A pediatric anesthesiologist’s salary is dependent on a couple of factors ranging from how much work he does and his level of training. National policy can also determine how much salary a pediatric anesthesiologist earns.
Who is a Pediatric Anesthesiologist?
Pediatric anesthesiologists specialize in the treatment of infants, children, and adolescents.
They work with their patients before, during, and after every surgery to ensure safe and effective anesthesia administration.
This means that a pediatric anesthesiologist is always found in the emergency wards and children’s operating theaters.
Before any surgical procedure, they often consult with the child and the parents about medical history and current health conditions, to properly state how much anesthesia will be needed for the process.
They are also available to counsel and answer questions to ease the anxiety of patients and families.
During the surgical procedure itself, pediatric anesthesiologists closely monitor the patient’s response to the anesthesia and adjust the dosage to suit changes in the infant, child, or adolescent.
Afterward, they provide any necessary post-operative care.
Jobs for pediatric anesthesiologists are commonly available at both general hospitals and specialized children’s hospitals.
How Much is the Salary of a Pediatric Anesthesiologist?
According to PayScale.com, anesthesiologists earn an average salary of $307,900 per annum.
Your salary may be higher if you are certified by the American Board of Medical Specialists or the medical regulatory body in your country.
What Are the Fundamental Duties of a Pediatric Anesthesiologist?
As a pediatric anesthesiologist, your primary responsibility is the management of patient pain before and after surgical processes.
You are also to monitor a patient’s vital signs-body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate (rate of breathing), and blood pressure (Blood pressure is not considered a vital sign, but is often measured along with the vital signs.) during a surgical procedure.
You must note that your patients are young, ranging from newborns to teenagers, and therefore need specialized care.
You may perform your duties in the operating room during surgery or outside the operating room for patients having procedures that require sedation or low levels of anesthesia, such as MRI scans or bone marrow scintigraphy.
Educational Qualifications of a Pediatric Anaesthesiologist.
To become a pediatric anesthesiologist, you need a medical degree.
The requirements for attending medical school demand that you first complete a bachelor’s degree program, in any scientific field like biology, or pre-medicine.
Usually, after completing medical school, you complete a residency in the field of medicine in which you are interested.
Residencies can last 3-8 years, depending on the specialty.
Residencies are considered further graduate education and are required to become licensed as a physician.
Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Pediatric Anesthesiologist Jobs
Here is a list of ten (10) that pay pediatric anesthesiologists above the national average.
Topping the list is Lakes, San Francisco, and Santa Clara which are close behind in the second and third positions.
Santa Clara, CA beats the national average by $48,216 (16.2%), and Lakes, AK takes it even higher than the trend with $54,030 (18.1%) above the $297,962 average.
Importantly, Lakes, AK has a moderately active Pediatric Anesthesiologist salary.
The opportunities for a good salary as a Pediatric Anesthesiologist appear to be exceedingly fruitful in these ten cities.
| City | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Weekly Salary | Hourly Wage/salary |
| Lakes, AK | $351,993 | $29,333 | $6,769 | $169.23 |
| San Francisco, CA | $349,125 | $29,094 | $6,714 | $167.85 |
| Santa Clara, CA | $346,178 | $28,848 | $6,657 | $166.43 |
| Washington, DC | $342,053 | $28,504 | $6,578 | $164.45 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $338,316 | $28,193 | $6,506 | $162.65 |
| Fremont, CA | $335,810 | $27,984 | $6,458 | $161.45 |
| Jersey City, NJ | $334,139 | $27,845 | $6,426 | $160.64 |
| Green River, WY | $332,165 | $27,680 | $6,388 | $159.69 |
| San Buenaventura, CA | $331,864 | $27,655 | $6,382 | $159.55 |
| San Jose, CA | $329,677 | $27,473 | $6,340 | $158.50 |
Life as a Pediatric Anesthesiologist
Dr. Kell is a pediatric anesthesiologist who works at The Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters.
This hospital has successfully created innovative medical procedures such as the “Nuss repair” for Pectus Excavatum, or “sunken chest syndrome” and “Operation Smile” Craniofacial Surgery.
Dr. Kell as a pediatric anesthesiologist gets to take care of children from all over the world who come to receive these procedures.
Dr. Kell says it’s an extremely rewarding career and one that is worth the while. In her words
“It’s totally worth it! Even though becoming a pediatric anesthesiologist requires many years of schooling and training and can be a very busy and exhausting lifestyle, it is an extremely rewarding specialty of medicine too!”
If you are still wondering about a choice of career to give your life’s work to or you are already in medical school and still trying to figure out the right specialization for you, perhaps, becoming a pediatric anesthesiologist is just what you were made to do.
