What Does An Anesthesiologist Assistant Do (including Their Typical Day at Work)

Stan T.Career, Overview

Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Anesthesiologist Assistants

Anesthesiologist Assistants assist anesthesiologists in the administration of anesthesia for surgical and non-surgical procedures. Monitor patient status and provide patient care during surgical treatment.

Salary
$116080
Becoming One
Very Hard
Education
Master's degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality


What they do

Anesthesiologist Assistants assist anesthesiologists in the administration of anesthesia for surgical and non-surgical procedures. Monitor patient status and provide patient care during surgical treatment.

  • Control anesthesia levels during procedures.
  • Assist anesthesiologists in monitoring of patients, including electrocardiogram (EKG), direct arterial pressure, central venous pressure, arterial blood gas, hematocrit, or routine measurement of temperature, respiration, blood pressure or heart rate.
  • Provide airway management interventions including tracheal intubation, fiber optics, or ventilary support.
  • Respond to emergency situations by providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), basic cardiac life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), or pediatric advanced life support (PALS).

Typical day

On a daily basis, Anesthesiologist Assistants control anesthesia levels during procedures. They assist anesthesiologists in monitoring of patients, including electrocardiogram (ekg), direct arterial pressure, central venous pressure, arterial blood gas, hematocrit, or routine measurement of temperature, respiration, blood pressure or heart rate.

A typical day for an Anesthesiologist Assistant will also include:

  • Monitor and document patients’ progress during the post-anesthesia period.
  • Collect and document patients’ pre-anesthetic health histories.
  • Verify availability of operating room supplies, medications, and gases.
  • Administer anesthetic, adjuvant, or accessory drugs under the direction of an anesthesiologist.
  • Pretest and calibrate anesthesia delivery systems and monitors.

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Anesthesiologist Assistants also collect samples or specimens for diagnostic testing. They may also assist in the provision of advanced life support techniques including those procedures using high frequency ventilation or intra-arterial cardiovascular assistance devices.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Anesthesiologist Assistants participate in seminars, workshops, or other professional activities to keep abreast of developments in anesthesiology. They might also administer blood, blood products, or supportive fluids.

In addition, they assist anesthesiologists in performing anesthetic procedures, such as epidural or spinal injections.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them provide clinical instruction, supervision or training to staff in areas such as anesthesia practices.

To some Anesthesiologist Assistants, it is also their responsibility to assist anesthesiologists in monitoring of patients, including electrocardiogram (EKG), direct arterial pressure, central venous pressure, arterial blood gas, hematocrit, or routine measurement of temperature, respiration, blood pressure or heart rate.

What is the job like

Job satisfaction

Very High

Is this job meaningful

Very High

74% said they were satisfied with their job and 82% said they found their job meaningful.


Pros

Suitable for people who like practical and hands-on work.

Suitable for people who want to work in a supportive work environment.

This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.

One of the fastest-growing careers.

Cons

Not suitable for people who like to work with designs.

It is very hard to get into this career. Extensive skills, knowledge, and experience are required for this career.

How much do they make

Average salary

$116080 per year

Average hourly wage

$56 per hour

Entry-level Anesthesiologist Assistants with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $76,700 to $95,730 per year or $37 to $46 per hour.

Salary by experience Annual Hourly
Highest (Top 10%) $162,470 $78
Senior (Top 25%) $135,220 $65
Median $115,390 $55
Junior (Bottom 25%) $95,730 $46
No experience (Bottom 10%) $76,700 $37

This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Anesthesiologist Assistants based on their average annual salary.

Salary by industry Annual Hourly
Personal Care Services $144260 $69.35
Outpatient Care Centers $128820 $61.93
Scientific Research and Development Services $124400 $59.81
Employment Services $120400 $57.89
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities $119970 $57.68
Individual and Family Services $118790 $57.11
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals $117320 $56.40
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) $116710 $56.11
State Government $115410 $55.49
Offices of Physicians $115120 $55.34

View more salary by industries here.

Where can they work

Where can Anesthesiologist Assistants work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Anesthesiologist Assistants including the average salary in that industry.

Employers Total Employed Annual Salary Hourly Wages
Offices of Physicians 67870 $115120 $55.34
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 30860 $117320 $56.40
Outpatient Care Centers 10190 $128820 $61.93
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 4930 $108010 $51.93
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 2070 $111140 $53.43
Specialty Hospitals 1630 $114600 $55.10
Employment Services 1540 $120400 $57.89
Federal Executive Branch 1390 $105930 $50.93
Local Government 960 $113420 $54.53
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 640 $96880 $46.58

What is the work day like

Working hours

Less than 40 hours
19%

40 hours
45%

More than 40 hours
36%

Working schedule

100%

0%

0%

Email

How often do you use email in this job?

Once a week
28%

Every day
28%

Telephone

How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

Once a week
30%

Every day
56%

Group discussions

How often do you have group discussions in this job?

Once a week
22%

Every day
74%

Public speaking

How often does this job require you to do public speaking?

Never
31%

Once a year
24%

Once a month
27%

Once a week
14%

Every day
3%

Level of competition

How much competitive pressure is in this job?

Not competitive at all
13%

Slightly competitive
27%

Moderately competitive
7%

Highly competitive
39%

Extremely competitive
14%

What is the work environment like

Office-style environment

Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition

Never
5%

Once a year or more
0%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
95%

Warehouse-style environment

Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse

Never
97%

Once a year or more
0%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
3%

Every day
0%

Outdoors

Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions

Never
97%

Once a year or more
0%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
3%

Outdoors – Under Cover

Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)

Never
100%

Once a year or more
0%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
0%

How to become one

Difficulty to become one

Very Hard
You will need an extensive amount of skill, knowledge, and experience. Careers in this difficulty category usually require graduate school and more than five years of experience. These careers usually involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Similar careers include Pharmacists, Lawyers, Astronomers, Neurologists, and Veterinarians.

Required level of education

What level of education do you need to perform the job?

Less than a High School Diploma
0%

High School Diploma or equivalent
22%

Post-Secondary Certificate
17%

Some College Courses
0%

Associate’s Degree or similar
4%

Bachelor’s Degree
0%

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
0%

Master’s Degree
42%

Post-Master’s Certificate
1%

First Professional Degree
15%

Doctoral Degree
0%

Post-Doctoral Training
0%

Relevant majors

No majors found

Relevant work experience

How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?

None
63%

1 month
4%

1 to 3 months
0%

3 to 6 months
9%

6 months to 1 year
15%

1 to 2 years
2%

2 to 4 years
7%

4 to 6 years
0%

6 to 8 years
0%

8 to 10 years
0%

Over 10 years
0%

On The Job Training

How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?

None or short demonstration
15%

1 month
21%

1 to 3 months
18%

3 to 6 months
22%

6 months to 1 year
0%

1 to 2 years
23%

2 to 4 years
0%

4 to 10 years
0%

Over 10 years
0%

Should you become one

Best personality type for this career

The Builder

People with this personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

The Builder
76%

People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.


The Thinker
67%

People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.


The Artist
14%

People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.


The Helper
71%

People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.


The Leader
38%

People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.


The Organizer
38%

People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.


You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tend to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

They also like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.

Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.

Work Values

Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?

Achievement
62%

You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.

Working Conditions
60%

You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.

Recognition
57%

You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.

Relationships
71%

You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Support
76%

You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.

Independence
57%

You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.

FAQ


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