Nurse anesthetist salary averages revealed: How much money does a CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist) make per year? How much do they make per hour?
Nurse anesthetists, also called CRNAs, earn the highest average salary in the United States among nurse types, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest data. Let’s examine the numbers.
Nurse Anesthetist Salary Averages
In 2017, CRNAs earned an average salary of $169,450 per year. The median (middle) salary for nurse anesthetists was $165,120 per year.
This was much higher than other advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), with nurse practitioners earning an average salary of $107,480 per year and nurse midwives earning $103,640 in 2017. (Clinical nurse specialists are not included in BLS data, but we do have the estimate from our 2015 statistics below.)
Here is a graph from our nursing salary guide from 2015, and you can see how those salary figures compare to the latest salary figures posted above. CRNAs earned an average salary of $160,250 in 2015, but in 2017, this has increased to $169,450. Thus, incomes for CRNAs continue to rise. Continue reading to learn more about nursing salaries and other healthcare salaries.
CRNA Average Hourly Wage
How much money did nurse anesthetists (CRNA) make per hour in 2017? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurse anesthetists earned a mean hourly wage of $81.47. The median hourly wage for the CRNA was $79.38.
In comparison, nurse practitioners earned an average hourly wage of $51.68, and nurse midwives earned an average hourly wage of $49.83.
Nurse Anesthetist Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is projecting steady employment growth for nurse anesthetists, with the latest growth projections listed at 16% between years 2016-2026. This is a higher growth rate than the average for all occupations.
Many nursing students are drawn to this nursing specialty due to the high salary, but there is more to a career than just the numbers. You should pursue a career based on your gifts, calling, and passion. In fact, CNRA school is known to be very challenging (and expensive), and nurse anesthetists can work very intense work schedules. Nevertheless, numbers don’t lie, and this profession does pay well for those called and gifted to enter this type of work.
Nurse Anesthetist Income Percentile Statistics
To help gauge how your income as a CRNA compared to other nurse anesthetists in the United States, you can look at the chart below, which contains percentile statistics:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
| Hourly Wage | $53.13 | $67.67 | $79.38 | $93.75 | n/a |
| Annual Wage | $110,520 | $140,750 | $165,120 | $194,990 | n/a |
According to the chart above, if you earned $165,120 per year in 2017, you made more than 50% of the CRNAs in the United States, and 50% made more than you did. If you earned $194,990, you made more money than 75% of CRNAs in the U.S. The 90% percentile was unavailable.
Top Paying Industries for Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs)
Here’s a quick look at the top paying industries for CRNAs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
| Industry | Employment | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 1,990 | 0.23 | $93.48 | $194,440 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 12,820 | 0.23 | $88.75 | $184,590 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | n/a | n/a | $86.02 | $178,920 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) | 1,000 | 0.05 | $81.05 | $168,580 |
| Offices of Physicians | 22,720 | 0.89 | $78.09 | $162,430 |
Nurse Anesthetist Salary Average in all 50 States
The top paying state for nurse anesthetists in the U.S. was Montana, coming in at an average salary of $252,460. Interestingly, you’re considered to be making in the top 2% of income in the United States if you make more than $250,000 per year, according to statistics from Census.gov. Based on the salary statistics above, if CRNAs in Montana were able to work for four years at that rate, they’d have a gross income (before taxes) of over one million dollars!
The lowest paying state for nurse anesthetists was Arizona, coming in at an average salary of $139,500 per year, which is still very high when compared to the “real median household income” in the United States, which the Census Bureau listed as $61.372.
Here are the CRNA salary averages for all 50 states and U.S. territories (excluding Rhode Island and Vermont, which were not included in BLS data) , as well as the average hourly wage and employment estimate.
| Nurse Anesthetist Salary in all 50 States, 2017 | |||
| State | Employment | Hourly mean wage | Average Salary |
| Alabama | 1400 | $80.26 | $166,950.00 |
| Alaska | 60 | $88.48 | $184,040.00 |
| Arizona | n/a | $67.07 | $139,500.00 |
| Arkansas | 350 | $77.74 | $161,690.00 |
| California | 1460 | $104.44 | $217,230.00 |
| Colorado | 380 | $73.19 | $152,240.00 |
| Connecticut | 630 | $80.73 | $167,920.00 |
| Delaware | 160 | $83.94 | $174,590.00 |
| Florida | 1640 | $82.94 | $172,500.00 |
| Georgia | 1010 | $69.81 | $145,210.00 |
| Hawaii | 90 | $94.54 | $196,640.00 |
| Idaho | 440 | $70.15 | $145,910.00 |
| Illinois | 1410 | $79.23 | $164,790.00 |
| Indiana | 520 | $77.68 | $161,570.00 |
| Iowa | 280 | $95.26 | $198,140.00 |
| Kansas | 390 | $78.69 | $163,670.00 |
| Kentucky | 1040 | $88.96 | $185,040.00 |
| Louisiana | 680 | $70.72 | $147,090.00 |
| Maine | 380 | $76.67 | $159,480.00 |
| Maryland | 460 | $81.33 | $169,160.00 |
| Massachusetts | 1190 | $92.86 | $193,140.00 |
| Michigan | 2120 | $90.66 | $188,580.00 |
| Minnesota | 2000 | $86.75 | $180,430.00 |
| Mississippi | 450 | $76.65 | $159,430.00 |
| Missouri | 1110 | $72.92 | $151,680.00 |
| Montana | 60 | $121.38 | $252,460.00 |
| Nebraska | 300 | $89.54 | $186,250.00 |
| Nevada | n/a | $94.58 | $196,730.00 |
| New Hampshire | 240 | $77.10 | $160,370.00 |
| New Jersey | 250 | n/a | n/a |
| New Mexico | 40 | $72.53 | $150,860.00 |
| New York | 1660 | $87.18 | $181,340.00 |
| North Carolina | 2340 | $82.23 | $171,040.00 |
| North Dakota | 150 | $93.55 | $194,570.00 |
| Ohio | 2540 | $76.44 | $159,000.00 |
| Oklahoma | 330 | $79.56 | $165,490.00 |
| Oregon | 270 | $99.75 | $207,480.00 |
| Pennsylvania | 2360 | $78.35 | $162,980.00 |
| Puerto Rico | 370 | $28.92 | $60,160.00 |
| South Carolina | 820 | $77.19 | $160,550.00 |
| South Dakota | 330 | $88.85 | $184,810.00 |
| Tennessee | 2280 | $70.76 | $147,180.00 |
| Texas | 5770 | $73.32 | $152,510.00 |
| Utah | 120 | $75.46 | $156,960.00 |
| Virginia | 810 | $92.99 | $193,410.00 |
| Washington | 660 | $93.31 | $194,080.00 |
| West Virginia | 490 | $89.84 | $186,870.00 |
| Wisconsin | 640 | $92.18 | $191,730.00 |
| Wyoming | 40 | $120.49 | $250,610.00 |
Nurse Anesthetist Income Based on Industry
Here are the CRNA income statistics based on various industries. According to this data from the BLS, “outpatient care centers” was the top paying industry, offering an average salary of $194,440. The lowest paying industry was “nursing care facilities,” coming in at $86,780 per year.
| Occupation | Employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Cross-industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local Government | 42,620 | $81.47 | $169,450.00 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership Only | 37,940 | $81.14 | $168,760.00 |
| Sector 56- Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 190 | $75.50 | $157,030.00 |
| Administrative and Support Services | 190 | $75.50 | $157,030.00 |
| Employment Services | 170 | $77.31 | $160,810.00 |
| Sector 61 – Educational Services | 1,140 | $71.26 | $148,210.00 |
| Educational Services | 1,140 | $71.26 | $148,210.00 |
| Educational Services – State government owned | 700 | $65.80 | $136,860.00 |
| Educational Services – Privately owned | 440 | $79.84 | $166,070.00 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 1,140 | $71.26 | $148,210.00 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools – State government owned | 700 | $65.80 | $136,860.00 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools – Privately owned | 440 | $79.84 | $166,070.00 |
| Sector 62 – Health Care and Social Assistance | 40,220 | $81.84 | $170,220.00 |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | 26,700 | $79.02 | $164,360.00 |
| Offices of Physicians | 22,720 | $78.09 | $162,430.00 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 1,750 | $76.55 | $159,230.00 |
| Offices of All Other Health Practitioners | 1,750 | $76.55 | $159,230.00 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 1,990 | $93.48 | $194,440.00 |
| Hospitals | 13,150 | $88.69 | $184,470.00 |
| Hospitals – State government owned | 810 | $92.15 | $191,670.00 |
| Hospitals – Local government owned | 2,180 | $88.54 | $184,150.00 |
| Hospitals – Privately owned | 10,170 | $88.45 | $183,970.00 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 12,820 | $88.75 | $184,590.00 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals – State government owned | 710 | $92.14 | $191,660.00 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals – Local government owned | 2,180 | $88.54 | $184,150.00 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals – Privately owned | 9,930 | $88.55 | $184,180.00 |
| Specialty Hospitals | n/a | $86.02 | $178,920.00 |
| Specialty hospitals – State government owned | 90 | $92.21 | $191,800.00 |
| Specialty hospitals – Privately owned | 210 | $83.29 | $173,250.00 |
| Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | n/a | $41.72 | $86,780.00 |
| Nursing Care Facilities | n/a | $41.72 | $86,780.00 |
| Sector 99 – Federal, State, and Local Government | 1,000 | $81.00 | $168,490.00 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government | 1,000 | $81.00 | $168,490.00 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including government owned schools and hospitals | 4,680 | $84.17 | $175,070.00 |
| Federal Executive Branch | 1,000 | $81.05 | $168,580.00 |
| Federal government, including USPS | 1,000 | $81.05 | $168,580.00 |
| State Government, including schools and hospitals | 1,500 | $79.94 | $166,280.00 |
| Local Government, including schools and hospitals | 2,180 | $88.52 | $184,120.00 |
References:
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2017 Edition, Nurse Anesthetists, on the Internet at bls.gov.