

Anesthesiologist Salary Guide and Career Outlook

An anesthesiologist living in the US makes $278,835 per year, while those living in Canada make C$199,242 ($159,768) per year. While in Australia it stands at AU$175,805 ($140,088) each year. The anesthesiologist salary in the United Kingdom is even lower, at £86,949 ($122,458) per year. While in New Zealand the pay for this job is the highest out of all these countries, with NZ$405,819 ($300,890) per year.

Anesthesiologists in India receive a significantly lower pay, as do all people working in this country, the median pay for this professional being at Rs 1,205,732 ($18,785) per year. While in South Africa the salary for this profession is a bit higher than that: R737,341 ($63,485) each year. Our article will help you learn about how locations, skills, and experience can impact the salary, as well as if the job outlook has positive, neutral, or negative growth.

make an anesthesiologist salary per hour

How Much Does an Anesthesiologist Make per Year by Country?

Anesthesiologist Salary US Canada UK Australia New Zealand India South Africa
Hourly Pay $103.00 C$51.27 ($41.09) £41.80* ($58.81) AU$84.52* ($67.27) NZ$195 ($144.58) Rs 1,500 ($23.36) R354.49 ($30.49)
Annual Pay $278,835 C$199,242 ($159,768) £86,949 ($122,458) AU$175,805 ($140,088) NZ$405,819 ($300,890) Rs 1,205,732 ($18,785) R737,341 ($63,485)

*The figures are estimated based on the annual pay.

Anesthesiologist Salary Influencing Factors

This table was completed with information from with the exception of New Zealand which did not have data on Payscale. Therefore, the salary information for New Zealand was found on SalaryExpert. Below you will learn about the factors that influence the typical anesthesiologist salary in each country.

1. Location

How Much Does an Anesthesiologist Make in the US? Anesthesiologist Salary per Hour

Anesthesiologist Salary US Per Year Per Hour
Minimum $105,074 $15.24
Maximum $402,876 $196
Bonus $96,963 No additional pay
Overtime $248 $45.00
Total Pay $102,046 to $410,895

How Much Does an Anesthesiologist Make in Canada?

Anesthesiologist Salary Canada Per Year Per Hour
Minimum C$96,880 C$35.00
Maximum C$392,264  C$131
Bonus C$148,994 C$252
Overtime C$145,437 C$16.49
Total Pay C$96,458 to C$393,112

How Much Does an Anesthesiologist Make in the UK?

Anesthesiologist Salary UK Per Year Per Hour
Minimum £48,649 £22.91
Maximum £199,332 £73.22
Bonus £2,250 No additional pay
Overtime No additional pay £35.12
Total Pay £48,755 to £198,659

How Much Does an Anesthesiologist Make in Australia?

Anesthesiologist Salary Australia Per Year Per Hour
Minimum AU$58,893 AU$24.79
Maximum AU$395,944 AU$142.76
Bonus AU$21,600 No additional pay
Overtime No additional pay No additional pay
Total Pay AU$60,000 to AU$441,315

How Much Does an Anesthesiologist Make in New Zealand?

Anesthesiologist Salary New Zealand Per Year Per Hour
Minimum NZ$149,000 NZ$21.63*
Maximum NZ$600,000 NZ$288.46*
Bonus NZ$38,715 No additional pay
Overtime No additional pay No additional pay
Total Pay NZ$265,682 to NZ$555,329

A (*) means that the hourly rate was extrapolated from the annual pay.

How Much Does an Anesthesiologist Make in India?

Anesthesiologist Salary India Per Year Per Hour
Minimum Rs 622,089 Rs 299.08*
Maximum Rs 2,470,893 Rs 1,187.92*
Bonus Rs 201,341 Rs 1,021
Overtime Rs 4,955 Rs 309
Total Pay Rs 623,482 to Rs 2,604,789

The (*) means that the hourly rate was extrapolated from the annual pay.

How Much Does an Anesthesiologist Make in South Africa?

Anesthesiologist Salary South Africa Per Year Per Hour
Minimum R291,938 R140.35*
Maximum R2,020,278 R971.28*
Bonus R2,000 No additional pay
Overtime No additional pay No additional pay
Total Pay R294,130 to R2,936,142

An (*) means that the hourly rate was extrapolated from the annual pay.

2. Experience

An anesthesiologist’s experience has a different impact on how much an anesthesiologist make. In Australia, beginners make AU$111,000 per year, while those with an experience of more than 20 years can make up to AU$360,000 each year. In Canada, there is an increase from the entry-level salary of C$165,000 per year, to C$239,000 for those with 10-20 years on the job. However, that only starts to decrease as years go by, reaching C$196,000 per year for professionals with more than 20 years in the field. While in the US the pay sees a gradual rise from $244,000 for beginners, to $313,000 per year for late career professionals.

Experienced professionals in India also get a gradual rise in pay, from the anesthesiologist entry-level salary of Rs 1,011,000 per year to Rs 2,100,000 after 20 years on the job.  In New Zealand, the anesthesiologist salary also drastically increases once with acquired experience, from NZ$265,682 per year to NZ$555,329 for senior employees. Regardless of country, anesthesiologists have to receive years of schooling and gain much of their experience through residencies or internships.

3. Industry

In New Zealand, anesthesiologists who work for district health boards make significantly less than those who work in private clinics. However, they can expect to get housing and travel allowances. Those who work in rural district health boards can make a significant amount of money as they are desperate for physicians to work in those areas.

In the United States, anesthesiologists work mostly in physician offices, then surgical hospitals, outpatient centers, and universities. The highest wage is for those who work in physician offices at $278,140 while in universities it is only $170,500. Anesthesiologists who work for the government or government-run health facilities will receive perks that those in private practices will not earn but will also miss other benefits such as profit shares.

Another interesting aspect of the job is what the gender profile is. South Africa and the United Kingdom had a higher proportion of women practicing than men. This is a different ratio than for the other countries.

Schedule & Working Hours

For the most part, full-time anesthesiologists have an excellent working schedule. They will typically work during normal office hours. Those who staff in the off hours are new anesthesiologists or locum anesthesiologists.

The exception to this in the United States is those who work in hospitals may work in 12-hour shifts and have other times when they are on call. However, they receive several weeks of paid time off and are not expected to work on their days off. In the United Kingdom, it is not unusual for anesthesiologists to work 80 hours a week, but they get many weeks of paid time off and a couple of weeks of professional development leave.

Bonuses & Benefits

Most anesthesiologists will receive benefits like paid time off and extra benefits because they are in-demand and it is quite difficult to become an anesthesiologist. For example, in New Zealand, there is typically 10 days of sick leave, 5 weeks of annual paid leave, travel and housing reimbursement and subsidized meals. However, the number of benefits beyond the anesthesiologist salary may differ.

Country United States Canada United Kingdom Australia New Zealand India South Africa
Medical 83 84 78 61 53 100
Dental 56 73 22 4 20
Vision 48 51 22 9

Career Outlook

An anesthesiologist career is an excellent choice. The industry is growing in every country, the pay is good, and the benefits are typically excellent. In the United States, it is smart to specialize in a field such as obstetrical anesthesia or critical care as their pay is higher than average.

While in other careers, like bookkeeping, their job numbers are decreasing due to increased automation, this is not the case in this field. However, technology will impact anesthesiologist jobs, but it will not lead to a decrease in opportunities, fortunately. Rather, it will allow anesthesiologists to complete more complex procedures.

More anesthesiologists from the US will work in urban areas as there are more complex medical procedures there. However, in countries like New Zealand, these professionals are desperately needed in rural areas.


These professionals have an essential job in modern healthcare. They work in a rewarding field with intense workdays but ample time off. Their salary is high in all countries, but different factors impact the total pay in various countries. Overall, they find their skills in demand, are you thinking of becoming an anesthesiologist?

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