How much do nursing assistants make in California?
What nursing assistants earn in California and its metro areas, compared with the rest of the country (May 2025 BLS data).
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Median pay in California
$47,630
a year, or $22.90 an hour. That is 13% more than the national median of $42,260.
The middle half of nursing assistants in California earn $45,850 to $54,800.
Pay range in California
- Bottom 10% earn under
- $40,110
- 25th percentile
- $45,850
- Median
- $47,630
- 75th percentile
- $54,800
- Top 10% earn over
- $61,100
Rank among states
#5 of 50
California pays nursing assistants more than 45 of the other 49 states. Highest: Oregon ($49,830).
Jobs in California
110,060
6.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the state, 0.65× the U.S. concentration.
Nursing Assistant pay in California cities
Metro and rural (nonmetropolitan) areas as BLS defines them.. Click a column to sort.
| Area | Pay a year | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $22.78 | 43,090 | |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $26.96 | 11,790 | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $22.32 | 9,940 | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $23.11 | 9,670 | |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $22.84 | 5,650 | |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $27.33 | 5,350 | |
| Fresno, CA | $21.50 | 3,880 | |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $22.37 | 2,560 | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $22.50 | 2,070 | |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $22.18 | 1,720 | |
| Visalia, CA | $22.51 | 1,530 | |
| Modesto, CA | $22.38 | 1,500 | |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $23.67 | 1,250 | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $22.66 | 1,090 | |
| Salinas, CA | $23.50 | 1,070 | |
| Vallejo, CA | $23.51 | 940 | |
| Chico, CA | $22.30 | 790 | |
| Redding, CA | $21.58 | 760 | |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $22.66 | 670 | |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $23.12 | 640 | |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $22.52 | 610 | |
| Yuba City, CA | $22.18 | 520 | |
| Merced, CA | $21.51 | 500 | |
| Napa, CA | $24.21 | 460 | |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $23.05 | 440 | |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $22.79 | 330 | |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $22.11 | 290 | |
| El Centro, CA | $21.48 | 240 |
States with similar nursing assistant pay
New Hampshire
$47,870
median a year · +1% vs California
Colorado
$47,380
median a year · −1% vs California
Vermont
$47,130
median a year · −1% vs California
Maine
$47,070
median a year · −1% vs California
New Jersey
$46,830
median a year · −2% vs California
Massachusetts
$46,680
median a year · −2% vs California
Other healthcare salaries in California
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
$34,320
median a year · 970,150 jobs
Registered Nurses
$140,270
median a year · 338,940 jobs
Medical Assistants
$49,660
median a year · 117,060 jobs
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
$79,750
median a year · 82,850 jobs
Dental Assistants
$50,110
median a year · 56,220 jobs
Pharmacy Technicians
$55,110
median a year · 39,860 jobs
Pharmacists
$164,610
median a year · 34,030 jobs
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians
$76,010
median a year · 29,210 jobs
Physical Therapists
$124,190
median a year · 26,580 jobs
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other
$60,390
median a year · 26,540 jobs
Physicians, All Other
$281,590
median a year · 25,530 jobs
Nurse Practitioners
$168,520
median a year · 25,120 jobs
Questions about nursing assistant pay in California
How much does a nursing assistant make in California?
Nursing Assistants in California earned a median of $47,630 a year ($22.90 an hour) in May 2025, 13% more than the national median of $42,260. The middle half earned $45,850 to $54,800.
Where in California do nursing assistants earn the most?
Among areas in California, pay was highest in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $56,840.
How does California rank for nursing assistant pay?
California ranks #5 of 50 states for nursing assistants pay. Oregon pays the most, at $49,830 a year. Pay figures don't account for differences in cost of living.
How many nursing assistants work in California?
About 110,060 people worked as nursing assistants in California in May 2025, or 6.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the state.
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All healthcare salaries
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)". Values marked "+" are above the most BLS reports exactly. Pay doesn't reflect cost of living, overtime or shift differentials.