Locum CRNA Pay Rates:
What Your Facility
Should Be Paying
A breakdown of locum CRNA direct pay rates across four care settings and six U.S. regions, so your facility can check proposals against the market and budget accurately.
The market has moved faster than most budget assumptions.
Anesthesia coverage gaps disrupt surgical schedules at every type of facility. By 2033, the U.S. is projected to be short about 12,500 anesthesia providers, nearly 22% of the current workforce. That gap pushes facilities toward locum CRNAs to keep ORs running and avoid cancelled cases.
For facility leaders, budget assumptions from two or three years ago are no longer reliable benchmarks for contract negotiations or workforce planning. To evaluate a staffing proposal, you need to know what locum CRNAs earn, which is a different number from what agencies bill.
Care Setting Rate Ranges
Direct pay benchmarks for ASCs, community hospitals, academic centers, and rural/critical access facilities.
6-Region Geographic Analysis
Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, South Central, Mountain West, and Pacific West rate breakdowns.
Rate Variation Factors
Call burden, subspecialty premiums, rural scarcity, and state income tax effects on effective compensation.
Bill Rate vs. Pay Rate
How to read agency invoices, and what to ask your staffing partner.
The Market Has Moved Faster Than Most Budget Assumptions
The cost of locum CRNA coverage has risen sharply. SullivanCotter's 2025 analysis shows median CRNA total cash compensation up 22.9% since 2022, well ahead of inflation. Demand also varies by care setting, and each setting carries its own cost profile based on case acuity, call burden, provider scarcity, and facility type.
| Care Setting | Direct Pay Rate | Demand | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambulatory Surgery Centers | $210–$260/hr | High | No call; M–F schedule; lower acuity; 6,500+ centers nationwide |
| Community Hospitals | $225–$275/hr | Very High | Largest locum demand segment; broad case mix; moderate call burden |
| Academic Medical Centers | $220–$265/hr | Moderate–High | Complex subspecialty cases; resident support reduces urgency; structured hierarchy |
| Rural / Critical Access Hospitals | $240–$310/hr | Very High | Highest rates; 15–25% scarcity premium; independent practice required in opt-out states |
"The facilities that secure the best locum coverage move quickly, offer transparent compensation, and work with partners who understand the CRNA market from the inside."
The full report gives direct pay rate ranges for all six U.S. regions, a national summary table, the main rate drivers, regional differences, and guidance on checking agency proposals against market benchmarks.
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Benchmark Report
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Why facility leaders work with AVEA CRNA.
Full Rate Transparency
We share both the bill rate and our margin. You always know exactly what the CRNA is earning and what you're paying for the placement service.
CRNA-Led Recruiting
Your recruiter is an experienced CRNA who knows what qualified looks like in the OR and can judge candidate fit in ways a non-clinical recruiter can't.
~3 Weeks to Qualified Candidate
We take on a limited number of facilities at a time, so your opening gets our attention from kickoff to placement.
Locum + Permanent, Both Tracks
Cover your immediate gap with a locum while we run a parallel permanent search, with one partner handling both.
"What set them apart was that they actually understood what we needed clinically. They asked the right questions from the very first call." Sara Gabrick, CNO/COO, Winona Health
Get the Report, Then Let's Talk.
Download the Benchmark Report above, then book a free 25-minute strategy call. We'll tell you how fast we can help and what to expect.