Anesthesiologists
Administer anesthetics and analgesics for pain management prior to, during, or after surgery.
Also known as: Ambulatory Anesthesiologist, Anaesthesiologist, Anesthesiologist, Anesthesiology Pain Management Physician, Anesthesiology Physician, Anesthetist, Cardiac Anesthesiologist, DO Physician (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Physician), ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (About average)
What You'd Do
- Administer anesthetic or sedation during medical procedures, using local, intravenous, spinal, or caudal methods.
- Monitor patient before, during, and after anesthesia and counteract adverse reactions or complications.
- Provide and maintain life support and airway management and help prepare patients for emergency surgery.
- Record type and amount of anesthesia and patient condition throughout procedure.
- Examine patient, obtain medical history, and use diagnostic tests to determine risk during surgical, obstetrical, and other medical procedures.
- Position patient on operating table to maximize patient comfort and surgical accessibility.
- Decide when patients have recovered or stabilized enough to be sent to another room or ward or to be sent home following outpatient surgery.
- Coordinate administration of anesthetics with surgeons during operation.
- Confer with other medical professionals to determine type and method of anesthetic or sedation to render patient insensible to pain.
- Coordinate and direct work of nurses, medical technicians, and other health care providers.
- Order laboratory tests, x-rays, and other diagnostic procedures.
- Diagnose illnesses, using examinations, tests, and reports.
- Manage anesthesiological services, coordinating them with other medical activities and formulating plans and procedures.
- Provide medical care and consultation in many settings, prescribing medication and treatment and referring patients for surgery.
- Inform students and staff of types and methods of anesthesia administration, signs of complications, and emergency methods to counteract reactions.
- Instruct individuals and groups on ways to preserve health and prevent disease.
- Schedule and maintain use of surgical suite, including operating, wash-up, waiting rooms, or anesthetic and sterilizing equipment.
- Conduct medical research to aid in controlling and curing disease, to investigate new medications, and to develop and test new medical techniques.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
Software and tools commonly used in this role
In-Demand Technologies
Other Tools
Work Styles
Personality traits and work styles important for this career
Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
General types of job behaviors occurring on this job
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work
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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.