Anesthesiologist

Pay

Getting in

Typical entry education

Doctoral or professional degree

On-the-job training

Internship/residency

Prior experience

None

Calculate your switch to anesthesiologist

What the work is like

Core tasks

• Examine patient, obtain medical history, and use diagnostic tests to determine risk during surgical, obstetrical, and other medical procedures.
• Administer anesthetic or sedation during medical procedures, using local, intravenous, spinal, or caudal methods.
• Record type and amount of anesthesia and patient condition throughout procedure.
• Monitor patient before, during, and after anesthesia and counteract adverse reactions or complications.
• Decide when patients have recovered or stabilized enough to be sent to another room or ward or to be sent home following outpatient surgery.
• Coordinate administration of anesthetics with surgeons during operation.
• Position patient on operating table to maximize patient comfort and surgical accessibility.
• Coordinate and direct work of nurses, medical technicians, and other health care providers.

Also called: Anesthesiologist MD (Anesthesiologist Medical Doctor) · Anesthesiology Resident · Attending Anesthesiologist · Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologist · Critical Care Anesthesiologist · Medical Doctor (MD) · Obstetrical Anesthesiologist · Pediatric Anesthesiologist

Outlook and AI

Anesthesiologists held 41,500 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 43,000 by 2035 (+4%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).

Compare with

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• Anesthesiologist vs. Nurse anesthetist
• Anesthesiologist vs. Physician assistant
• Anesthesiologist vs. Emergency medicine physician
• Anesthesiologist vs. General internal medicine physician
• Anesthesiologist vs. Obstetricians and gynecologists
• Anesthesiologist vs. Nurse practitioner