As of July 18, 2026, there are 4,718 NCCAA Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAAs). The number of CAAs is NCCAA’s primary measure of the profession’s growth. Student and program counts come from the accredited education programs; exam counts come from each administration.
- 4,718Certified Anesthesiologist Assistantsas of July 18, 2026
- 1,585Students enrolled
- 1,323Exams administered in 2025524 Certification · 799 CDQ
Growth of the profession.
CAAs newly certified each year since 2006, with the cumulative number ever certified.
Newly certified each year (left axis)Cumulative CAAs certified (right axis)
Year of initial certification, July 18, 2026. The 2026 bar is a partial year. “Cumulative” counts everyone ever certified; the headline figure counts those currently certified.
All years since 1992
| Year | Newly certified | Still active today | Cumulative certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 97 | 57 | 97 |
| 1993 | 26 | 22 | 123 |
| 1994 | 21 | 13 | 144 |
| 1995 | 20 | 19 | 164 |
| 1996 | 29 | 24 | 193 |
| 1997 | 27 | 23 | 220 |
| 1998 | 32 | 27 | 252 |
| 1999 | 41 | 38 | 293 |
| 2000 | 30 | 24 | 323 |
| 2001 | 34 | 25 | 357 |
| 2002 | 40 | 37 | 397 |
| 2003 | 37 | 35 | 434 |
| 2004 | 38 | 35 | 472 |
| 2005 | 43 | 42 | 515 |
| 2006 | 50 | 47 | 565 |
| 2007 | 60 | 55 | 625 |
| 2008 | 97 | 94 | 722 |
| 2009 | 113 | 111 | 835 |
| 2010 | 107 | 104 | 942 |
| 2011 | 130 | 122 | 1,072 |
| 2012 | 167 | 161 | 1,239 |
| 2013 | 181 | 174 | 1,420 |
| 2014 | 195 | 190 | 1,615 |
| 2015 | 208 | 206 | 1,823 |
| 2016 | 196 | 194 | 2,019 |
| 2017 | 207 | 202 | 2,226 |
| 2018 | 231 | 228 | 2,457 |
| 2019 | 237 | 232 | 2,694 |
| 2020 | 250 | 249 | 2,944 |
| 2021 | 262 | 260 | 3,206 |
| 2022 | 299 | 299 | 3,505 |
| 2023 | 319 | 318 | 3,824 |
| 2024 | 381 | 379 | 4,205 |
| 2025 | 485 | 485 | 4,690 |
| 2026 partial year: through 2026-07-18 | 182 | 182 | 4,872 |
Exams administered.
| Year | Certification Exams | CDQ Exams | Total exams |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 partial: through the February 2026 administration; June 2026 not yet released in this extract | 184 | 263 | 447 |
| 2025 | 524 | 799 | 1,323 |
| 2024 | 426 | 730 | 1,156 |
| 2023 | 348 | 441 | 789 |
| 2022 | 327 | 436 | 763 |
Exams taken (sittings with a result on file), by calendar year. See exam results for pass rates.