CRNA Salary Guide 2024 - Nurse Anesthetist Salary by State

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists administer anesthesia, monitor patients through surgery, and manage anesthesia recovery. The graduate education and the stakes of the work make CRNAs the highest-paid nurses in the country. This guide breaks down CRNA pay by state, industry, and metro area using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wages report from May 2023.

Key points

• Job-platform data puts CRNA pay between $184,081 and $222,603 a year. The BLS national mean is $214,200.
• Illinois pays the most, at a mean of $281,240. Massachusetts and California both clear $250,000.
• Outpatient care centers pay the most by setting, averaging $263,960, ahead of general medical and surgical hospitals at $230,150.
• Texas employs the most CRNAs at 5,390, with large workforces also in California and Florida.
• San Diego-Carlsbad, CA is the top-paying metro at $294,180, followed by Carbondale-Marion, IL and Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH.

What CRNAs earn

CRNA salaries vary by source. Job listing platforms put the range at $184,081 to $222,603 a year. The BLS reports a national mean of $214,200 in its May 2023 data, the figure to anchor on since it covers the full occupation rather than self-reported postings.

CRNA salary by state

Pay tracks demand, cost of living, and the local supply of anesthesia providers. The highest-paying states, from BLS May 2023 data:

• Illinois leads at $281,240, a sign of strong demand relative to supply.
• Massachusetts ($272,510) and California ($250,920) follow, driven by high living costs and dense medical infrastructure.
• Montana ($256,460), New York ($256,160), and New Jersey ($252,130) all pay well above the national mean.
• North Carolina ($222,560), Louisiana ($218,770), Texas ($216,280), Colorado ($215,870), and Oregon ($215,260) sit just above the national average, often with lower living costs attached.

Montana stands out: a small population paired with top-tier wages points to acute regional demand. Factor cost of living into any comparison, since the highest-paying states tend to be the most expensive places to live.

Salary by industry

Where a CRNA works changes the paycheck more than most expect.

• Outpatient care centers pay the most, averaging $263,960 a year.
• General medical and surgical hospitals average $230,150 and employ large numbers of CRNAs.
• Specialty hospitals pay $229,980.
• Offices of physicians employ the most CRNAs but pay the least of these settings, at $207,630.

The tradeoff is clear: physician offices offer the most jobs, outpatient centers offer the most money.

Where CRNAs work

Texas employs the most CRNAs at 5,390, with California and Florida also running large workforces. High employment and high pay do not always overlap. Texas and Florida have the jobs; Illinois and California have the top wages.

Top-paying metro areas

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA tops the list at a mean of $294,180, followed by Carbondale-Marion, IL and Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH. Metro pay reflects local demand, cost of living, and how concentrated anesthesia work is in the area.