Pennsylvania is home to two of the largest and most prestigious health systems in the United States — UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) and Penn Medicine (University of Pennsylvania Health System) — and both anchor the CRNA market in their respective metros. But Pennsylvania's nurse anesthesia picture is fundamentally shaped by one policy decision the state has not made: the opt-out from CMS's physician supervision requirement.
The national CRNA mean is $248,320 per year (BLS OEWS May 2025), making nurse anesthesia the highest-compensated advanced practice registered nursing specialty. Pennsylvania CRNAs average approximately $232,800, sitting 6–8% below the national figure. A significant driver of that gap is the supervision requirement, which limits the settings where CRNAs can operate independently and compresses the pay range relative to opt-out states like Iowa, Kansas, or New Hampshire where CRNAs practice fully independently.
This page breaks down CRNA pay in Pennsylvania by system, by market (Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia vs. regional), by experience level, and explains exactly what the supervision requirement means for how you'll practice and what you'll earn.
Pennsylvania CRNA Pay by Health System and Setting
Base salary estimates for Pennsylvania CRNAs by setting and system in 2026:
| Setting / System | Market | CRNA Annual (Base) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC (academic centers) | Pittsburgh | $235,000–$275,000 | Presbyterian, Shadyside; complex case mix |
| Penn Medicine / HUP | Philadelphia | $228,000–$265,000 | Hospital of the University of PA |
| Jefferson Health | Philadelphia | $225,000–$255,000 | Thomas Jefferson University Hospital |
| Temple Health | Philadelphia | $218,000–$248,000 | Temple University Hospital |
| Geisinger Health System | Central PA | $210,000–$245,000 | Danville, Wilkes-Barre, State College |
| Lehigh Valley Health | Allentown | $208,000–$242,000 | Large community health system |
| WellSpan Health | York / Lancaster | $205,000–$238,000 | Regional non-profit system |
| ASC / Private Practice | Statewide | $220,000–$285,000+ | Variable; often higher but no benefits |
On-call differentials, weekend and evening premiums, and productivity bonuses can add $15,000–$35,000 on top of base salary at the major academic centers. UPMC CRNAs at the senior level (10+ years experience, specialized subspecialties) have reported total compensation — base, call pay, and bonus — approaching $280,000–$295,000 in Pittsburgh. That said, total compensation figures circulate widely and vary by negotiation; base salary is the more stable number to anchor planning.
Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh: Two Markets, One Supervision Requirement
Pennsylvania's two largest CRNA markets operate on different economic bases. Philadelphia is a higher cost-of-living market — housing costs in the Philadelphia metro are meaningfully higher than Pittsburgh's — but CRNA base pay has historically tracked slightly below Pittsburgh rather than above it. The reason is partly competitive: Philadelphia's larger metropolitan footprint and proximity to major NJ health systems (Camden, Cherry Hill, South Jersey) means more CRNA candidates in the market and more hospital options to push against. Pittsburgh's academic-medicine dominance by a single health system (UPMC controls roughly 40% of the Pittsburgh metro hospital market) creates a different dynamic.
UPMC's scale and integration — 40+ hospitals across Pennsylvania and internationally — means it has both the leverage to set market wages and the case volume to justify CRNA specialization. UPMC Presbyterian, UPMC Shadyside, and UPMC Mercy handle the highest-acuity surgical and transplant caseloads in western PA. CRNAs in these settings working cardiac, liver transplant, or complex neuro cases earn at the top of the UPMC scale and build credentials that transfer to any health system in the country.
Penn Medicine and Jefferson Health anchor the Philadelphia market. Penn's Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) is among the top academic medical centers in the US by NIH funding and transplant volume; Jefferson's Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is the largest employer in Philadelphia and runs a substantial CRNA workforce. Pay at both systems is competitive nationally but sits 4–8% below UPMC's academic peak in Pittsburgh, largely reflecting the broader Philadelphia CRNA market and competitive salary norms rather than any ceiling on what the case complexity warrants.
The Physician Supervision Requirement: What It Means in Practice
Pennsylvania has not exercised the CMS opt-out that allows a governor to waive the federal requirement that CRNAs be supervised by physicians in Medicare-certified facilities. 27 states have exercised this opt-out as of September 2026; Pennsylvania is not one of them. The AANA has long advocated for Pennsylvania to opt out, pointing to evidence from opt-out states showing equivalent or better outcomes and greater rural access to anesthesia, but the state's strong organized medicine lobby has consistently blocked opt-out efforts.
What does this mean at the bedside? In Pennsylvania, CRNAs work within an anesthesia care team model at virtually all major health systems — an anesthesiologist is involved in supervision, even if not physically present during every procedure. The practical supervision burden varies considerably: at some facilities, a supervising anesthesiologist reviews the plan and checks in at critical junctures; at others, more continuous oversight is expected. The legal and regulatory baseline is that physician supervision must be available.
For CRNAs, the supervision requirement has two major practical effects. First, it limits the settings where CRNAs can work independently — freestanding ambulatory surgery centers, rural critical access hospitals, and dental/oral surgery settings that might deploy CRNAs without anesthesiologist oversight in opt-out states often cannot do so in Pennsylvania without significant liability management. Second, it affects negotiating leverage: a CRNA in Iowa or Kansas can be the sole anesthesia provider for a procedure, which commands a different rate than a CRNA working alongside an MD anesthesiologist in a team model.
Jayson's Take: Pennsylvania, Supervision, and What Actually Matters for Pay
The supervision requirement gets talked about in CRNA circles as a major pay suppressor, and it is — to a point. But in my experience looking at this market, the gap between Pennsylvania and the top opt-out states is real but not catastrophic. You're talking about a $15,000–$25,000 difference in total compensation against states where CRNAs have full practice authority, not a 30% gap. At UPMC or Penn Medicine, you're still earning well above $230,000, handling genuinely complex cases, and building credentials in one of the most academically rigorous anesthesia environments in the country.
The bigger issue for Pennsylvania CRNAs isn't the direct pay impact — it's the practice model. If you want to walk into a rural critical access hospital and run the anesthesia service solo, Pennsylvania won't give you that. If you want to work in an ASC with minimal physician oversight, the legal landscape is more complicated here. For CRNAs who want that practice independence, the opt-out states are the better fit, and that's a legitimate career decision. For CRNAs who want to be at a Level I academic center doing complex transplant or cardiac anesthesia with a full team, Pennsylvania's major systems are as good as it gets.
CRNA Education and Market Entry in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is home to several strong CRNA programs. Thomas Jefferson University (Philadelphia) and Villanova University run accredited nurse anesthesia programs in the Philadelphia region. UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh collectively support strong CRNA pipeline pathways in Pittsburgh. The region's density of major academic medical centers gives newly credentialed CRNAs a meaningful range of first employment options — which is both a benefit and a source of market saturation at the entry level.
New CRNA graduates in Pennsylvania can expect entry-level offers in the range of $190,000–$215,000 at major health systems, with the gap between entry and experienced rates being meaningful. A 10-year CRNA at UPMC will typically earn 20–30% more than a new graduate at the same system, reflecting both straight-line experience increases and specialty case qualifications that unlock higher-acuity assignment opportunities.
The CRNA shortage that tightened the national market significantly from 2021–2024 has eased somewhat, but demand for CRNAs in Pennsylvania remains strong — UPMC and Penn Medicine both have ongoing CRNA recruitment campaigns, and the combination of an aging surgical population, ASC volume growth, and persistent difficulty retaining experienced staff keeps the market from softening back to pre-shortage levels.
Locum Tenens and Travel CRNA in Pennsylvania
Travel and locum tenens CRNA rates in Pennsylvania in 2026 are strong for a supervision-required state. Contract rates for travel CRNAs at regional Pennsylvania hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers typically run $200–$260/hour total package (blended taxable and tax-free components), with particularly competitive rates at facilities in central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley that have difficulty competing with UPMC and Penn Medicine for permanent CRNA hires.
The major UPMC and Penn Medicine systems rarely use independent travel CRNAs for core clinical roles — their CRNA workforce strategies rely on permanent employment and per-diem pools, and preferred-vendor agency arrangements when additional coverage is needed. For travel CRNAs looking at Pennsylvania assignments, the best-paying and most accessible contracts tend to be at regional community hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers in suburban Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and outpatient settings.
Pennsylvania is not an eNLC compact state for RNs (and CRNAs hold APRN licenses, which are outside the RN compact structure regardless). CRNAs practicing in Pennsylvania need a valid Pennsylvania CRNP (Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner) or CRNA-specific state license. Travel and locum arrangements require having that Pennsylvania license in hand before starting an assignment.
Model Your Pennsylvania CRNA Take-Home Pay
The agency vs. staff calculator can help you compare total compensation across employed and contract CRNA positions, including the value of benefits packages vs. contractor rates.
Open Calculator →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average CRNA salary in Pennsylvania in 2026?
CRNAs in Pennsylvania average approximately $232,800 per year in 2026, based on Salary.com and ZipRecruiter aggregates for the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh markets. The national CRNA mean is $248,320 (BLS OEWS May 2025); Pennsylvania sits 6–8% below that figure largely because the physician supervision requirement limits CRNA independent practice relative to opt-out states. UPMC CRNAs in Pittsburgh and Penn Medicine CRNAs in Philadelphia anchor the top of the state range.
Does Pennsylvania require physician supervision of CRNAs?
Yes. Pennsylvania has not exercised the CMS opt-out provision that allows state governors to waive physician supervision of CRNAs in Medicare-certified facilities. Under current Pennsylvania law and CMS rules, CRNAs in Pennsylvania must practice under physician supervision. This affects both employment models and, indirectly, compensation relative to full-practice-authority states.
Which Pennsylvania hospitals pay CRNAs the most?
UPMC Presbyterian and UPMC Shadyside in Pittsburgh, along with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia, anchor Pennsylvania's top CRNA pay. These academic medical centers handle the most complex surgical and anesthesia cases in the state. UPMC CRNAs at the senior level have reported total compensation approaching $270,000–$285,000 in the Pittsburgh metro. Penn Medicine is competitive with UPMC but has traditionally run 3–7% below Pittsburgh's peak rates.
How does Pennsylvania CRNA pay compare to New Jersey or Ohio?
New Jersey CRNAs average higher than Pennsylvania — approximately $256,000–$268,000 — partly because NJ has higher cost of living in the Philadelphia metro's NJ suburbs. Ohio CRNAs average approximately $218,000–$228,000, below Pennsylvania. For Pennsylvania CRNAs willing to commute into NJ facilities, the cross-state pay differential can be $15,000–$25,000 annually on base salary alone.
What do travel CRNAs earn in Pennsylvania?
Travel CRNA contracts in Pennsylvania in 2026 typically range from $200–$260 per hour in total package value, depending on the facility, specialty, and urgency of fill. Major hospital systems like UPMC and Penn Medicine rarely use independent travel CRNAs for core clinical roles. The strongest travel CRNA demand in Pennsylvania tends to be at regional community hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers outside the two major metro markets.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025 — Nurse Anesthetists (29-1151) national mean $248,320
- BLS OEWS May 2025 — State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Pennsylvania
- AANA — State Opt-Out Status (CMS supervision waiver), 27 states as of September 2026
- UPMC — System overview, Pittsburgh academic medical center network
- Penn Medicine — Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and system overview
- Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing — CRNP licensure requirements