Anesthesiologists
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Before a procedure, the patient is examined, a history is taken, and tests help judge surgical and obstetrical risk. Anesthesia or sedation is given by local, intravenous, spinal, or caudal methods, coordinated with the surgeon, while the patient is positioned for comfort and access. Condition is watched so adverse reactions can be countered; life support and airway management are part of the job, including emergency surgery. Type and amount of anesthesia are recorded, and recovery is judged before the patient leaves the operating room, moves to a ward, or goes home. Suits people who like continuous monitoring, fast decisions, and precise dosing during procedures.
Typical education: Post-Doctoral Training
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$391'490
Median Wage Market Position
$391'490
What you might do
- Administer anesthesia during surgery and other procedures
- Monitor patients and treat dangerous reactions
- Manage the airway and provide life support
- Assess surgical risk from history and diagnostic tests
- Record anesthesia amounts and the patient's condition
- Decide when a patient is stable enough to leave
Skills that matter
- Judging anesthesia risk from history and tests
- Monitoring patients through anesthesia
- Counteracting reactions and complications
- Recording doses and patient condition
- Managing airways and life support
- Timing anesthesia with the surgical team
AI & the future of this role
Perioperative monitoring and dosing support could become more automated, yet airway management, crisis judgment, and liability for patient safety still center on the physician. Procedural presence and rapid response under pressure tend to keep this role comparatively resilient.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details