What it is
Anesthesiologists keep patients safe, unconscious or comfortable, and stable during surgery and procedures, and manage pain and critical care.
What you do
They plan and deliver anesthesia, monitor vital functions during operations, and manage acute and chronic pain; some work in intensive care.
Training path & length
4-year residency (including a preliminary/intern year), with fellowships available.
Fellowship subspecialties
Fellowships include pain medicine, critical care, cardiac anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia, obstetric anesthesia, and regional anesthesia.
Pay & job outlook
Physicians are among the highest-paid professionals. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median wage of $275,930 for physicians and surgeons (May 2025), with employment projected to grow about 4% from 2025 to 2035 and ~22,100 openings per year. Pay varies widely by specialty — procedural and surgical fields generally earn more, primary-care and pediatric fields less.
Anesthesiology is among the higher-paid specialties, well above the physician median.
How to get there
Become a physician first: earn an MD or DO, then match into this residency through the national match. Licensure requires completing residency and passing the board exams.
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Key facts
- Residency4 years
- FocusAnesthesia, perioperative safety, pain, critical care
- FellowshipsPain, critical care, cardiac, peds, OB
- PayAmong the highest specialties
- EntryMD or DO via the match