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Average starting salary?

Posted by Sara on August 11, 2011, 6:47 pm

There has been some discussion on this in other threads, but is there an actual average starting salary figure for AA's who have recently graduated from school? A few people here have said they've signed on for $120k, while others are fielding offers of $90 - 105k. Is there a particular amount that an AA is most likely to be offered out of school? I realize that market saturation in certain regions makes a difference, but how much of a difference? I was under the impression that $120k was the "standard" base salary for new AA's, but it seems like it is getting closer to $100k.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by J on August 12, 2011, 8:25 am, in reply to "Average starting salary?"

What does an "average salary" tell you? Nothing. A range of salaries might be more helpful, but even that varies tremendously depending on WHERE you are looking.

There is also tremendous variation within hospitals in a given area. Every group is different. Some "salaries" include all the hours you work in a week, not just a 40-hr week. That can be a HUGE difference. Which is better - $100k for a 40-hr week or $140k for a 60-hr week?

And don't forget benefits, which in many cases can amount to tens of thousands of dollars. Which is a better offer? A salary of $105k with 5% pension contribution by the group or $95K with a 15% pension contribution by the group? Benefits are a huge issue.

And in the end, compensation will ALWAYS be about supply and demand. If there is plenty of supply in a given area, compensation packages and incentives will tend to be lower. Conversely, in areas where supply is low and demand is higher, the compensation will tend to be higher. BUT - you are the only one that can decide what is important to you. Do you want to accept less and be in a metropolitan area like Atlanta where there is a steady supply of AA's coming out each year - or do you want to work in a smaller town like Albany, GA and make more, but have to live with the entirely different feel and style of living of a smaller town?

Money isn't everything. It doesn't suck - but it isn't everything.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by FLAA on August 11, 2011, 8:15 pm, in reply to "Average starting salary?"

The average starting salary for AA's who have recently graduated from school is right around $50k. This is because roughly half of the graduating classes do not have any jobs secured, so these counts for $0, therefore averaging out to the number I proposed. Seriously, salaries don't change that much that often so why are there salary questions every other day?

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Sara on August 11, 2011, 10:36 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

Really? Half of the aggregate of students graduating this month doesn't have jobs lined up? Any idea what the cause of this is? Is it due to the fact that most graduating AA's want to work in areas that are oversaturated with anesthetists and aren't willing to move up north or out west? Sounds like it could be a rough situation if you're a graduating AA who has established interests in the southeast and you can't/aren't willing to move.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by CJ on August 11, 2011, 11:31 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

Not sure about starting salaries, but I'd venture to say the market for AA's will continue to grow and is still better off than something like pharmacy. Having quality connections is key though since the best AA jobs (130-155k starting) aren't posted.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by packersROCK on August 13, 2011, 10:39 am, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

out of the larger cities in ga thee pay is better, but ur best off out of state. 120 is average from all the older students i know have been getting offered except in the larger cities in ga its more like 90-100. i hear texas and WI pay well.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Oversaturated on August 14, 2011, 8:16 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

Why does there appear to be such a discrepancy between all of the people posting salaries. It seems like a lot of people know that salary offers were made in the 100-115k range and the other half have heard salaries have dipped into the 90's. Has the market changed recently and the latter half just have more recent salary info?

I know people have posted that there are some students without jobs, so do the groups know this and are trying to get new grads at a discount due to desperation?

Just trying to undersand/sort out the confusion

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Nova AA on August 14, 2011, 8:45 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

The vast majority of new grad salaries are between $110k and $130k. There are a few sprinkled in instances of people taking ~$95k-$100k in saturated locations, but those aren't the country-wide norm. However, that doesn't mean it will be the same a few years from now...

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Curious on August 14, 2011, 9:25 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

So do you think it is a given that in a few years from now, starting salaries will likely be in the $85-95k range? Just curious to hear what you expect to happen, although I understand that it's impossible to do anything but speculate.....

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by J on August 14, 2011, 9:27 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

There's REALLY no way to predict. Supply and demand, location, Obamacare, the economy. If you can make accurate predictions for the next five years, you should be playing the lottery, because five years ago, nobody would have predicted we'd be where we are today.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Nova AA on August 14, 2011, 9:34 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

I think the only safe thing to 'predict' is that in the areas where schools are turning out 30-40 students each year, it won't be any easier to get a job. And salaries are dependent on supply and demand, like any job.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Oversaturated on August 15, 2011, 7:44 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

I stand to be corrected...it looks like the Florida market is doing great and has not been affected based on this quote "The 25 NSU graduating anesthesiologist assistant students began their 27- month program in 2009. Because the field is in high demand, all of these graduates are guaranteed jobs that offer a starting salary between $120,000 and $150,000 according to William Orr, M.M.Sc., AA-C assistant professor and department chair of the anesthesiologist assistant program at Tampaâ€™s NSU campus."

Things that make you wonder...i didn't think all Nova students had job offers or that offers were still in that salary range!

http://www.newswise.com/articles/tampa-bay-s-first-graduating-class-of-anesthesiologist-assistants-will-receive-their-degrees-from-nova-southeastern-university

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by future aa on August 15, 2011, 9:27 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

I don't know how much you can trust this article when the paragraph below is clearly false...Case has locations in Houston and Cleveland...

"Of the five universities nationwide that offer the anesthesiologist assistant program, NSU is the only university to offer it in multiple locations: Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale. “Increasing the number of anesthesiologist assistant will open up more access for patients to have surgery,” said Wagner."

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by btbam on August 15, 2011, 10:52 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

Article is BS, I'd bet my first months salary that nowhere close to 100% of their students are making between 120-150k.

I already answered the salary question a couple threads down the page but I guess I can do it again quickly here.

Standard in Atlanta is 110-115k (remember a significant % of your income can be OT pay as well!!!) A few are closer to 100 but supposedly have better retirement packages. Outside metro Atlanta, pay is 125-140k. I believe St. Louis, Houston, and Denver are all 125-135k.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Curious on August 15, 2011, 11:28 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

Are new graduate CRNA's signing on for the same amounts in the same cities? I heard from an AA I'm friends with who said there's a rumor that at many practices, CRNA's are getting offered higher base salaries due to being able to work more flexible schedules (e.g., the ability to come in without an anesthesiologist present), while AA's at those same practices are being offered lesser base salaries and have fewer call-taking opportunities. Apparently the discrepancy between base salary packages offered to CRNA's and AA's is as wide as $140k (for CRNA's) and $110k (for AA's). I hope this is just a false rumor, but the sources who have been discussing it seem to be reliable.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by btbam on August 15, 2011, 11:45 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

Can't speak for every hospital but at mine CRNAs and AAs are the same thing. They never get to work independently and work the same schedules as us.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Curious on August 15, 2011, 11:58 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

Hopefully it's the same situation with every group that hires both AA's and CRNA's. Speaking of work schedules, what hours do anesthetists at your hospital work from, just out of curiosity? Because at one hospital in my town, the chief anesthetist told me that most of their anesthetists are well into working on their last cases of the day by 11 AM on any day of the week, and they run entirely on self-scheduling. This sounds almost too good to be true, because if you think about it, unless their last case of the day happens to be a super long one, most of the anesthetists are probably out by 12:30 PM (especially if the last case of the day is already well underway by 11 AM). I assume that this kind of employment arrangement isn't common, though?

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by btbam on August 16, 2011, 9:45 am, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

I'm at a pretty big hospital with no shortage of cases. You are scheduled for 40 hours/week unless otherwise requested, usually 6:30-3. The only kind of place I could see that type of schedule is an out-patient clinic.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Shravan on August 18, 2011, 3:16 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

Dallas is $90-100K

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Greg on August 19, 2011, 5:46 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

Bullshit! In Dallas it's 125-135K.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Dtown on August 22, 2011, 4:16 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

Where in Dallas? Isn't Children's the only hospital in DFW hiring AA's?

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Advice on August 22, 2011, 9:40 am, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

Things to REALLY be concerned about when going into an anesthetist program (AA or CRNA).

1. How the hell do I get in? Then...
2. How the hell do I pass my classes? Then...
3. How the hell do I study for boards during clinicals? Then...
4. How the hell do I find a good job where I will like the people I work with? Then...(drumroll)
5. How the hell did I ever even care about salary in the first place? Thank god I passed and got a job..period!

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by btbam on August 22, 2011, 12:22 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

Very true...I went through all 5 of these phases lol.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Dtown on August 24, 2011, 11:50 am, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

Since we're on the subject, does anyone have any insight as to how salaries change over time as one gets more experience? Do anesthetists stay in roughly the same salary range throughout the course of their careers (inflation aside) or can someone earn significantly more with 10-15 years experience versus a new grad?

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by aa-s on August 24, 2011, 9:14 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

i have heard it goes up as high as its going to in 3-5 year range then is about the same DEPENDING ON WHERE U WORK. i asked this question at one place and this is what i was told

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Greg on August 25, 2011, 12:19 am, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

But remember, that 5 year salary could be over 200,000 per year. It truly does depend on location. Not to mention if you can get overtime or not.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Oversaturated on August 25, 2011, 12:54 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

Not to belabor the point, but it seems as if most people on this board are students that know recent grads. Can everyone contribute to the starting salary ranges that they are aware of for in different cities/states:

Atlanta, Ga: 90k-110k
Macon, Ga: 110k-125k
Tampa, Florida:
Florida:
Houston, Texas:
Dallas, Texas:
Denver, Colorado:
Washington D.C.:
North Carolina:
South Carolina:
Alabama:

This will be helpful to all of us collectively as we move forward in our careers.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Daryl on February 22, 2012, 7:41 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

cleveland clinic in miami is paying their A.A 100k.. I'm not sure what benefits they agreed upon though.

Other hospitals in the area of miami pay recent grads (120K),the same as they would a crna. But many hospitals down here are CRNA heavy and refuse to hire AA's. Hopefully that changes in the future, but with FIU, UM, and Barry all having nurse anesthesia programs all dishing out new CRNA's, Nova AA students are at a huge disadvantage for finding jobs in the area.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by btbam on August 25, 2011, 3:55 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

Nowhere in atlanta pays below 100k that I'm aware of, and again for the millionth time that is your BASE pay and doesn't include call/OT pay.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Nova AA on August 25, 2011, 2:54 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

So I know that everyone is interested in what salary you might make after school (I know the feeling. I was where you were once too), but does it really matter if you know what city pays $120k and which one pays $130k, or $110k? Are you not gonna go to AA school if the city you want to work in pays only $110k or even $100k? What other medical profession allows you to get a job with a six figure salary with only 2 years post grad work? Is there another profession you are ready to switch to if you find out AAs are only making $110k in the city you want to live in? I'm not trying to just dismiss your question, but I know that some people/groups don't necessarily want others spreading exact info for what they are paying their AAs. Is it not good enough to know that you will make fantastic money right out of school, somewhere in the $100k-$140k range, most likely around $120k? Just something to think about.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Dtown on August 25, 2011, 5:02 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

I see your point, but I think oversaturated's idea was great - the more informed we are, the better.

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by Nova AA on August 25, 2011, 5:47 pm, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

But what does that information actually do for you?

Re: Average starting salary?

Posted by aa-s on August 26, 2011, 1:12 am, in reply to "Re: Average starting salary?"

help u pick rotations in cities that pay better bc ud like to work there more. it is very logical. especialy since u always hear you get most job offers from places u rotate through.

i agree that re hashing it over and over again on this site is irritating

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