Nurse Anesthetists
Machines can already do 12% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 36%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Nurse Anesthetists in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 12% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2039, and 36% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 51,840 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $236,590 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 89% for contact with people.
- Also called: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), Nurse Anesthetist, Staff Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (Staff CRNA), Staff Nurse Anesthetist.
- Competency here means how well the best AI model, tool or robot available can do a task, scored out of 100: today using the best available now, and for later years the 311 prediction of what AI and robots will be able to do.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitor patients' responses, including skin color, pupil dilation, pulse, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, ventilation, or urine output, using invasive and noninvasive techniques | 26% | 3% to 25% | |
| Manage patients' airway or pulmonary status, using techniques such as endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, pharmacological support, respiratory therapy, and extubation | 11% | 3% to 25% | |
| Select, order, or administer anesthetics, adjuvant drugs, accessory drugs, fluids or blood products as necessary | 11% | 18% to 51% | |
| Select, prepare, or use equipment, monitors, supplies, or drugs for the administration of anesthetics | 6% | 3% to 25% | |
| Perform or manage regional anesthetic techniques, such as local, spinal, epidural, caudal, nerve blocks and intravenous blocks | 5% | 3% to 25% | |
| Perform pre-anesthetic screenings, including physical evaluations and patient interviews, and document results | 5% | 3% to 25% | |
| Assess patients' medical histories to predict anesthesia response | 4% | 54% to 76% | |
| Develop anesthesia care plans | 4% | 32% to 55% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills nurse anesthetists use most, most used first.
Human value: what makes people in this job hard to replace
How much nurse anesthetists rely on each one, from 0 to 10. 311 estimates, medium confidence.
- Go-to problem solver9/10
- Trust and reliability10/10
- Know-how about the organisation7/10
- Network and relationships7/10
- Mentoring and developing others7/10
- Culture and morale7/10
- Initiative beyond the role6/10
- Calm in a crisis10/10
- Bridge between teams7/10
- Reputation and influence5/10
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons31% of tasks by 2035 · US median $352,220
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Nurse Anesthetists?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2039. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of nurse anesthetists?
Machines can do 12% of the tasks of nurse anesthetists today and 36% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 29-1151.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring, forecast and human value: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit (human value scores are 311 estimates, medium confidence); after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Nurse Anesthetists: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/nurse-anesthetists/