Demand for CRNAs outruns supply in much of the country, especially in rural facilities, and the federal projections point to continued growth. BLS projects nurse anesthetist employment rising about 10 percent from 2025 to 2035, from 54,500 to 59,800 jobs.
Whether to call that a national "shortage" depends on where you stand. Anesthesia groups and rural hospitals describe persistent unfilled positions, while supply is also growing, with 154 accredited programs producing new graduates every year. Here is what the sourced numbers actually show.
Key points
- BLS projects 10 percent growth for nurse anesthetists, 2025 to 2035.
- The gap is worst in rural facilities that run on CRNAs.
- Mean pay hit $248,320 in May 2025.
- Median program reports 100 percent of grads employed within six months.
What the workforce data says
The supply side, from the organizations that count it:
- AANA reports more than 67,000 CRNAs nationwide (fact sheet updated September 2026), while NBCRNA's 2025 annual report cites more than 63,000 certified CRNAs.
- BLS counted 51,840 employed nurse anesthetists in May 2025. BLS counts employees only, so self-employed and many 1099 CRNAs are missing from that figure, which is part of why the counts differ.
- On the pipeline side, 2,980 candidates passed the NCE on the first attempt in 2025, and new programs keep opening, with initial accreditations in 2025 and 2026 and more schools seeking accreditation. See new CRNA programs.
The demand side:
- BLS projects 10 percent growth for nurse anesthetists over 2025 to 2035, faster than the average across all occupations, driven by an aging population and growth in procedures outside hospitals.
- The combined category of nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners is projected to grow 36 percent over the same period, among the fastest of any occupation group.
Where the gap is worst: rural America
Anesthesia shortages are not evenly spread. CRNAs are the main anesthesia workforce in rural counties, where many hospitals have no physician anesthesiologist at all, and a single unfilled CRNA position can idle an operating room or close an obstetric service.
That is also why 27 states plus DC and Guam have opted out of the Medicare physician supervision requirement for CRNAs, with Vermont, Ohio, and DC acting in 2026 alone. Opt-outs make it easier for rural facilities to run anesthesia services with CRNAs. See CRNA opt-out states for the current map.
Anesthesia demand also keeps shifting toward outpatient settings. In the BLS data, offices of physicians are already the largest employer of nurse anesthetists at 26,270 jobs, ahead of general hospitals at 16,620.
What it means for pay
Scarce skills get paid, and the wage data reflects it. BLS puts mean nurse anesthetist pay at $248,320 a year as of May 2025, with a median of $236,590 and the 90th percentile at $339,500.
Tight markets show up beyond base salary too:
- Sign-on bonuses and loan repayment are common, especially at rural facilities. See student loan forgiveness for CRNAs.
- Locum and 1099 rates run well above employed rates in hard-to-staff markets. See locum CRNA work and 1099 CRNA.
- Leverage in negotiation is real when a facility has had a post open for months. Our contract negotiation guide covers how to use it without burning goodwill.
Pay varies a lot by geography, and the strongest premiums often sit where lifestyle tradeoffs are biggest. Compare CRNA salary and salary by state.
What it means for jobs and job seekers
For new graduates, placement is strong. In Everything CRNA's School Finder data (October 2026), the median program reports 100 percent of graduates employed within six months.
For practicing CRNAs, the shortage dynamics reward flexibility. Willingness to take call, cover rural sites, or work independently in opt-out states commands the best packages on the job market.
For group owners, recruiting is the binding constraint on growth. Facilities that lose anesthesia coverage lose surgical revenue, which is why hospitals increasingly pay subsidy or stipend support to keep groups staffed. The practice owners hub covers that side.
The honest caveats
Projections are projections, and the 10 percent BLS figure is a national average that says nothing about your city. Desirable metros can be genuinely competitive for new graduates even while rural postings sit unfilled for a year.
Supply is also responding, with new programs opening and class sizes growing. Anyone promising you a guaranteed seller's market for the next 30 years is guessing, and the durable advantages remain the ones in the data: strong projected growth, an aging population, and a rural anesthesia system that runs on CRNAs.
Quick answers
Is the CRNA shortage as bad as the nursing shortage?
They are different markets. RN employment is far larger and projected to grow 6 percent over 2025 to 2035, while nurse anesthetists are a small, high-skill pool at 10 percent projected growth with multi-year training lead times.
Will new CRNA programs end the shortage?
They will add supply, and training takes at least 36 months per cohort, so changes move slowly. Rural maldistribution is likely to persist regardless of total headcount.
Where are CRNAs needed most?
Rural hospitals and critical access facilities, and increasingly outpatient surgery and office-based settings. Opt-out states with large rural areas combine the strongest demand with the broadest practice authority.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Nurse Anesthetists (29-1151)
- AANA CRNA Fact Sheet
- AANA Fact Sheet Concerning State Opt-Outs (September 2026)
- NBCRNA Annual NCE and SEE Report 2025
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Registered Nurses
- Everything CRNA School Finder data (October 2026)