facebook tracking Nursing Assistant salary 2025: how much nursing assistants make, by state and city

How much do nursing assistants make?

What nursing assistants earn across the U.S., in every state and in the top-paying metro areas (May 2025 BLS data).

May 2025BLS OEWSSOC 31-1131
Pay in your state
Most jobs California Florida Texas New York Illinois Pennsylvania
Median pay in the U.S.
$42,260

a year, or $20.32 an hour, for nursing assistants nationally. The average (mean) is $42,700 ($20.53 an hour).

The middle half earn $37,260 to $47,220. Median means half earn more and half earn less.

Pay range, U.S.
Bottom 10% earn under
$33,940
25th percentile
$37,260
Median
$42,260
75th percentile
$47,220
Top 10% earn over
$51,980
Jobs nationally
1,448,910

Nursing Assistants employed across the U.S.. Most work in California, Florida, Texas.

Highest-paying state
Oregon

$49,830 a year. Lowest: Louisiana at $30,510.

Nursing Assistant pay in Oregon

Nursing Assistant pay by state

Darker states pay more. Select a state for its cities and how it compares.

Nursing Assistants pay by state (median a year, May 2025)

AK$46k ME$47k VT$47k NH$48k WA$49k ID$39k MT$41k ND$46k MN$47k IL$46k WI$45k MI$40k NY$49k RI$46k MA$47k OR$50k NV$45k WY$39k SD$39k IA$39k IN$38k OH$39k PA$45k NJ$47k CT$45k CA$48k UT$40k CO$47k NE$40k MO$38k KY$38k WV$37k VA$43k MD$43k DE$42k AZ$45k NM$39k KS$38k AR$34k TN$38k NC$38k SC$37k OK$36k LA$31k MS$32k AL$34k GA$38k HI$45k TX$38k FL$38k

Nursing Assistant salary in every state

Pay a year is the median, or the average where BLS publishes no median (marked "(avg)"). Click a column to sort.

State Pay a year Hourly Jobs Per 1,000 jobs
Alabama $34,140 $16.41 25,250 11.95
Alaska $46,370 $22.29 2,060 6.33
Arizona $44,780 $21.53 20,320 6.27
Arkansas $34,430 $16.55 17,260 13.24
California $47,630 $22.90 110,060 6.04
Colorado $47,380 $22.78 22,240 7.74
Connecticut $44,790 $21.53 21,380 12.6
Delaware $42,030 $20.21 5,530 11.4
Florida $37,510 $18.03 96,960 9.77
Georgia $37,680 $18.12 43,440 8.89
Hawaii $45,350 $21.80 5,050 8.05
Idaho $38,650 $18.58 7,910 9.23
Illinois $45,960 $22.10 68,640 11.26
Indiana $38,330 $18.43 33,640 10.51
Iowa $39,350 $18.92 22,670 14.54
Kansas $38,010 $18.27 24,610 17.12
Kentucky $38,370 $18.45 23,410 11.7
Louisiana $30,510 $14.67 20,690 10.69
Maine $47,070 $22.63 8,540 13.34
Maryland $43,240 $20.79 27,720 10.03
Massachusetts $46,680 $22.44 38,130 10.48
Michigan $39,570 $19.03 43,290 9.83
Minnesota $46,680 $22.44 29,120 9.87
Mississippi $31,520 $15.15 14,200 12.21
Missouri $37,680 $18.11 34,050 11.6
Montana $40,900 $19.67 4,390 8.58
Nebraska $40,000 $19.23 16,450 16.06
Nevada $45,490 $21.87 8,100 5.22
New Hampshire $47,870 $23.02 7,810 11.42
New Jersey $46,830 $22.52 32,400 7.56
New Mexico $39,390 $18.94 4,750 5.45
New York $48,590 $23.36 87,990 9.08
North Carolina $38,460 $18.49 64,010 12.95
North Dakota $45,820 $22.03 6,840 15.92
Ohio $39,010 $18.76 63,280 11.4
Oklahoma $35,930 $17.27 19,410 11.37
Oregon $49,830 $23.96 14,800 7.52
Pennsylvania $44,590 $21.44 67,740 11.17
Rhode Island $46,440 $22.33 10,220 20.38
South Carolina $37,220 $17.90 21,760 9.44
South Dakota $38,800 $18.65 6,860 15.0
Tennessee $37,990 $18.27 27,040 8.25
Texas $37,500 $18.03 88,680 6.3
Utah $39,840 $19.15 12,260 7.06
Vermont $47,130 $22.66 3,030 9.98
Virginia $43,200 $20.77 40,580 9.87
Washington $49,180 $23.65 30,270 8.53
West Virginia $36,720 $17.66 9,390 13.38
Wisconsin $45,130 $21.70 28,370 9.64
Wyoming $39,160 $18.83 2,830 10.08
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Top-paying metro areas for nursing assistants

Metro areas with at least 50 nursing assistants, by pay a year. Rural (nonmetropolitan) areas are not included.

Metro areaPay a yearHourlyJobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $56,840 $27.33 5,350
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $56,080 $26.96 11,790
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $51,990 $25.00 16,530
Napa, CA $50,370 $24.21 460
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $50,350 $24.21 8,890
Bend, OR $50,080 $24.08 620
Boulder, CO $49,860 $23.97 1,030
Grants Pass, OR $49,770 $23.93 420
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $49,270 $23.69 79,480
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $49,240 $23.67 1,250
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA $49,160 $23.63 850
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $49,110 $23.61 10,350
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA $49,020 $23.57 500
Vallejo, CA $48,900 $23.51 940
Vineland, NJ $48,890 $23.51 770

Metro areas with the most nursing assistants

Metro areaJobsPay a year
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 79,480 $49,270
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 45,850 $46,940
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 43,090 $47,380
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 30,680 $46,220
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 26,130 $47,590
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 25,520 $45,730
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 23,490 $38,010
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 23,420 $38,530
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 23,260 $39,350
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 19,230 $37,970
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 17,300 $39,900
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 16,530 $51,990
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 15,120 $37,470
St. Louis, MO-IL 14,620 $39,110
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 14,590 $48,020

Related jobs

Other jobs in nursing, with national pay a year.

Registered Nurses $97,550 median a year · 3,379,720 jobs Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $64,400 median a year · 648,410 jobs Orderlies $38,290 median a year · 52,440 jobs Psychiatric Aides $44,910 median a year · 35,520 jobs

Questions about nursing assistant pay

How much does a nursing assistant make?

The median pay for nursing assistants in the U.S. was $42,260 a year ($20.32 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $37,260 and $47,220.

Which states pay nursing assistants the most?

The highest pay was in Oregon ($49,830), Washington ($49,180), New York ($48,590), New Hampshire ($47,870), California ($47,630). The lowest was in Louisiana ($30,510), Mississippi ($31,520), Alabama ($34,140).

How much do the highest-paid nursing assistants make?

The best-paid 10% of nursing assistants earned more than $51,980 a year, while the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $33,940. Pay usually rises with experience, specialty, shift and location.

Which city pays nursing assistants the most?

Among metro areas with at least 50 nursing assistants, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the most, with median pay of $56,840 a year (May 2025).

How many nursing assistants are there in the U.S.?

About 1,448,910 people were employed as nursing assistants in May 2025.

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, all industries. Median pay is the middle wage; where BLS publishes no median, the average (mean) is shown, marked "(avg)". BLS doesn't publish exact figures above its reporting limit; those are shown with a "+". Metro areas with fewer than 50 jobs in this occupation are left out. Pay doesn't reflect cost of living, overtime or shift differentials.