Nurse Anesthetists vs Physician Assistant: $237K vs $136K Median Pay

Nurse Anesthetists vs Physician Assistant: what changes?

Consider Nurse Anesthetists if you want to administer anesthesia, monitor patient's vital signs, and oversee patient recovery from anesthesia. Consider Physician Assistant if you would rather provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Both list master's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Nurse Anesthetists and Physician Assistant. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Nurse Anesthetists

National median pay (2025): $236,590
Route into the job: Master's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Manage patients' airway or pulmonary status, using techniques such as endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, pharmacological support, respiratory therapy, and extubation.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,400

Know before you choose

Exposure to illness or infection is a recurring part of the work context, even when safety procedures are followed.

See the full Nurse Anesthetists brief

Physician Assistant

National median pay (2025): $135,880
Route into the job: Master's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 11,500

Know before you choose

Exposure to illness or infection is a recurring part of the work context, even when safety procedures are followed.

See the full Physician Assistant brief

How the national numbers differ

Physician Assistant has the edge on annual openings

Physician Assistant is at 11,500 annual openings, compared with 2,400 annual openings for Nurse Anesthetists.

Physician Assistant has the edge on projected growth

Physician Assistant is at 21.1% projected growth, compared with 9.7% projected growth for Nurse Anesthetists.

Nurse Anesthetists has the edge on median pay

Nurse Anesthetists is at $236,590, compared with $135,880 for Physician Assistant.

64.5/ 100

Nurse Anesthetists

74.2/ 100

Physician Assistant

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Nurse Anesthetists vs Physician Assistant

Dimension	Nurse Anesthetists	Physician Assistant
Median pay (2025)	$236,590	$135,880
Pay percentile	97.8 percentile	93.3 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	9.7%	21.1%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	2,400	11,500
2025 employment	54,500	168,900
How you qualify	Master's degree	Master's degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 5	Job Zone 5
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Nurse Anesthetists brief Read Physician Assistant brief

Nurse Anesthetists vs Physician Assistant: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Nurse Anesthetists

Physician Assistant

How the national numbers differ

Physician Assistant has the edge on annual openings

Physician Assistant has the edge on projected growth

Nurse Anesthetists has the edge on median pay

Nurse Anesthetists vs Physician Assistant

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