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Diploma · national qualification

Diploma of Anaesthetic Technology and Practice

Anaesthetic technicians work alongside anaesthetists, getting patients ready for anaesthesia, watching them while it is given and helping manage their airway if something goes wrong.

Compare 3 providers
Illustration of a person working as anaesthetic Technician
How long it takes
1 to 2 years
typical for this level
What it costs
From $18,925
Subsidised at TAFE Queensland, full fee up to $24,040
How you can study
Online or on campus
Main job
Anaesthetic Technician
$80,600 (estimate) median pay
Taught by
3 providers
4 states and territories

Is this course right for you?

What the Diploma of Anaesthetic Technology and Practice asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

  • a calm manner around people who are nervous
  • an interest in how the body responds to anaesthesia
  • good communication skills with patients and colleagues
  • careful attention to detail with equipment and medications

Before you start

There are no entry requirements for this qualification.

Where this course can take you

Jobs this qualification is a recognised route into, and the study that can follow it.

Jobs you can do with it

  • Anaesthetic Technician

    Anaesthetic technicians prepare, check and run the anaesthetic machine, monitors and airway equipment during surgery, supporting the anaesthetist while a patient is under anaesthesia.

    What else you need

    Complete required clinical workplace hours and work under the direction of anaesthetists; this is not a medical practitioner qualification.

    Median pay$80,600 (estimate)

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list. Pay marked as an estimate is our own analysis, not a published figure.

What it costs

Subsidised place

From $18,925

at TAFE Queensland. Whether you get a subsidised place depends on your state, residency, age and earlier study.

Paying the full fee

$24,040

across the TAFEs listed below. Private providers set their own fees.

  • TAFE QueenslandQLD

    Subsidised
    $18,925
    Concession
    $17,375
    Full fee
    $24,040

Fees as each TAFE shows them on its website, read 20 September 2026. Private providers set their own fees.

Where you can study this course

There are 3 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.

What you’ll learn

17 units: 15 that everyone takes and 2 you choose.

  • Preparing patients for anaesthesia
  • Monitoring during anaesthesia
  • Airway management
  • Responding to anaesthesia emergencies
  • Anaesthetic equipment and supplies
  • Infection prevention and control
See all 15 core units

Core units

Everyone completes these. Select a unit to see what it covers.

  • Loading the details for CHCCOM005…

Questions to ask before you enrol

Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.

  1. When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
  2. What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
  3. Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
  4. Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?

Questions people ask

Who is this qualification for?

It prepares you for work as an anaesthetic technician, supporting anaesthetists while patients are readied for anaesthesia, monitored as it is given, and helped with airway management if something goes wrong. You work in consultation with and under the direction of anaesthetists. Roles it leads to include Anaesthetic Technician, Cardiac Technician, Operating Theatre Technician, Pathology Collector and Pharmacy Technician.

Do I need experience or other qualifications first?

There are no entry requirements for this qualification. Individual providers can set their own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.

Related courses

The national training register, training.gov.au. TAFE course pages, read 20 September 2026. Google reviews. Pay and shortage status from Jobs and Skills Australia.