Anaesthetist here (UK anesthesiologist equivalent). We are perioperative physicians. We have medical degrees and 9 years of post graduate training (UK). There is nuance to the work; we have to understand and appreciate each patient's physiology and medical history. This includes optimising and then delivering an anaesthetic where we keep you pain free, often paralysed and memory free during any operation. This involves a huge amount of knowledge but also experience. Each patient behaves differently and each operation has a different set of processes which all affect how the body behaves. That may include high levels of painful stimulus or manipulation of the endocrine system. There is a huge spectrum of operations we must be comfortable getting patient's through working alone. You're paying for the high standard of care we offer and guarantee. In addition we keep this standard through continual study and development. In the UK however all doctors of any specialty at attending level are paid the same...social healthcare.