SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff. Perform duties such as monitoring of health status, feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, or ambulation of patients in a health or nursing facility. May include medication administration and other health-related tasks. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants. Excludes “Home Health Aides” (31-1121), “Personal Care Aides” (31-1122), “Orderlies” (31-1132), and “Psychiatric Aides” (31-1133).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 31-1131.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $33,940 | $2,828 | $653 | $16.32 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $37,260 | $3,105 | $717 | $17.91 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $42,260 | $3,522 | $813 | $20.32 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $47,220 | $3,935 | $908 | $22.70 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $51,980 | $4,332 | $1,000 | $24.99 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Nursing Assistants is $42,260, which is 17% lower. Among the 17 occupations of the field Healthcare Support, it ranks number 10 by median pay. With 1,448,910 jobs, it makes up about 93 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Nursing Assistants pay by state
The highest median pay was in Oregon ($49,830), Washington ($49,180) and New York ($48,590). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($22,850), Louisiana ($30,510) and Mississippi ($31,520). The most jobs were in California (110,060), Florida (96,960) and Texas (88,680). The occupation is most concentrated in Rhode Island, where its share of all jobs is 2.2 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 14,800 | $49,830 | $52,160 | $23.96 |
| Washington | 30,270 | $49,180 | $52,230 | $23.65 |
| New York | 87,990 | $48,590 | $48,800 | $23.36 |
| New Hampshire | 7,810 | $47,870 | $49,290 | $23.02 |
| District of Columbia | 3,490 | $47,700 | $47,930 | $22.93 |
| California | 110,060 | $47,630 | $50,190 | $22.90 |
| Colorado | 22,240 | $47,380 | $47,400 | $22.78 |
| Vermont | 3,030 | $47,130 | $46,850 | $22.66 |
| Maine | 8,540 | $47,070 | $47,510 | $22.63 |
| New Jersey | 32,400 | $46,830 | $46,810 | $22.52 |
| Massachusetts | 38,130 | $46,680 | $47,700 | $22.44 |
| Minnesota | 29,120 | $46,680 | $46,030 | $22.44 |
| Rhode Island | 10,220 | $46,440 | $46,360 | $22.33 |
| Alaska | 2,060 | $46,370 | $48,920 | $22.29 |
| Illinois | 68,640 | $45,960 | $45,230 | $22.10 |
| North Dakota | 6,840 | $45,820 | $43,330 | $22.03 |
| Nevada | 8,100 | $45,490 | $44,900 | $21.87 |
| Hawaii | 5,050 | $45,350 | $45,710 | $21.80 |
| Wisconsin | 28,370 | $45,130 | $44,600 | $21.70 |
| Connecticut | 21,380 | $44,790 | $45,440 | $21.53 |
| Arizona | 20,320 | $44,780 | $44,820 | $21.53 |
| Pennsylvania | 67,740 | $44,590 | $43,960 | $21.44 |
| Maryland | 27,720 | $43,240 | $43,310 | $20.79 |
| Virginia | 40,580 | $43,200 | $42,160 | $20.77 |
| Delaware | 5,530 | $42,030 | $42,290 | $20.21 |
| Montana | 4,390 | $40,900 | $43,160 | $19.67 |
| Nebraska | 16,450 | $40,000 | $42,390 | $19.23 |
| Utah | 12,260 | $39,840 | $40,450 | $19.15 |
| Michigan | 43,290 | $39,570 | $41,490 | $19.03 |
| New Mexico | 4,750 | $39,390 | $41,400 | $18.94 |
| Iowa | 22,670 | $39,350 | $41,490 | $18.92 |
| Wyoming | 2,830 | $39,160 | $41,470 | $18.83 |
| Ohio | 63,280 | $39,010 | $40,520 | $18.76 |
| South Dakota | 6,860 | $38,800 | $39,510 | $18.65 |
| Idaho | 7,910 | $38,650 | $39,100 | $18.58 |
| North Carolina | 64,010 | $38,460 | $39,280 | $18.49 |
| Kentucky | 23,410 | $38,370 | $39,170 | $18.45 |
| Indiana | 33,640 | $38,330 | $40,200 | $18.43 |
| Kansas | 24,610 | $38,010 | $39,730 | $18.27 |
| Tennessee | 27,040 | $37,990 | $38,230 | $18.27 |
| Georgia | 43,440 | $37,680 | $38,760 | $18.12 |
| Missouri | 34,050 | $37,680 | $38,410 | $18.11 |
| Florida | 96,960 | $37,510 | $39,160 | $18.03 |
| Texas | 88,680 | $37,500 | $38,780 | $18.03 |
| Virgin Islands | 110 | $37,240 | $38,310 | $17.90 |
| South Carolina | 21,760 | $37,220 | $37,390 | $17.90 |
| West Virginia | 9,390 | $36,720 | $37,490 | $17.66 |
| Oklahoma | 19,410 | $35,930 | $35,920 | $17.27 |
| Arkansas | 17,260 | $34,430 | $33,970 | $16.55 |
| Alabama | 25,250 | $34,140 | $33,670 | $16.41 |
| Mississippi | 14,200 | $31,520 | $32,890 | $15.15 |
| Louisiana | 20,690 | $30,510 | $32,250 | $14.67 |
| Puerto Rico | 430 | $22,850 | $28,520 | $10.99 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Medical Assistants$45,690 a year
- Phlebotomists$45,230 a year
- Psychiatric Aides$44,910 a year
- Medical Transcriptionists$40,410 a year
- Occupational Therapy Aides$39,160 a year
- Orderlies$38,290 a year
Common questions
How much do Nursing Assistants earn in the United States?
The median pay was $42,260 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $33,940 and the highest-paid 10% more than $51,980.
How many people work as Nursing Assistants?
About 1,448,910 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.