The Average Starting Salary for Anesthesiologist
- Anesthesiologists are licensed medical doctors, so the Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies them under the "physicians and surgeons" category. They list salary data specific to the specialty. According to 2009 BLS information, anesthesiologists who are in the lowest 10th percentile of earners make $115,470. This translates to about $55.52 per hour. Pay for anesthesiologists increased by two percent between 2008 and 2009.
- The BLS indicates that, based on 2009 data, the average rate of anesthesiologists is $211,750 per year, or $101.80 per hour. In other words, entry-level anesthesiologists make only about 55 percent of what experienced anesthesiologists earn. However, other sources indicate experienced anesthesiologists make well above $400,000. Anesthesiazone.com, for example, gives a range of $300,000 to $450,000 as of 2011, meaning that entry-level workers earn about 66 percent of what experienced anesthesiologists make.
- Anesthesiologists just starting out may have better pay working in certain sectors. According to 2009 data from the BLS, anesthesiologists earn the best compensation working in offices of physicians ($221,010), outpatient care centers ($207,240), general medical and surgical hospitals ($176,630), specialty hospitals ($167,130) and offices of other health practitioners ($164,040). Using the BLS data that indicates entry-level workers make 55 percent of the average, this means entry level workers can earn about $90,222 to $121,555 in these sectors.
- Like other doctors, anesthesiologists are eligible for other compensation in the form of bonuses. Some also receive profit sharing and commissions. As technology increases, anesthesiologists can be more efficient and perform more procedures, which may boost what an entry-level worker may make. Additionally, starting anesthesiologists aren't locked into permanent positions. They can work as temporary, or locum tenens, anesthesiologists. Assignments for a locum tenens anesthesiologist usually last about three months. Many employers give locum tenens anesthesiologists a tax-free living stipend that pays for rent and, in some cases, other basics like meals. Some locum tenens anesthesiologists make $6,000 to $6,750 a week on assignment, says Anesthesiazone. Assuming two or three 13 week assignments per year, this translates to $156,000 to $234,000 a year.