CRNA salary trends — what changed in 2026
Median base climbed to $230K. Top markets pushed past $290K. Three forces drove it: workforce shortage, scope-expansion politics, and locum-tenens market pricing.
The 2026 CRNA compensation picture continues a 5-year upward trajectory. Median base salary nationally hit $230,000 — up roughly 18% from 2021. Three forces are doing the work.
Workforce shortage. The AANA estimates a 7,500-CRNA gap nationally as Baby Boomer CRNAs retire faster than DNP/DNAP programs graduate. Programs have expanded — there are now 130 COA-accredited programs vs 110 in 2020 — but the pipeline is 3 years long, and demand is growing in parallel as OR + procedural volumes expand.
Scope-expansion politics. Five more states opted out of the Medicare physician-supervision requirement in 2024-2025, bringing the total to 24 states + Guam. Each opt-out unlocks rural hospital + ASC employment models where CRNAs are independently billable. Independent practice has 10-20% higher compensation than supervised models.
Locum tenens compression. Locum rates pushed past $200/hr median in 2025, with ceiling rates in California and underserved rural regions exceeding $250/hr. Full-time locum CRNAs in 2026 routinely gross $400K-$500K. The market premium is pulling staff CRNAs into locum + creating retention bidding wars at hospitals.
What it means for SRNAs graduating in 2026-2028: sign-on bonuses are negotiable in nearly every market. Total comp packages routinely include retention bonuses (15-25K), CE allowances ($3-5K), and tail malpractice if you negotiate it. Read every contract clause — tail coverage is the single biggest expensive miss for new grads.
What it means for hospitals: recruiting CRNAs in 2026 requires 10-15% above 2021 base offers, full benefits, and increasingly, the willingness to provide loan-repayment assistance. Programs that can't compete on salary are leaning into culture, schedule flexibility, and student-loan-repayment programs.