Best US Cities for Anesthesiologists
Top US cities for Anesthesiologists ranked by estimated median salary, with cost-of-living-adjusted earning power.
| # | City | Estimated salary | Cost mult. | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $487,900 | 1.45× | +$137,900 |
| 2 | Honolulu, HI | $470,100 | 1.30× | +$120,100 |
| 3 | Oakland, CA | $461,900 | 1.35× | +$111,900 |
| 4 | Irvine, CA | $448,900 | 1.30× | +$98,900 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $448,300 | 1.22× | +$98,300 |
| 6 | Scottsdale, AZ | $437,500 | 1.18× | +$87,500 |
| 7 | New York City, NY | $428,400 | 1.32× | +$78,400 |
| 8 | San Diego, CA | $425,600 | 1.21× | +$75,600 |
| 9 | Yonkers, NY | $422,900 | 1.20× | +$72,900 |
| 10 | Anchorage, AK | $422,900 | 1.20× | +$72,900 |
| # | City | Salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $487,900 | $235/hr |
| 2 | Honolulu, HI | $470,100 | $226/hr |
| 3 | Oakland, CA | $461,900 | $222/hr |
| 4 | Irvine, CA | $448,900 | $216/hr |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $448,300 | $216/hr |
| 6 | Scottsdale, AZ | $437,500 | $210/hr |
| 7 | New York City, NY | $428,400 | $206/hr |
| 8 | San Diego, CA | $425,600 | $205/hr |
| 9 | Yonkers, NY | $422,900 | $203/hr |
| 10 | Anchorage, AK | $422,900 | $203/hr |
| 11 | Miami, FL | $421,100 | $202/hr |
| 12 | Seattle, WA | $417,700 | $201/hr |
| 13 | Long Beach, CA | $417,700 | $201/hr |
| 14 | Anaheim, CA | $417,700 | $201/hr |
| 15 | Chula Vista, CA | $410,000 | $197/hr |
| 16 | Los Angeles, CA | $403,900 | $194/hr |
| 17 | Baltimore, MD | $402,200 | $193/hr |
| 18 | Portland, OR | $397,000 | $191/hr |
| 19 | Newark, NJ | $397,000 | $191/hr |
| 20 | Sacramento, CA | $397,000 | $191/hr |
| 21 | Riverside, CA | $397,000 | $191/hr |
| 22 | Philadelphia, PA | $393,900 | $189/hr |
| 23 | Henderson, NV | $393,900 | $189/hr |
| 24 | Denver, CO | $391,800 | $188/hr |
| 25 | Orlando, FL | $391,200 | $188/hr |
| 26 | Raleigh, NC | $388,500 | $187/hr |
| 27 | Worcester, MA | $388,500 | $187/hr |
| 28 | Stockton, CA | $384,000 | $185/hr |
| 29 | Aurora, CO | $384,000 | $185/hr |
| 30 | Hialeah, FL | $384,000 | $185/hr |
| 31 | Las Vegas, NV | $381,400 | $183/hr |
| 32 | Minneapolis, MN | $381,400 | $183/hr |
| 33 | Plano, TX | $381,400 | $183/hr |
| 34 | Houston, TX | $377,600 | $182/hr |
| 35 | Phoenix, AZ | $376,200 | $181/hr |
| 36 | Tampa, FL | $376,200 | $181/hr |
| 37 | Gilbert, AZ | $376,200 | $181/hr |
| 38 | Salt Lake City, UT | $376,200 | $181/hr |
| 39 | New Orleans, LA | $372,200 | $179/hr |
| 40 | Wilmington, DE | $371,000 | $178/hr |
| 41 | St. Paul, MN | $371,000 | $178/hr |
| 42 | Boise, ID | $371,000 | $178/hr |
| 43 | Fresno, CA | $371,000 | $178/hr |
| 44 | Nashville, TN | $368,500 | $177/hr |
| 45 | Colorado Springs, CO | $368,500 | $177/hr |
| 46 | St. Petersburg, FL | $368,500 | $177/hr |
| 47 | Madison, WI | $368,500 | $177/hr |
| 48 | St. Louis, MO | $364,100 | $175/hr |
| 49 | Winston-Salem, NC | $364,100 | $175/hr |
| 50 | Jacksonville, FL | $363,300 | $175/hr |
| 51 | Mesa, AZ | $363,300 | $175/hr |
| 52 | Chicago, IL | $362,300 | $174/hr |
| 53 | Austin, TX | $362,300 | $174/hr |
| 54 | Frisco, TX | $362,300 | $174/hr |
| 55 | Tucson, AZ | $360,600 | $173/hr |
| 56 | Glendale, AZ | $360,600 | $173/hr |
| 57 | Spokane, WA | $360,600 | $173/hr |
| 58 | Chandler, AZ | $359,800 | $173/hr |
| 59 | Memphis, TN | $358,600 | $172/hr |
| 60 | Pittsburgh, PA | $358,100 | $172/hr |
| 61 | Tallahassee, FL | $358,100 | $172/hr |
| 62 | Birmingham, AL | $355,900 | $171/hr |
| 63 | Milwaukee, WI | $355,400 | $171/hr |
| 64 | Albuquerque, NM | $355,400 | $171/hr |
| 65 | Atlanta, GA | $354,900 | $171/hr |
| 66 | Reno, NV | $354,900 | $171/hr |
| 67 | Charleston, SC | $354,900 | $171/hr |
| 68 | San Antonio, TX | $352,900 | $170/hr |
| 69 | Grand Rapids, MI | $352,900 | $170/hr |
| 70 | Detroit, MI | $350,200 | $168/hr |
| 71 | Cincinnati, OH | $350,200 | $168/hr |
| 72 | Lexington, KY | $350,200 | $168/hr |
| 73 | Buffalo, NY | $350,200 | $168/hr |
| 74 | Greensboro, NC | $350,200 | $168/hr |
| 75 | Knoxville, TN | $350,200 | $168/hr |
| 76 | Virginia Beach, VA | $350,000 | $168/hr |
| 77 | Chesapeake, VA | $350,000 | $168/hr |
| 78 | North Las Vegas, NV | $350,000 | $168/hr |
| 79 | El Paso, TX | $347,700 | $167/hr |
| 80 | Cleveland, OH | $347,700 | $167/hr |
| 81 | Dallas, TX | $347,600 | $167/hr |
| 82 | Bakersfield, CA | $347,600 | $167/hr |
| 83 | Norfolk, VA | $345,100 | $166/hr |
| 84 | Indianapolis, IN | $345,000 | $166/hr |
| 85 | Louisville, KY | $345,000 | $166/hr |
| 86 | Charlotte, NC | $342,700 | $165/hr |
| 87 | Fort Worth, TX | $340,200 | $164/hr |
| 88 | Garland, TX | $340,200 | $164/hr |
| 89 | Toledo, OH | $339,800 | $163/hr |
| 90 | Lubbock, TX | $339,800 | $163/hr |
| 91 | Arlington, TX | $337,800 | $162/hr |
| 92 | Wichita, KS | $334,600 | $161/hr |
| 93 | Fort Wayne, IN | $334,600 | $161/hr |
| 94 | Mobile, AL | $334,600 | $161/hr |
| 95 | Columbus, OH | $330,400 | $159/hr |
| 96 | Kansas City, MO | $330,400 | $159/hr |
| 97 | Corpus Christi, TX | $330,400 | $159/hr |
| 98 | Omaha, NE | $325,500 | $156/hr |
| 99 | Oklahoma City, OK | $323,100 | $155/hr |
| 100 | Lincoln, NE | $323,100 | $155/hr |
Does location actually decide Anesthesiologist pay?
Unlike remote-capable roles, a Anesthesiologist cannot separate where they earn from where they live. The $487,900 to $323,100 range across these metros is therefore a genuine relocation decision, not an arbitrage opportunity.
Licensing adds friction the ranking does not show. Anesthesiologist requires State medical license required; board certification in anesthesiology optional but common, and licenses are issued state by state. Moving for a higher salary can mean re-credentialing, which takes time and sometimes additional exams — check reciprocity with the destination board before treating a pay gap as attainable.
Highest-paying is not the same as best-off
The nominal ranking and the useful ranking are not the same. In San Francisco, $487,900 against $3,000/month rent leaves roughly $451,900 a year after housing. In Lincoln, $323,100 against $950 leaves about $311,700. The top still wins after rent, but by $140,200 rather than the $164,800 the headline suggests.
Why these metros and not others
What puts a metro near the top here is employer density, not price level. San Francisco (Salesforce, Google); Honolulu (U.S. Pacific Fleet/Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Queen's Health Systems); Oakland (Kaiser Permanente (HQ), Port of Oakland). Where healthcare employers compete for the same candidates, offers rise above what the local cost of living alone would predict.
Salaries are modelled from BLS national medians adjusted for local price level at a wage elasticity below 1 — pay rises with local costs but not proportionally. See our methodology.