Nursing Assistants Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for nursing assistantss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $42,700 ≈ $21/hr
National median salary $42,260
Total employment 1,448,910 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +2.3%
About as fast as average
Annual openings 204,100 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 1,441,500 → 1,474,000 (+32,600)
Typical entry education Postsecondary nondegree award
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$52,230
- Oregon$52,160
- California$50,190
- New Hampshire$49,290
- Alaska$48,920
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Louisiana$32,250
- Mississippi$32,890
- Alabama$33,670
- Arkansas$33,970
- Oklahoma$35,920
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $52,230 | $49,180 | $25 | +22.3% | 30,270 |
| 2 | Oregon | $52,160 | $49,830 | $25 | +22.2% | 14,800 |
| 3 | California | $50,190 | $47,630 | $24 | +17.5% | 110,060 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $49,290 | $47,870 | $24 | +15.4% | 7,810 |
| 5 | Alaska | $48,920 | $46,370 | $24 | +14.6% | 2,060 |
| 6 | New York | $48,800 | $48,590 | $23 | +14.3% | 87,990 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $47,930 | $47,700 | $23 | +12.2% | 3,490 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $47,700 | $46,680 | $23 | +11.7% | 38,130 |
| 9 | Maine | $47,510 | $47,070 | $23 | +11.3% | 8,540 |
| 10 | Colorado | $47,400 | $47,380 | $23 | +11% | 22,240 |
| 11 | Vermont | $46,850 | $47,130 | $23 | +9.7% | 3,030 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $46,810 | $46,830 | $23 | +9.6% | 32,400 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $46,360 | $46,440 | $22 | +8.6% | 10,220 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $46,030 | $46,680 | $22 | +7.8% | 29,120 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $45,710 | $45,350 | $22 | +7% | 5,050 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $45,440 | $44,790 | $22 | +6.4% | 21,380 |
| 17 | Illinois | $45,230 | $45,960 | $22 | +5.9% | 68,640 |
| 18 | Nevada | $44,900 | $45,490 | $22 | +5.2% | 8,100 |
| 19 | Arizona | $44,820 | $44,780 | $22 | +5% | 20,320 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $44,600 | $45,130 | $21 | +4.4% | 28,370 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $43,960 | $44,590 | $21 | +3% | 67,740 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $43,330 | $45,820 | $21 | +1.5% | 6,840 |
| 23 | Maryland | $43,310 | $43,240 | $21 | +1.4% | 27,720 |
| 24 | Montana | $43,160 | $40,900 | $21 | +1.1% | 4,390 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $42,390 | $40,000 | $20 | -0.7% | 16,450 |
| 26 | Delaware | $42,290 | $42,030 | $20 | -1% | 5,530 |
| 27 | Virginia | $42,160 | $43,200 | $20 | -1.3% | 40,580 |
| 28 | Iowa | $41,490 | $39,350 | $20 | -2.8% | 22,670 |
| 29 | Michigan | $41,490 | $39,570 | $20 | -2.8% | 43,290 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $41,470 | $39,160 | $20 | -2.9% | 2,830 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $41,400 | $39,390 | $20 | -3% | 4,750 |
| 32 | Ohio | $40,520 | $39,010 | $19 | -5.1% | 63,280 |
| 33 | Utah | $40,450 | $39,840 | $19 | -5.3% | 12,260 |
| 34 | Indiana | $40,200 | $38,330 | $19 | -5.9% | 33,640 |
| 35 | Kansas | $39,730 | $38,010 | $19 | -7% | 24,610 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $39,510 | $38,800 | $19 | -7.5% | 6,860 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $39,280 | $38,460 | $19 | -8% | 64,010 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $39,170 | $38,370 | $19 | -8.3% | 23,410 |
| 39 | Florida | $39,160 | $37,510 | $19 | -8.3% | 96,960 |
| 40 | Idaho | $39,100 | $38,650 | $19 | -8.4% | 7,910 |
| 41 | Texas | $38,780 | $37,500 | $19 | -9.2% | 88,680 |
| 42 | Georgia | $38,760 | $37,680 | $19 | -9.2% | 43,440 |
| 43 | Missouri | $38,410 | $37,680 | $18 | -10% | 34,050 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $38,230 | $37,990 | $18 | -10.5% | 27,040 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $37,490 | $36,720 | $18 | -12.2% | 9,390 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $37,390 | $37,220 | $18 | -12.4% | 21,760 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $35,920 | $35,930 | $17 | -15.9% | 19,410 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $33,970 | $34,430 | $16 | -20.4% | 17,260 |
| 49 | Alabama | $33,670 | $34,140 | $16 | -21.1% | 25,250 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $32,890 | $31,520 | $16 | -23% | 14,200 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $32,250 | $30,510 | $16 | -24.5% | 20,690 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 517 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $56,840 | $59,370 | 5,350 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $56,080 | $56,700 | 11,790 |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $51,990 | $55,220 | 16,530 |
| 4 | Napa, CA | $50,370 | $51,930 | 460 |
| 5 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $50,350 | $52,660 | 8,890 |
| 6 | Bend, OR | $50,080 | $51,900 | 620 |
| 7 | Boulder, CO | $49,860 | $49,580 | 1,030 |
| 8 | Grants Pass, OR | $49,770 | $52,720 | 420 |
| 9 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $49,270 | $50,810 | 79,480 |
| 10 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $49,240 | $50,260 | 1,250 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing nursing assistantss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $60,710 | $59,410 | 40 |
| 2 | Insurance Carriers | $60,710 | $59,410 | 40 |
| 3 | Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers | $60,710 | $59,410 | 40 |
| 4 | Sector 52 - Finance and Insurance | $60,710 | $59,410 | 40 |
| 5 | Office Administrative Services | $58,390 | $54,600 | — |
| 6 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned | $54,800 | $54,050 | — |
| 7 | Technical and Trade Schools | $54,780 | $52,150 | — |
| 8 | Technical and Trade Schools, Privately Owned | $54,780 | $51,660 | — |
| 9 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $54,080 | $54,690 | 14,560 |
| 10 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $54,080 | $54,690 | 14,560 |
| 11 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Local Government Owned | $48,770 | $51,650 | 80 |
| 12 | Temporary Help Services | $48,360 | $49,070 | 38,420 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do nursing assistants make in the U.S.?
The median nursing assistants salary in the United States is $42,260 per year (mean $42,700), and about 80% earn between $33,940 and $51,980.
How much do nursing assistants make per hour?
Roughly $21 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $42,700 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays nursing assistants the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for nursing assistants at $52,230 per year (median $49,180).
What is the job outlook for nursing assistants?
Employment is projected to change +2.3% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 204,100 openings per year.