Average pay for nurse anesthetists is roughly $170,000, but the vast majority of nurses make less than half of that salary, according to the recently released "Medscape Nurse Salary Report 2015."
The survey includes responses from more than 8,250 nurses, including practical and vocational nurses, registered nurses and advanced practice nurses. Nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse midwives and nurse anesthetists all fall into Medscape's category of advanced practice nurses.
The nurse positions that earn the most, on average, are:
1. Nurse anesthetist — $170,000
2. Nurse practitioner — $102,000
3. Nurse midwife — $99,000
4. Clinical nurse specialist — $95,000
5. Registered nurse — $79,000
6. Practical nurse — $46,000
Not surprisingly, nurse anesthetists are the most content with their salary, with nearly three quarters (73 percent) expressing satisfaction with their compensation. Less than half (43 percent) of practical nurses said they are satisfied with their wages on the survey.