Certified registered nurse anesthetists play a critical role in surgical, procedural and obstetric care, particularly in rural and underserved communities where access to anesthesia providers can be limited. But the concentration of CRNAs varies considerably across states, according to May 2025 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Nationally, there are about 51,840 employed nurse anesthetists. The profession is among the highest-paid in healthcare, with a mean annual wage of $248,320, according to BLS data.
Physician offices and general medical and surgical hospitals employ the largest shares of CRNAs. When measured by concentration — the number of CRNAs employed per 1,000 jobs in a state’s economy — workforce levels vary widely across the country.
BLS did not release CRNA concentration estimates for nine states. For Arkansas, Idaho, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and Utah, the agency footnoted the estimates as unreleased, which can reflect a failure to meet quality standards or a need to protect respondent confidentiality. Delaware, Hawaii and Nevada did not appear in the dataset at all, which BLS said occurs when neither an employment nor a wage estimate could be published.
Here are the states ranked by CRNA employment per 1,000 jobs, according to BLS data.
Certified registered nurse anesthetists
1. West Virginia — 1.061
2. South Dakota — 0.872
3. Alabama — 0.857
4. Kentucky — 0.822
5. Minnesota — 0.721
6. New Hampshire — 0.718
7. North Carolina — 0.676
8. Kansas — 0.632
9. Maine — 0.594
10. Oklahoma — 0.582
11. North Dakota — 0.577
12. Missouri — 0.526
13. Michigan — 0.523
14. Tennessee — 0.516
15. Florida — 0.463
16. Louisiana — 0.463
17. South Carolina — 0.437
18. Nebraska — 0.421
19. Ohio — 0.415
20. Pennsylvania — 0.412
21. Mississippi — 0.409
22. Wisconsin — 0.337
23. Maryland — 0.306
24. Texas — 0.288
25. Connecticut — 0.285
26. Wyoming — 0.284
27. Colorado — 0.278
28. Alaska — 0.273
29. New York — 0.253
30. Iowa — 0.247
31. Rhode Island — 0.247
32. Georgia — 0.239
33. Washington — 0.214
34. Oregon — 0.188
35. Illinois — 0.186
36. Indiana — 0.186
37. Virginia — 0.171
38. Massachusetts — 0.136
39. Vermont — 0.132
40. California — 0.122
41. Arizona — 0.094
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
