Why We Built a CRNA Salary Calculator
If you’ve ever Googled “CRNA salary in Texas” or “How much do nurse anesthetists make?”, you’ve probably landed on outdated, vague, or inflated numbers. And while job boards toss around pay estimates, the AANA compensation data may be a little hard to decipher and truth is: most CRNAs don’t know what they should be making…until it’s too late.
At Lokum App, we wanted to fix that.
So last year, with help from our community of CRNAs and machine learning mentors at Google, we started building something better:
The **first AI-powered CRNA Salary Calculator…**designed by CRNAs, for CRNAs, and powered by real-world data.
Now, we’re rolling it out in Texas, one of the most dynamic and complex labor markets in the country. Our goal? To deliver pay transparency that’s actually accurate, while giving CRNAs a tool they can trust to make informed job decisions.
How the Calculator Works (And How You Can Help Improve It)
The calculator lives at:
👉 CRNASalaryCalculator.lokumapp.com
It’s simple, free, and anonymous. Here’s what to expect:
- Answer a few quick questions about your job: state, employment type, setting, call schedule, etc.
- Get a personalized estimate for both annual salary and hourly rate.
- Tell us how close we got by submitting your real salary (we need this anonymous data to optimize accuracy).
- We feed that back into the model to improve accuracy for the next CRNA.
This isn’t just a calculator. It’s a living, learning tool, designed to get smarter with every data point CRNAs contribute.
Why We’re Starting in Texas
Texas is a perfect storm of variability: high-density metro areas, rural facilities, major health systems, independent groups, and a wild mix of W2 and 1099 models.
That diversity makes it the ideal test market.
🎯 “Our #1 priority is accuracy. The CRNAs in Texas will help us train this calculator to reflect reality—not just national averages.”
Where the Data Comes From
We didn’t pull numbers from thin air.
This tool was built on:
- Real world responses from CRNAs across the U.S.
- 25,000 rows of Gaswork data processed by our diligent data interns
- Beureau of Labor Statistics data from 2023
- Machine learning techniques guided by experts from our time and tenure in the Google for Startups Accelerator
The AI model uses those inputs to create a calculator that estimates your salary based on role, state, schedule, call requirements, and more. Then, as CRNAs submits their actual pay, we re-score and refine the results.
It’s how we’re building the most realistic, up-to-date CRNA compensation database available.
What We’re Learning So Far
Even in early stages, we’re seeing trends emerge:
- 1099 roles typically outpay W2 by 20–25%, but that margin varies by call and location.
- New grads are often offered lower rates, but rarely see how their actual pay stacks up.
- Transparency matters: Some well-paying jobs are overlooked because the rate isn’t posted.
- Job structure affects value: 8s with no call aren’t equal to 12s with trauma.
You deserve tools that reflect the full picture…not just “average CRNA salary” headlines.
Why Your Real Salary Matters (Even Anonymously)
Submitting your real salary helps us train the calculator. The more data we receive, the better we get at:
- Adjusting regional modifiers
- Identifying inflation or underpayment trends
- Helping CRNAs avoid bad offers before they waste time applying
We never ask for your name. We don’t publish individual data. But your input helps make the entire profession smarter about money.
Our Broader Goal: Fix the CRNA Job Search
The salary calculator is just the start.
Lokum App was built to help CRNAs find jobs that fit—with pay visibility, streamlined credentialing, and direct employer messaging.
This calculator makes our platform—and your decisions—even stronger.
💬 “Too many CRNAs are making decisions using outdated or inflated salary benchmarks-and it’s costing them real opportunities.”
We believe that pay transparency creates leverage. But transparency only matters if the data is real, and that’s what we’re building together.
Try It, Test It, Tell Us the Truth
You can start now in under 60 seconds.
Try it. Tell us if we nailed it—or missed. Then help us make it better for the next CRNA.
Want updates as the calculator improves?
Sign up for our newsletter, Career Compass, inside Lokum App to stay in the loop on pay trends, market changes, and CRNA career insights.