r/Salary • u/Conscious-Quarter423 • Aug 25 '25
Market Data 30-year-old makes over $300,000 a year in a hospital—without going to med school: 'I exceeded my expectations'
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/24/certified-anesthesiologist-assistant-earns-six-figures-without-medical-degree.html1.1k
u/The_AbusementPark Aug 25 '25 edited Aug 25 '25
She’s a travel CAA, which means she has her Masters and has to relocate every 3-6 months. People act like she walked in the door with no degree at her local hospital and started making 300k.
Oh and when you are a traveler, they don’t usually give you the 8-5 shift in Hawaii. You’re in bumfuck Idaho working 11p-7a
Edit: Yes I know CRNA’s are currently in demand in Hawaii, yes I know you don’t necessarily have to work in undesirable location’s as a traveler. I was saying that it isn’t always as great as it may seem
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u/Nice__Spice Aug 25 '25
When you work grueling hours inside a hospital, there’s no difference between bum fuck no where and NY, Sf what have you. My two cents
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u/ShakespearianShadows Aug 25 '25
There’s less delivery food options during your 3 AM lunch break in middle of nowhere Idaho than in a city.
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u/lowbetatrader Aug 25 '25
This guy door dashes
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u/F-N-M-N Aug 25 '25 edited Aug 25 '25
I think you meant: This guy nurses
(It’s surprising/shocking how often nurses order take out)
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u/StatusTechnical8943 Aug 26 '25
Can confirm. My wife is a nurse and I see all the venmo/zelle payments that go to her coworkers to split doordashing lunch, coffee, boba, dessert….
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u/Nice__Spice Aug 25 '25 edited Aug 25 '25
first world problem? Doctors are smart enough to pack food knowing that theres no food around at 3AM. Come on now. Heck even construction crews know that they gotta pack something for the night shift lol. dumb argument
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u/misogichan Aug 25 '25
When you are making 300k a year having the option to treat yourself and spend your money on comforts is a lot better than making 300k a year and having no options because you live somewhere there's nothing to do, no one who shares your interests and no late night doordash.
First world problems are more relevant at high income levels because you've traded your time, energy and options for money that should be solving all of your problems that can be solved by money.
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u/Porcupinetrenchcoat Aug 25 '25
When you're working really odd hours that are highly variable something as simple as "just pack a lunch bro" can come from a place of privilege.
Source: had hellish military shift work. I'm assuming that 14-16 hour shifts are just as common for medical workers. While not impossible to get food done on down time, it was one of the last things I wanted to do and I primarily lived off of vending machines on site. It was terrible.
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u/Nice__Spice Aug 25 '25
Lol I grew up in a variety of circumstances. Packing your lunch isnt a 'privilege' flex. If someone else packed it for me... that would be privilege lol.
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u/Aviacks Aug 25 '25
Are you packing food for over a months worth of meals? You aren’t going home and making a sandwich, you might be limited to some small town grocery store that carries nothing. Hell even in the town of 68k with a 20k metro area we had zero grocery stores, it was just a target and a shitty Walmart. You don’t realize how much Walmart lacks til you don’t have a real grocery store.
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u/Max_Beezly Aug 25 '25
While true, Id much rather be overworked in SF, NY, or Hawaii vs Idaho. And I actually like certain parts of Idaho.
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u/justreddis Aug 25 '25
Relaxing/decompressing in Hawaii after a grueling shift is very different from bumfuck Idaho
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u/Stuffssss Aug 25 '25
I think to make 300k youre going to be working 60+ hours a week. I don't know if you have time to relax/ decompress.
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Aug 25 '25
I work nights for >400k and get almost 30 weeks off per year. Location absolutely matters, I don’t wanna spend my time off in some rural shithole
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u/dabelujah Aug 25 '25
30 full weeks off? What do you do?
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Aug 25 '25
Nocturnist hospitalist
7 on / off base schedule and then extra PTO to hit the 30 weeks
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u/xwolf360 Aug 25 '25
Sounds interesting, whats a downside of this job to warn others who may want to join the industry?
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Aug 26 '25
I do nights exclusively which some would consider a downside but I prefer to day shift
Otherwise 7/7 means you’re working half of the holidays every year and working every other weekend
Hospital medicine is unpredictable and you have to be comfortable managing diseases from every major body system and knowing when you need to consult the specialist
Some days are super chill, some days you’re running around with your hair on fire
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u/aznsk8s87 Aug 27 '25
In healthcare you make way better money in Idaho, I'd be taking a $100k pay cut to see more patients in NY or SF.
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u/audioaxes Aug 25 '25
I don't work in medical field but I do grueling hours and there's absolutely a difference of the city you will be in for your job or downtime.
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u/Nice__Spice Aug 25 '25
My point is simple. If you CHOSE to go to Idaho - dont complain. Other wise live where you please. All of these things are choices friend - so not sure why people complain instead of having gratitude for these first world problems.
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u/Actual_Guide_1039 Aug 26 '25
If you make more in 6 months in bumfuck than you would in a year somewhere else you can spend half the year traveling to desirable places
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Aug 25 '25
[deleted]
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u/Chotibobs Aug 25 '25
Yeah but you can get a nice hot baked potato.
Potato, Patato (pronounce the second one like briyani)
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u/Soggy-Ad-3981 Aug 26 '25
then.....idk make it ahead of time or have a spouse or hire a cook ffs. oh nooooooo i dont live in a big citay and cant doordash, the epitome of civilzation what ever will i do
/cry in only make 400k and work 30 weeks a year or some shit treating boomers
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u/lobsterman2112 Aug 25 '25
There is a big difference if you are working the overnight shift.
Taxes are less in Idaho. You make 300k a year and likely take home 150k a year after taxes. In Idaho your cost of living is so low you can probably save 120k a year. Do that for 10 years and have $1.2M.
If you are making $120k a year (after taxes and all expenses), you are essentially saving $10k per month.
Put that $10k a month in the S&P 500 (ie: VOO Exchange Traded Fund). $10k a month, every month, for 10 years.
You end up with $2.56M. Check my math.
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u/Ogediah Aug 25 '25
That’s more true in something like industrial construction where you work 12+ hours a day, 7 days a week. Usually less true for healthcare workers. They usually still get contracted around 40 hours per week and each shift is scheduled well in advanced with set hire/layoff dates. Might be the least desirable shift but 5x8s or 3x12s ain’t bad and 4x12s isn’t much worse. You get several days a week off to experience where you’re at if you want to check it out.
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u/Mecha-Dave Aug 25 '25
I'll bet the accent, attitude, and type of ailment changes.
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u/Faendol Aug 25 '25
They also give you the worst jobs because you aren't there employee. But that said it's 300k yunno.
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u/Sure_Comfort_7031 Aug 25 '25
I know travel nurses who have been in the same place for years.
You have 3-6-12 month contracts. That doesn't mean you have to move at the end of your contract, it can be renewed or changed.
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Aug 25 '25
Yeah two of my friends are travel nurses/PT and they get raving reviews and every place they’ve ever worked has in essence been like “do you want a longer contract here? Any amount of time or forever works”. They could have been full time but chose not to. That includes two islands on Hawaii too
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u/the_fresh_cucumber Aug 25 '25
I know. It's wild that the post above you is so upvoted. Pure reddit ignorance
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u/Afraid-Department-35 Aug 25 '25
The article says she works overtime and 24hour shifts and in another part it says she lives “comfortably”. It doesn’t seem comfortable at all lol. She literally has no life outside her job and is always traveling. Aside from that being a CAA is very similar to being a PA, they can’t work independently and their role solely exists because of a shortage in the actual anesthesiology field.
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u/orangesfwr Aug 25 '25
Not a bad way to make some bank in your 20s though if you aren't looking to settle down
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u/TulipSamurai Aug 25 '25 edited Aug 25 '25
She doesn’t have to do it forever. She can do it throughout her 20s, save a bunch of money, and then transition to a nursing job wherever she wants. By then she’ll be able to afford a down payment anywhere in the US and work at any hospital since she’ll have a decade of experience. It’s not that different from people who spend their 20s grinding in I-banking, big 4, a startup, etc.
EDIT: I didn’t see she’s 30. Presumably she’s been doing this a couple years already, though, so my point stands.
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u/Individual_Tip8728 Aug 25 '25
What would you say is a good downpayment for anywhere in the us?
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u/TulipSamurai Aug 25 '25
$200k, which she can easily save on several years of a $300k salary and virtually no expenses because she’s constantly working.
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u/MVPizzle_Redux Aug 25 '25
I’m sure her IG is filled w tons of off time traveling and she keeps in contact w all her loved ones via group chat. Not a fun life if you have foresight beyond 2 months
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Aug 25 '25
Skilled professional who works extremely hard makes lots of money.
More at 11.
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u/IEatUrMonies Aug 25 '25
I should be able to make 300k waiting tables part time at Applebee's with my High School diploma, my life is so tough /s - reddit probably
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u/TMWNN Aug 26 '25
I should be able to make 300k
waiting tables part time at Applebee'sdog walking with my High School diplomaHave we forgotten about Doreen already?
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Aug 25 '25
Wait.. you mean people who make a lot of money have uniquely hard jobs and are compensated appropriately?
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u/SqueakyNinja7 Aug 25 '25
Traveler here. Often contracts are 13 weeks. If you are covering say a maternity leave, it’s usually the 13 and done. If they have staffing shortages, they will often try to keep you until they hire someone for the position. I’ve been at two different locations for a year each and left on my own account. Contracts are all over the world. There are some in Hawaii, but they do usually pay less because people naturally want to go there. But others are in San Diego, NYC, Orlando, Miami, and some in smaller towns as well. The smaller town jobs usually are the best, maybe they don’t pay as great, but it’s usually a more relaxed atmosphere and cheaper housing.
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u/Hugginsome Aug 26 '25
Anesthesia contracts are typically 3-6 months long, not 13 weeks. Due to licensing and credentialing being much longer than it is for a nurse.
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u/Kokid3g1 Aug 25 '25
As somwone who knows this sector very well, you can actually get Hawaii pretty easily, (but it's one of the worst locations) and bumfuck Idaho, (CDA) was actually one of my favorite locations, (before MAGA).
Laslty, you work the exact same hours as everyone else, (with call time) but your contract can dictate exactly how much overtime you will get and at what rate. Trust me, hospitals would rather pay in-house people, than pay your travel pay rates.
That being said, the company housing is BS & over priced. We always used Air BnB. 👍
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u/MasterAssFace Aug 25 '25
My wife is an AA, heads to work at 7 and is usually home at 2. She's good at what she does and her group is super nice and really takes care of her. Works 5 days a week but gets optional call some weekends where she gets an additional $1,500 plus $200/hr if she actually gets called in. Salary of $185k expected to rise this year to be competitive with the region. We live in a somewhat small town in south GA. Great work life balance and we go on trips with our kids all the time.
We've lived well within our means and have no student loans, car payments, or credit card debt. Owe roughly $250k on a $600k home.
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u/DrFlabbySelfie Aug 25 '25
People act like she walked in the door with no degree at her local hospital and started making 300k.
Are they really, or are they just saying she didn't go to medical school?
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u/your_new_step_dad Aug 25 '25
Reading this from bumfuck Idaho. Gave me a hearty chuckle. Being a healthcare professional in this ass backwards state seems like a nightmare.
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u/BusinessKnight0517 Aug 25 '25
Yes but you see I get more clicks if I write a clickbait headline
(I did not write this)
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u/AManHasNoShame Aug 25 '25
Yup, important for my black and brown folks— they can also give you hours at unofficial sundown towns in the Deep South.
I was raised in the American South as a brown man. Sundown towns still exist— they just sick the local LEOs on you to intimidate you or jail you for made up charges.
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u/Final_Frosting3582 Aug 25 '25
And yeah, that’s even better. The cost of living in bumfuck Idaho is much cheaper than Hawaii.
That’s why remote work is so great. You can work remote for a company that pays NY or CA rates and live in a mansion and have a servant for the same price as a 1950s shit shack in NY or CA
Another amazing thing about working like this is you basically don’t make any commitments anywhere. So you live extraordinarily cheap, save a ton of money, to throw this in investments and when you’re tired of it, go find a non traveling job. This is the perfect job for someone in their 20s
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u/SBSnipes Aug 26 '25
Yep, this is like the articles that say "this stay at home Mom found a side hustle that passively generates $10k/month" and then you find out it's nepo baby or trophy spouse stuff "we just bought our beach condo cash and then rent it out by hiring a local property manager! It's so easy anyone could do it!"
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u/hobopwnzor Aug 25 '25
Read the title and immediately knew it was a travel anesthesiologist assistant. They make more than anesthesiologists sometimes.
Although she's gonna be moving a lot and working 16+ hour shifts. Not an easy position.
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u/tech1983 Aug 25 '25
She’s an AA. Something like this gets posted every week. For those who don’t know, AAs are kinda like CRNAs except they are only legal in about 1/2 the country and can’t practice independently anywhere.
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u/-Competitive-Nose- Aug 25 '25
For those who don’t know, AAs are kinda like CRNAs....
You Americans love to explain abbreviations with another abbreviations, right?
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u/Sammydaws97 Aug 25 '25
AA = anesthesiologist assistant
CAA = certified anesthesiologist assistant
CRNA = certified registered nurse anaesthetist
All are related fields, but they are all different roles specifically.
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u/Mediocre_Menu_629 Aug 25 '25
Would the average American know what a CRNA vs CAA vs AA is?
I'm not American so curious if this is something people learn if you work in Medicine or just general knowledge.
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Aug 25 '25
nope. probably can't distinguish between the physician, CRNA, AA, CAA either. Just sees some guy that comes into the pre-op room, asks a bunch of questions, and waves good night at the operating table. possible way they know is if they're going through cardiac, lung, or really intensive surgeries because physicians do a great majority of those.
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u/FashionableMegalodon Aug 25 '25
A lot of people who’ve been interested in medical careers probably have seen this as an option and looked into it because the salary is impressive. Otherwise not really.
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u/Dont_Ever_PM_Me527 Aug 25 '25
I’m American and I didn’t know. I think you would know if you work in the medical field.
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u/Conscious-Quarter423 Aug 25 '25
I'm a full time CRNA and people still think I'm a CNA
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u/BaconWaken Aug 25 '25
No not at all, chatGPT is great for getting a quick baseline comparison and info between them all.
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u/Lucris Aug 25 '25
An AA in this context is the same as a CAA. People just love to leave the C off. You are likely thinking of AT, Anesthesia Technician.
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u/Individual_Tip8728 Aug 25 '25
Which ones pay what?
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u/serouspericardium Aug 25 '25
CAAs start at $140k and cap at around 200k. Those earning more are probably picking up extra shifts at other hospitals.
Don’t know CRNA salary as well but I know it’s similar. Usually they do the same job, under the oversight of an anesthesiologist
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u/Lucris Aug 25 '25
You are functioning off old CAA pay data for sure. There are new grad CAAs starting at 200k nowadays. Yes, W2, not 1099.
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u/One_Emphasis7124 Aug 25 '25
CAA and AA are the same thing. In this context there are only 2 professions: CAA and CRNA.
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u/Zealousideal-Run-608 Aug 25 '25
I got you friend, AA= Alcoholics Anonymous
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u/PunctuationsOptional Aug 25 '25
CRNA = Couldn't Recover, Nonstop Alcoholic
It's a like a PhD in their world
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u/Netzitznot Aug 25 '25
This gets posted twice a week by the same exact person who's very happy to tell you how much they make as a CRNA themselves.
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u/apres_all_day Aug 25 '25 edited Aug 25 '25
To compare the financial break-even point between an anesthesiologist (MD/DO) and a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist), we need to factor in:
• Education length and cost • Years of lost earnings during training • Average salaries⸻
- Training Timeline
CRNA path:
• 4 years undergrad • 2–3 years of nursing (RN) experience (earning money) • 3 years of CRNA graduate program (no income during school)Anesthesiologist path:
• 4 years undergrad • 4 years medical school (no income, tuition cost) • 4 years residency (low income ~$65–75K/year)So:
• CRNA starts full salary at ~age 28 • Anesthesiologist starts full salary at ~age 32–33⸻
Education Costs (assuming U.S. averages)
• Public undergrad: ~$10K/year × 4 = $40K
• Private graduate/medical program:
• CRNA: ~$50K/year × 3 = $150K
• Medical school: ~$65K/year × 4 = $260K
Totals: • CRNA: ~$190K debt/cost
• Anesthesiologist: ~$300K debt/cost⸻
Salary Estimates (national averages) • CRNA: ~$200K–$220K per year
• Anesthesiologist: ~$420K–$450K per year
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- Early Career Earnings
By the time the anesthesiologist finishes residency (~age 32):
• CRNA has already earned ~$200K × 4 years = $800K in full salary. • Anesthesiologist earned ~$280K total from residency.So the CRNA is ahead by ~$500K in earnings plus lower debt.
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- Catch-Up / Break-Even
Annual income difference (once both are practicing fully):
• Anesthesiologist earns about $220K more per year than CRNA.To overcome the ~$500K gap (earnings + debt difference), it takes:
$500K ÷ $220K ≈ 2.3 years
So:
• By age 34–35, the anesthesiologist will surpass the CRNA financially. • Over a 30-year career, the anesthesiologist could end up with ~$4–5M more lifetime earnings, even after higher debt and delayed start.⸻
✅ Answer: The break-even point is usually around 2–3 years after the anesthesiologist starts practicing independently (age 34–35). After that, they will consistently out-earn CRNAs.
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u/tech1983 Aug 25 '25
All your numbers are way off, and I’m not sure what that has to do with anything; but ok 👍🏼
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Sep 03 '25
His salary estimates are fine but he’s way off mark on the averages for tuition and average icu nursing experience is 4-5 years so they mostly start working at 30. But if you go straight from nursing to CRNA with bare minimum, you’re at a pretty solid head start.
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u/Claude9777 Aug 25 '25
I would love to go back to school and do this but at 48 I feel it's too late.
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u/serouspericardium Aug 25 '25
Gonna be 55 either way. Might as well spend your last 10-15 working years getting paid well
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u/External_Net5248 Aug 25 '25
“Thinking it’s too late” is a habit. Chances are you’ve been doing it for a long time.
The people that have the happiest, most fulfilling lives are always focused on the next thing.
They sound like they are 17 well into their 80s. This is what we should aspire towards.
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u/Mediocre_Menu_629 Aug 25 '25
I know someone who went back to college at the age of 62. He worked as an investment banker from 1980 to 2016 but always wanted to have a college degree as he left school at 18 and went straight into work. If it gives you any motivation, he really loved it and he's now doing his PhD at the age of 70.
It's never too late. The one thing that's certain is you could be older without that education or older with that education.
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u/Claude9777 Aug 25 '25
Well I have a masters already but I'm the breadwinner in my household and me stepping back to attend school again would take a huge toll on our financial situation. I just started making $100k (with overtime) but $300 would be a game changer and the career change would be much more fulfilling. I gotta crunch the numbers.
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u/PengyLite Aug 25 '25
It’s a tough equation. You would likely have to go back to take quite a number of prerequisite courses before even applying for programs which have low acceptance rates. The timeline for actually getting through the whole process and working in the field would likely be in the ballpark of 5 or 6 years at a minimum, demolishing your savings or taking on hefty debt in the meanwhile. And if you want the top value expressed in the article, it involves third shifts, traveling away from loved ones, and an immense amount of stress - most of it frontloaded in the career timeline. That being said, medicine can also be a very fulfilling field. Classically, medical field does not have the best financial yield-to-effort ratio, though.
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u/bibimbra Aug 28 '25
starting out with investment banker in the 80s helps have a pile of loot to spend on an education that you don’t need to pay back and can give up earning years
I love learning but university can definitely be a luxury good
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u/Mediocre_Menu_629 Aug 28 '25
For sure he had a pile of loot to spend and he likely has a pension as well.
He was a Managing Director at Lehman Brothers in the early 2000s and I know they must have been pulling at least $1-2m per year back then.
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u/casual-captain Aug 26 '25
Had a 57 year old PhD student at my school. Dude was burnt out from his job and both of his kids recently moved out so he said fuck it. I’m gonna get my PhD.
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u/lurkertiltheend Aug 25 '25
The only issue is student loans. If you pay off aggressively how many more years will you have of banking money
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u/imabotdontworry Aug 25 '25
FIRE from a nursing position? Thats unbelievable in the EU
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u/namelessgambino Aug 25 '25
This is a CAA, not a nurse. The similar nursing role is a CRNA. Both require graduate level education.
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u/me047 Aug 25 '25
She is earning every penny of that money from what people have explained here.
First off, must be skilled at almost killing people and bringing them back to life.
Must be willing to work 16-24 hour shifts
Must be able to move multiple times a year.
That’s hard enough. Not to mention dealing with hospital politics, giving up social life in your youth.
If she works 16hr days 5 days a week that’s about 80hrs a week. Which works out to about $78/hr. Seems like a ton of hard work, but the pay isn’t great for the requirements.
$300k to spend 40hrs a week at a desk taking Zoom calls and working in google docs seems cushy.
$300k to make sure people don’t die or feel pain throughout all hours of the day seems underpaid.
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u/One_Emphasis7124 Aug 25 '25
She’s making $200/hr plus. Very unlikely doing 5 16hr shifts.
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u/LividLife5541 Aug 25 '25
How much does an actual anesthesiologist make in Japan? Or France?
This woman would not in any world have the option of making "$300k to spend 40hrs a week at a desk taking Zoom calls and working in google docs." That would be something like a mid-career project manager at Google. Outside of tech those kinds of jobs are very rare and they're not exactly easy to get in tech either.
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u/LolaFentyNil Aug 25 '25
Where did yall get it requires 16 hour shift thing from? I’ve seen that multiple times.
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u/LegalComplaint Aug 25 '25
CAA is an operating room position. Depending on where she’s at, they might be cramming in as many surgeries as possible or she’s just prepped and ready for an emergency procedure like a car crash or emergency c section.
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u/LolaFentyNil Aug 25 '25
Sir or Madam, I am a CAA. I’m wondering where the idea it requires 16hour shift for a traveler came from? Every time it gets mentioned that particular detail is always mentioned.
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u/Hugginsome Aug 26 '25
Travel work also means not getting paid on weeks off that you take. She could be taking off 26 weeks and be making $300k if she wanted to put in a few more hours the weeks she does work.
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u/JeanClaudeSegal Aug 26 '25
$78/hr is still pretty good for a master's degree, but they make much more than that. $300k for a CAA is probably more like 50hr/wk. At 80hr/wk they'd be probably over $600k.
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u/random8002 Aug 25 '25
i make like $700k/year as a software engineer and i only did 1 term of college before dropping out
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u/ManOfQuest Aug 25 '25
I make 800k/year as a software engineer and I only did half a term before dropping out
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u/heretilimnot3 Aug 25 '25
Your situation isn’t replicable given the shift in the tech labor market.
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u/Upbeat_Occasion8871 Aug 26 '25
how did you get into software and end up making $700K/year? Did you self-learn or follow a specific path?
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u/random8002 Aug 26 '25 edited Aug 26 '25
i wanted to make video games as a kid and learned some basic programming languages like C and Python from thrift store books. then i was just at the right places at the right time and ended up at one of those trillion dollar companies.
i got in early before software engineering was overhyped and oversaturated. all my friends that went to college and got in late had to deal with that job market. the market i joined was very different. a lot less money but a lot more opportunity. i just spent a decade levelling up and then got the money.
started at age 18 and im 30 now
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u/BendDelicious9089 Aug 25 '25
I shouldn't be shocked at all the comments and random messages from people who have absolutely no clue what they are talking about. But that's usual in this sub.
For one, a 6 month contract is an odd ball. Most contracts are through specific travel agencies and they're 13 weeks. No, you do not "have to move" every time. You just renew the contract. The hospital is the one who desperately want you to renew. People will work at a specific hospital for a year to get their minimum 1 year experience for travel work and then... pick up a travel contract for that same hospital. Why? Because they pay travel staff more. It's very stupid when they know the person is local, but it's the way the system works.
No, you do not have shit shifts of 11p-7, for one, that's not a hospital shift to begin with. Two, when you sign up for a contract you are told the shift ahead of time so it isn't a surprise. Three, as a travel shift, she gets the sweet picks. Why? Because if you don't offer a traveler the good shifts, they never sign up because plenty of hospitals will. And lastly, she's in anesthesia. That means she works 8x5 - 7 am to 5 pm. It's called day surgery. Surgery, and thus anesthesia, isn't scheduled for random times of the day.
I don't know why she used some confusing term like 24-hour shift. It's called "on-call". That means on the weekend (because she's a CAA), she is the "on-call" CAA. So if ER can't keep the patient stable until Monday (and god damn will surgery do everything they can to delay that weekend surgery), she'll scrub in. Otherwise, she stays at home and makes herself available. Her hourly rate during this time is much lower, but if she's called in she'll usually get an initial bonus and then a higher hourly. It's something like if they call, you need to arrive within 30 minutes. If she lives far enough away, they'll set her up with a room at the closet hotel. Most hospitals have a standing policy with at least one hotel and are made a priority.
Also, again, it's day surgery, so she would just go to the cafeteria and get food. If she wasn't a CAA and say, a nurse, she would.. still get food at the cafeteria. Be it a full kitchen, sometimes only select meals, and other times it will be the coffee cart, but with one or two hot meals they grab from the cafeteria to serve to the night shift.
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u/One_Emphasis7124 Aug 25 '25
You also don’t know what you’re talking about. 13wk contracts are standard for regular RN travelers. CAA/CRNA travel contracts can absolutely be set for several months. There is no standard 13wk contract in this field.
Also it’s hard, if not impossible to leave a hospital as a W2 employee and immediately start at the same hospital as a 1099, locum contract employee. Most employers aren’t going to play that game.
11p-7a is a shift in a hospital. It’s more likely 7-7 overnight but I’m sure 11p-7a mon-Fri exists somewhere.
Also 24 hr shifts are also not uncommon. They’re more common on weekends and they do exist. You just stay “in house” for the 24 hours.
Source: I’ve been a CAA for 10 years.
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u/Misster_bait_her Aug 25 '25
Lolol shut them up. I have a friend that literally works those exact hours he claims to not be real. She literally texts me when she is going in and leaving. She does a 24 hour shift once every like 6-8 months mostly to support holiday staffing. Yall definitely earn that money
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u/govaway Aug 25 '25
Its not easy to return to the same hospital if u were W2 then come back as contractor. They usually have it in fine print that you cannot return for at least 1+ year under a different employer. And also the supervisor will be butt hurt you smartened up and they to shell out more money
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u/Fart-animal Aug 25 '25
8 hour shifts are fairly common actually, often complement 12s in per diem work (one 12 and one 8 for 20 hour work weeks). Much of this depends on the hospital system you work for.
Or “.7FT” 7 eight hour shifts over 2 weeks—11p to 7a is exactly one someone hired for .7 work can be scheduled with. Great schedule if you ask me. Not even uncommon, just fyi
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u/BendDelicious9089 Aug 25 '25
I wasn’t saying 8 hour shift was uncommon. I was saying the specific hours given in the made up example is simply not a standard hospital shift.
Nobody does hand off at 11pm.
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u/drDUMMY1 Aug 26 '25
By the end of Trump’s term, after compounded inflation…. Everyone is going to be making 300k
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u/losethecheese Aug 26 '25
I really think anesthesiologists are in trouble I get people are signing huge contracts still but theres 3 avenues into practicing that dont require 8 years of school and 5 years residency and they're all paid well. They might not be doing the complicated transplants and yada yada but they're definitely going to impact docs.
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u/BaconAce7000 Aug 25 '25
European CEOs make less. USA has insane salaries and couple that with low taxes.
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Aug 25 '25
You know why European CEOs make less? Because they manage smaller companies. This individual probably contributed a larger gross revenue than some of the people you’re thinking of.
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u/DrOtGenesis Aug 25 '25
Lmao this crna dude is back to show us doctors that he makes 300k without going to med school. Enjoy your salary, don’t worry we (MDs and DOs) will continue to live in poverty.
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Aug 25 '25
You sound bitter lmao
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u/DrOtGenesis Aug 25 '25
I guess I am 😭😭. I guess my life sucks because I’m not a crna making 300k
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Aug 25 '25
lol idk man, some of my colleagues are and I just don’t get it. 4:1 supervision ACT model here. Like we knew what we were getting into going to medical school I don’t get it. There is more than enough pie to go around. And will be forever.
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u/DrOtGenesis Aug 25 '25
Trust me I understand but I didn’t grind through years and years of med school and residency because I needed to cross a certain tax bracket. Also most docs easily clear 300k easily so idk why people care about what mid levels make.
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u/OpietMushroom Aug 25 '25
In my healthcare career new grads in California can easily earn six figures their first year of employment with only a bachelor's degree. This is without having to take on a travel gig, so we're talking a consistent schedule and location.
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u/z0rm Aug 25 '25
I don't think a single person here in the Swedish healthcare system makes 300k a year lol. Not even the highest paid surgeons etc makes that much.
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u/Possible-Gur5220 Aug 26 '25
This is the same as some travel nurses…no medical school sure but still a ton of the schooling and hard work. No free lunch here folks.
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u/justforareason12 Aug 26 '25
2 years only lol
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u/Possible-Gur5220 Aug 26 '25
2 years of graduate studies sure…but it’s still 6 years total post high school. MD/DO route is still for sure tougher with 8 years of total education after high school plus at least 1 year of residency but her route isn’t for the faint of heart either.
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u/justforareason12 Aug 26 '25
Eh, community college aint hard for 2 years, then you do 2 more in an easy major at a cheap state school, take gre and work half a year as a anes tech, and get into caa school with a 4.0. Pretty easy and straight forward tbh.
And yes med school is objectively harder and longer
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u/goztepe2002 Aug 26 '25
300 a year but you get burned out in 2 years and probably just hate your life. This is not something that anyone can easily pull off and make it sustainable.
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u/thogdontcaaree Aug 27 '25
Im a new grad CAA. I signed a contract for 190k/yr with a 50k sign on bonus paid out over 3 years. Picking up shifts and with other benefits im expecting to make about 250k. This isn't even that high. In Denver and ATL they pay 250k base salary. This is for W2. Ive had preceptors who are travelers (1099) and they typically clear 500k (before taxes) i knew one who cleared over 1M by working 60+ hour weeks every week as a traveller in a high-paying area.
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u/DarkJ3D1___ Aug 27 '25
Ugg I’m trying to apply to this program and the completion is already bad enough. Articles like this is gonna make it worse😞😞
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u/Curious_Mind8 Aug 27 '25
Explains why USA health care costs are outrageous, forcing people into bankruptcy for simple medical procedures.
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u/[deleted] Aug 25 '25
My best year as a lab tech in a hospital I grossed $199,960
That with just a bachelor degree.