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Anesthesiologist Assistant

Types of Degrees Anesthesiologist Assistant Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Anesthesiologist Assistant may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	4
Associate’s Degree	38
Master’s Degree	381

What Anesthesiologist Assistant Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Anesthesiologist Assistant develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Anesthesiologist Assistant graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Anesthesiologist Assistant emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Anesthesiologist Assistant program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Anesthesiologist Assistant careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Anesthesiologist Assistant graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.9 / 7
Working with Computers	4.7 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.7 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.6 / 7
Processing Information	4.5 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Anesthesiologist Assistant professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Diagnostic and procedural coding software	Categorization or classification software	—
Billing software	Billing and invoicing software	—
Medical procedure coding software	Medical software	—
Electronic medical record EMR software	Medical software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Epic Systems	Medical software	✓
Visual electro diagnostic software	Medical software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
eClinicalWorks EHR software	Medical software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS	Medical software	—
Business software applications	Office suite software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Anesthesiologist Assistant graduates include:

• Client Services Coordinator
• Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)
• Ophthalmological Assistant
• Medical Assistant (MA)
• Clinic Medical Assistant
• Orthopedic Assistant
• OB/GYN Medical Assistant (Obstetrics and Gynecology Medical Assistant)
• Dermatology Medical Assistant
• Optometry Assistant
• Outpatient Surgery Assistant
• Optometric Aide
• Optometric Assistant
• Health Unit Clerk
• Primary Care Medical Assistant
• Medical Office Worker

What Can You Do With a Anesthesiologist Assistant Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Anesthesiologist Assistant commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Medical Assistants	-2.1%	$32,137	$26,862–$37,413

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Anesthesiologist Assistant graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Postsecondary certificate	44.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	20.5%
Bachelor’s degree	17.5%
Some college courses	17.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Anesthesiologist Assistant?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 59.1% women and 40.9% men among Anesthesiologist Assistant graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	250	59.1%
Men	173	40.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Anesthesiologist Assistant graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	218	51.5%
Asian	70	16.5%
Hispanic or Latino	49	11.6%
Black or African American	37	8.7%
Two or More Races	16	3.8%
Race Unknown	25	5.9%
International Students	8	1.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Anesthesiologist Assistant Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Anesthesiologist Assistant graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$27,434
4 years	$29,082
5 years	$32,352

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $32,352 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Anesthesiologist Assistant Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Anesthesiologist Assistant graduates earn a median of $29,082 four years after completion — about 23% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services	80,693
Medical/Clinical Assistant	52,819
Pharmacy Technician/Assistant	7,541
Physical Therapy Assistant	5,633
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services, Other	4,065
Emergency Care Attendant (EMT Ambulance)	3,923
Occupational Therapist Assistant	3,178
Radiologist Assistant	1,513
Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist	1,195
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Assistant	614
Respiratory Therapy Technician/Assistant	431
Speech-Language Pathology Assistant	363

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.