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The Oral Board ZoneCNN Money and Payscale ranked Anesthesiology 11th in their new 2009 Best Jobs in America. Careers were ranked according to median salaries, job opportunities in the next ten years, and quality of life. Nurse anesthesiologists were ranked 15th overall.
According to the article anesthesiologists take home a median salary of $292,000 per annum, while nurse anesthesiologists earn $157,000 a year, with the top pay being $214,000. The top pay for Anesthesiologists were recorded at slightly more than $400,000. (Note that median salary was determined for an experienced worker with at least 2-7 years in the field.)
According to the study, the future of the profession looks very bright. Job ads for anesthesiologists over the 6 months leading up to August 2009 increased by 70%, while there are an estimated 23,000 jobs currently available! Approximately 19,000 nurse anesthesiology jobs waits to be filled. Very encouraging, if seen in against the backdrop of a struggling US economy.
In terms of Quality of Life, the evaluators looked at factors like personal job satisfaction, job security, future industry growth, the benefit to society, and the stress levels involved. As you can guess, Anesthesiology ranked low in the stress rating, as death is a possibility if the slightest miscalculation is made. Quoted in the article, Roger Moore, president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, said, “Anesthesiologists get patients safely and intact through operations while surgeons do things that would otherwise kill them.”
Nurse anesthesiologist has involvement with the patient not only during the operation, but afterwards, as they monitor their health post-surgery. According to Wikepedia they administer anesthesia approximately 32 millions times/annum in the US. Their role is crucial.
The bottom line: This is a great field with great prospects! All that is left for you is to get Board Certified. Board Stiff Live and Board Stiff CRNA will help you achieve that hurdle. See our website for dates of our next workshop.