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The differences between anesthesia technicians and nurse anesthetists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become an anesthesia technician, becoming a nurse anesthetist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a nurse anesthetist has an average salary of $170,563, which is higher than the $39,640 average annual salary of an anesthesia technician.
The top three skills for an anesthesia technician include patients, patient care and BLS. The most important skills for a nurse anesthetist are patients, CRNA, and patient care.
| Anesthesia Technician | Nurse Anesthetist | |
| Yearly salary | $39,640 | $170,563 |
| Hourly rate | $19.06 | $82.00 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 40% |
| Number of jobs | 78,132 | 62,419 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
Anesthesia technicians are healthcare professionals who oversee activities related to anesthetics. They administer anesthesia to patients and assist doctors in related activities. They also monitor the patient after the anesthesia is administered to ensure that no harmful side effects occurred. Anesthesia technicians are expected to know how to test for anesthetic allergies and to spot signs of such allergies. They should be familiar with the different techniques, solutions, and equipment used for anesthetic procedures. Aside from those, anesthesia technicians are also expected to manage the inventory of anesthetic solutions and to trigger purchase requests for new stocks.
A nurse anesthetist specializes in administering anesthesia to patients while under the supervision of physicians or an anesthesiologist. Their responsibilities mainly revolve around inspecting a patient's medical history to identify any diseases or allergy, assist by preparing them for the surgery, prepare anesthetics, determine the appropriate dosage, and discuss the extent of surgery, including any long or short-term side effects. Moreover, it is crucial to monitor a patient's vital signs while administering anesthetics to ensure that everything will go smoothly.
Anesthesia technicians and nurse anesthetists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Anesthesia Technician | Nurse Anesthetist | |
| Average salary | $39,640 | $170,563 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $52,000 | Between $89,000 And $325,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Children's Hospital Los Angeles | Trinity Health |
| Best paying industry | Education | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between an anesthesia technician and a nurse anesthetist in terms of educational background:
| Anesthesia Technician | Nurse Anesthetist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Connecticut | Duke University |
Here are the differences between anesthesia technicians' and nurse anesthetists' demographics:
| Anesthesia Technician | Nurse Anesthetist | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5% | Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 4.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 4.7% Asian, 7.2% White, 81.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 32% |