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Anesthesiologist Assistant

A program that prepares individuals to assist anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists in developing and implementing patient anesthesia care plans, including preoperative, surgical theater, recovery room, and postoperative/intensive care procedures. Includes instruction in patient data collection, catheter insertion, airway management and drug administration, assisting the administration and monitoring of regional and peripheral nerve blockades, support therapy, adjusting anesthetic levels during surgery, interoperative monitoring, postoperative procedures, pain clinics and patient education, and administrative tasks.

Types of Degrees Anesthesiologist Assistant Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Anesthesiologist Assistant can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	4
Associate’s Degree	38
Master’s Degree	381

What Anesthesiologist Assistant Majors Need to Know

Studies in Anesthesiologist Assistant build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Anesthesiologist Assistant graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Anesthesiologist Assistant emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Anesthesiologist Assistant program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Anesthesiologist Assistant careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Anesthesiologist Assistant graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.9 / 7
Working with Computers	4.7 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.7 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.6 / 7
Processing Information	4.5 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Anesthesiologist Assistant professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Appointment scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
Epic Systems	Medical software	✓
Visual electro diagnostic software	Medical software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Windows Vista Business	Operating system software	—
eClinicalWorks EHR software	Medical software	—
Billing software	Billing and invoicing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Anesthesiologist Assistant graduates include:

• Primary Care Medical Assistant
• OB/GYN Medical Assistant (Obstetrics and Gynecology Medical Assistant)
• Dermatology Medical Assistant
• Ophthalmic Aide
• Chiropractor Assistant
• Urgent Care Medical Assistant
• Orthopedic Assistant
• Cardiology Medical Assistant
• Ophthalmic Assistant
• Family Medicine Medical Assistant
• Doctor Assistant
• Clinic Assistant
• Optometry Assistant
• Health Unit Clerk
• Podiatric Assistant

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Anesthesiologist Assistant graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Postsecondary certificate	44.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	20.5%
Bachelor’s degree	17.5%
Some college courses	17.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Anesthesiologist Assistant?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 59.1% women and 40.9% men among Anesthesiologist Assistant graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	250	59.1%
Men	173	40.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Anesthesiologist Assistant graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	218	51.5%
Asian	70	16.5%
Hispanic or Latino	49	11.6%
Black or African American	37	8.7%
Two or More Races	16	3.8%
Race Unknown	25	5.9%
International Students	8	1.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Anesthesiologist Assistant Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Anesthesiologist Assistant graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$27,434
4 years	$29,082
5 years	$32,352

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $32,352 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Anesthesiologist Assistant Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Anesthesiologist Assistant graduates earn a median of $29,082 four years after completion — about 23% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services	80,693
Medical/Clinical Assistant	52,819
Pharmacy Technician/Assistant	7,541
Physical Therapy Assistant	5,633
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services, Other	4,065
Occupational Therapist Assistant	3,178
Radiologist Assistant	1,513
Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist	1,195
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Assistant	614
Respiratory Therapy Technician/Assistant	431
Speech-Language Pathology Assistant	363
Pathology/Pathologist Assistant	153

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.