How To Become An Anesthesia Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is an anesthesia technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average anesthesia technician salary is $39,640. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an nursing major. It usually takes 6-12 months of experience to become an anesthesia technician. Anesthesia technicians with a Certified Anesthesia Technician certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 7,700 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreAnesthesia TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $39,640

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.3

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.43%

Asian 4.84%

Black or African American 13.24%

Hispanic or Latino 14.36%

Unknown 4.15%

White 62.98%

Gender

female 49.50%

male 50.50%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress level

9.3

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.2

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an anesthesia technician

Explore anesthesia technician education requirements

Most common anesthesia technician degrees

Bachelor's

37.7 %

Associate

27.9 %

High School Diploma

14.4 %

Start to develop specific anesthesia technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	15.61%
Patient Care	11.44%
BLS	7.47%
Anesthesia Tech	5.64%
Surgery	4.68%

Complete relevant anesthesia technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New anesthesia technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an anesthesia technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real anesthesia technician resumes.

Gain additional anesthesia technician certifications

Anesthesia technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific anesthesia technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for anesthesia technicians include Certified Anesthesia Technician and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

More About Certifications

Research anesthesia technician duties and responsibilities

Assess vitals, apply splints and other orthopedic devices, perform wind care, phlebotomy and EKG's.
Maintain an unobstruct operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment.
Provide appropriate life-saving care and assist veterinarian in triage emergency cases.
Provide anesthesia technician services to patients under the direct supervision of a license anesthesia care provider designate by the client facility.

Prepare your anesthesia technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your anesthesia technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an anesthesia technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable anesthesia technician resume templates

Build a professional anesthesia technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your anesthesia technician resume.