Anesthesiologist: career path and pay in the UK
Where a Anesthesiologist goes next, what each step typically pays in the United Kingdom, and how exposed the path is to AI replacement. 3 steps, from Anesthesiologist to Senior Anesthesiologist / Chief of Anesthesiology / Medical Director.
Also for the United States: Anesthesiologist in the US
The path
Step 1 · 4 to 8 years
Anesthesiologist
£50K to £75K
Typical UK pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: MD/DO - US, MBBS/MBChB - UK/EU, Medical License - US, GMC Registration - UK/EU.
Step 2 · 8 to 15 years
Anesthesiologist / Senior Anesthesiologist
£55K to £80K
Typical UK pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: MD/DO - US, MBBS/MBChB - UK/EU, Medical License - US, GMC Registration - UK/EU.
Step 3 · 15+ years
Senior Anesthesiologist / Chief of Anesthesiology / Medical Director
£75K to £110K
Typical UK pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: MD/DO - US, MBBS/MBChB - UK/EU, Medical License - US, GMC Registration - UK/EU.
Exposure and pay along the path
Exposure to AI, now to later
24% → 24%
Stays level across the path. Lower is better.
Typical pay, now to later
£50K to £75K → £75K to £110K
UK estimates by job title, Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale UK. The published figure for Consultant Anaesthetist sat below the previous step, so this band is set 12% above it.
What the work involves
Administer anesthetics and analgesics for pain management prior to, during, or after surgery.
Skills that matter most
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
Knowledge areas
- English Language
- Biology
- Psychology
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Chemistry
Education people bring
- Post-Doctoral Training: 69%
- Doctoral Degree: 25%
- First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.: 5%
Job Zone 5, job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed. Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Other paths from here
- Chief of Anesthesiology
- Medical Director
- Healthcare Administrator
- Anesthesiology Educator
More Healthcare paths in the UK
Related occupations in O*NET: Pediatric Surgeons, Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric, Cardiologists, Nurse Anesthetists, Anesthesiologist Assistants.
Your own role
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SourcesSalary bands: Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale UK, UK national averages by job title, retrieved September 2026Skills, knowledge and education: O*NET 31.0 Database
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CC BY 4.0
Salary estimates by job title from Glassdoor UK, Indeed UK and PayScale, retrieved September 2026. Each band runs from 20% below to 20% above the reported average, rounded to £5K. Exposure percentages and the skills listed under each step are this app's own editorial ratings, not published data.