Salary & Job Market
CAA Salary & Job Market
Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants earn on par with CRNAs for the same anesthesia-care-team work. Here's what the market pays, where it's highest, what drives it, and where demand is headed.
- $180k–$250k+
- Typical CAA pay (market)
- ≈ CRNA
- Pay parity with CRNAs
- $34,500
- Avg. new-grad sign-on bonus
- 23 + D.C.
- Jurisdictions CAAs practice
National pay
CAAs are not tracked as a separate category by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, so there's no single official “CAA median.” Compensation-survey and job-market data put typical CAA pay in the $180,000–$250,000+ range, comparable to CRNAs — with experienced providers and the highest-demand states running higher. New-grad offers commonly include a sign-on bonus (averaging about $34,500) plus relocation help.
Top-paying markets
Among the highest-paying (demand + few providers)
Consistently top-tier CAA pay
Large CAA markets, strong compensation
Because CAA practice is expanding state by state, newly-authorized markets often pay competitively to attract the first providers. Pay data is market-based and moves quickly — treat these as directional.
What drives CAA pay
Newly-authorized and provider-short states often pay a premium to recruit.
Surgical centers and specialty groups can pay more than academic hospitals.
Senior CAAs and team leads command higher compensation.
Call coverage and extra shifts add meaningfully to total pay.
New-grad packages commonly include a sign-on (~$34.5k avg) and relocation help.
W-2 staff vs. 1099 / locums changes the rate and benefits mix.
Is it worth it?
A CAA master's is roughly 24–28 months with real tuition — but it opens a career that pays like anesthesia because it is anesthesia. Run your own cost-vs-payoff on the finance page.
Job outlook
Demand is strong and structural: as more states authorize CAA practice (23 states + D.C., plus every VA facility nationwide), the number of positions is growing faster than programs can graduate CAAs. That supply-demand gap is what keeps compensation competitive.
Figures are market/compensation-survey estimates (AAAA survey and anesthesia job-market data), not an official BLS statistic — CAAs are not separately tracked by BLS. Actual pay varies by location, experience, setting, and employment type. For the profession's scope and state authorizations, see the ASA's CAA resource.