurse anesthetist, and the role itself may not be a fit for everyone. Luckily, many other types of nurses can also earn a very good living in the United States. Below are the average nationwide salaries, according to the BLS, for 5 different nursing categories.
| Category | Average Salary | # Employed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $202,470 | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/blog/nurse-anesthetists-salary/ | 43,950 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $118,040 | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/blog/nurse-practitioner-salary/ | 234,690 |
| Nurse Midwives | $114,210 | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/blog/nurse-midwife-salary/ | 7,750 |
| Registered Nurses | $82,750 | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/blog/the-highest-paying-states-for-nurses/ | 3,047,530 |
| Licensed Practical / Vocational Nurses | $51,850 | https://www.incrediblehealth.com/blog/lvn-vs-rn-salary/ | 641,240 |
Top advanced practice jobs on Incredible Health
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