Are you thinking of becoming an Anesthesia Technician or already started your career and planning the next step? Learn how to become an Anesthesia Technician, what skills you need to succeed, how to advance your career and get promoted, and what levels of pay to expect at each step on your career path. Explore new Anesthesia Technician job openings and options for career transitions into related roles.

Anesthesia assistants help to ensure that patients undergoing surgery or other difficult procedures are adequately sedated for the duration. Find out how to become an anesthesiologist assistant, the education and training required, salary and career information, and more.

What is Anaesthesia and Anaesthesiology?

Anesthesia is the condition of having all sensation (including pain) temporarily blocked or removed. This allows patients to undergo surgery pain-free. Anesthesia can be general (a total lack of sensation and awareness, ie. unconsciousness), regional (affecting a body part such as an arm or a leg), or local (limited to a smaller area such as a tooth or an area of skin). Regional and local anesthesia results in a continued awareness on the patient’s part.

Anesthesiologists are medical doctors who specialize in administering anesthesia during surgery, and are also responsible for the pre- and post-operative monitoring of the patient. As such, they are also responsible for pre-operative evaluation of the patient: gathering a family history, bloodwork, physical exam, etc.

What Does an Anesthesiologist Assistant Do?

Anesthesiologist assistants are allied health professionals who help anesthesiologists, a special type of doctor, to apply the anesthesia needed to sedate patients during procedures. Anesthesia is often needed for surgeries, and can be applied locally, near the site of surgery, or to a patient’s whole body, rendering them unconscious. Anesthesiologist assistants monitor the patient’s vitals and other statistics as they undergo the procedure, and help the anesthesiologist to determine the appropriate amount of anesthetic to use. They function as part of an anesthesia team, led by the anesthesiologist, which can also include anesthesia technicians and nurse anesthetists.

How Long Does It Take to Become an Anesthesiologist Assistant?

Anesthesiologist assistants require a significant amount of education and training before they can begin their careers. Between the time it takes to earn a bachelor’s degree and complete a master’s degree program, anesthesiologist assistant schooling can last 6 to 7 years. The traditional path for aspiring anesthesiologist assistants is outlined below.

Steps to Become an Anesthesia Technician In Canada

If you’re considering starting your Anesthesia Technician career path, it’s important to note the skills, qualifications, and time it takes to become a professional Anesthesia Technician and how to advance your career path. Below are the steps generally required to begin and advance your Anesthesia Technician career.

Step 1: Graduate From High School Or Take The GED (Four Years)

Students who wish to pursue a career as an ASATT certified anesthesia technologist will first need to complete high school or earn a passing score on the GED. High school students can prepare for this career by taking courses in math, biology, anatomy, and psychology. Advanced Placement (AP) classes and tests can often provide students with college credit before graduation.

Step 2: Complete An Approved Associate Degree Program (Two Years)

ASATT requires students to complete a program at one of their accredited or approved programs, many of which have been recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Several programs are available at community, city, and technical colleges across the country.

Upon successful completion of requirements, students receive an associate of science (AS) or an associate of applied science (AAS) degree. Many programs also offer a certificate upon graduation. All of the accredited or approved programs guarantee graduating students are board eligible. New institutions are being added and students should take care to ensure that the program conforms to CAAHEP standards.

Anesthesia technologist programs take roughly two years to complete. Some programs have prerequisites such as anatomy, medical terminology, advanced math, and biochemistry. Core courses taught in these programs include pharmacology, anesthesia technology, and medical ethics. Courses are available on campus or online depending on the institution. All programs have a clinical component where students get hands-on experience working directly with patients.

Step 3: Apply For ASATT’S CER.A.T.T. Certification Examination (Timeline Varies)

Once a student has completed an approved ASATT-approved associate degree, they can then apply to sit for the Certified Anesthesia Technologist (Cer.A.T.T.) exam.

First, students will need to submit a paper application found in the national certification examination handbook, along with the appropriate fee. The fee for eligibility can range from $325 to $550, depending on the membership status with the ASATT and whether or not the student is in the United States.

Once the application is received, ASATT will determine if the student is eligible for the test. If they determine the student is eligible, they will send a confirmation letter. This letter is valid for 90 days and a student must schedule and complete the test within that timeframe or they forfeit their application and fee. If more than 90 days have elapsed, a new application and fee will have to be submitted.

The letter will contain a toll-free number for the student to use to contact Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc. (AMP), who administer the test at one of their 170 nationwide test sites. There is no deadline to apply to take the test so students may apply at any time.

When a student calls to schedule the test they should be prepared to confirm a time and date during that call. Written notices about the test date and time will not be mailed so it is imperative that the student take notes during the call. Walk-in appointments are not accepted. If special accommodations are needed, they must be submitted in writing 45 days prior to the desired test date.

Step 4: Pass The Anesthesia Technologist Examination

Students should arrive at least 15 minutes early to the examination center and bring government-issued photo identification. Student IDs and other temporary identification will not be accepted.

A careful review of all materials covered for the certification and associate degree is highly recommended before taking the exam. There are eight reference books recommended by the ASATT prepare for the test. The exams comprise six sections. They are:

• Equipment, Instrumentation, and Technology
• Basic Sciences
• Pharmacology
• Basic Principles of Anesthesia
• Advanced Principles
• Professional Aspects

On the examination day, prior to taking the test, students are allowed to take a practice test on the computer. The time taken on the practice test will not affect the time they will receive on the official exam. Students will have a total of three hours to complete 125 questions. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so if a student doesn’t know an answer, guessing won’t harm the overall score.

Six to eight weeks after the test, students will receive a score report with either a pass or fail. Once a student receives a passing score report, they can use the Certified Anesthesia Technologist (Cer.A.T.T.) designation.

Step 5: Obtain An Entry -Level Anesthesia Technologist Position

People who hold the CerATT designation can look for work in radiology centers, emergency rooms, dental suites, and ambulatory surgery centers. Healthcare-centric job boards such as Health eCareers and the ASATT career center are a great first place to begin an anesthesia technologist job search. General job sites such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and Monster also have numerous listings for jobs in this field.

Step 6: Maintain ASATT Certification With Continuing Education Credits(Every Two Years)

Once a certification has been obtained, an anesthesia technologist must begin earning continuing education credits. Certification is valid for two years and during that time period technologists are required to complete 30 continuing education credits. Recertification is required every two years and happens by mail.

Anesthesia Technician Salary Canada

A person working as an Anesthesia Technician in Canada typically earns around 124,000 CAD per year. Salaries range from 60,800 CAD (lowest) to 194,000 CAD (highest).

This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Anesthesia Technician salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.

Anesthesia Technician Salary Distribution in Canada

The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range

• Salary RangeAnesthesia Technician salaries in Canada range from 60,800 CAD per year (minimum salary) to 194,000 CAD per year (maximum salary).
• Median SalaryThe median salary is 127,000 CAD per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as Anesthesia Technician(s) are earning less than 127,000 CAD while the other half are earning more than 127,000 CAD. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
• PercentilesClosely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Anesthesia Technician(s) are earning less than 84,400 CAD while 75% of them are earning more than 84,400 CAD. Also from the diagram, 75% of Anesthesia Technician(s) are earning less than 163,000 CAD while 25% are earning more than 163,000 CAD.

What is the difference between the median and the average salary?

Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary

Anesthesia Technician Salary Comparison by Years of Experience

How does experience and age affect your pay?

The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Anesthesia Technician salaries by experience level and this is what we found.

An Anesthesia Technician with less than two years of experience makes approximately 72,100 CAD per year.

While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 92,700 CAD per year, 29% more than someone with less than two year’s experience.

Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 128,000 CAD per year, 38% more than someone with two to five years of experience.