A nurse anesthetist is a nurse who specializes in the administration of anesthesia. In the United States, a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who has acquired graduate-level education and board certification in anesthesia. The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists' (AANA) is the national association that represents more than 90% of the 45,000 nurse anesthetists in the United States. Certification is governed by the National Boards of Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA). Education is governed by the Council on Accreditation (COA) of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.

According to a report released by the bureau of labor statistics in May 2013, the average median salary for a nurse anesthetist was a sweet $158k/year. Industries hiring nurse anesthetists include physicians offices, medical and surgical hospitals, outpatient care centers and health practitioner offices. The top paying industries hiring nurse anesthetists are dentists offices, speciality hospitals, outpatient care centers, health practitioners, medical and surgical hospitals.