Nursing Assistants Salary
Healthcare Support Occupations · 1.4M employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$42,260
Median hourly
$20
Average annual
$42,700
Typical range
$33,940–$51,980
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Nursing Assistants is $42,260 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $20 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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.
Most earn between $33,940 and $51,980 a year. There are roughly 1.4M people employed as nursing assistants in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Nursing Assistants.
- Hourly
- $20.32
- Daily
- $163
- Weekly
- $813
- Bi-weekly
- $1,625
- Monthly
- $3,522
- Annual
- $42,260
$42,260 a year is around the 50th percentile for Nursing Assistantss. The median is $42,260.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Oregon$49,830
- 2Washington$49,180
- 3New York$48,590
- 4New Hampshire$47,870
- 5District of Columbia$47,700
- 6California$47,630
- 7Colorado$47,380
- 8Vermont$47,130
- 9Maine$47,070
- 10New Jersey$46,830
- 11Massachusetts$46,680
- 12Minnesota$46,680
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$56,840
- 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$56,080
- 3Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$51,990
- 4Napa, CA$50,370
- 5Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$50,350
- 6Bend, OR$50,080
- 7Boulder, CO$49,860
- 8Grants Pass, OR$49,770
- 9New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$49,270
- 10Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$49,240
- 11Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$49,160
- 12Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$49,110
Related job titles
Employers advertise Nursing Assistants roles under these titles.
- Birth Attendant
- Certified Medication Aide (CMA)
- Certified Nurse Aide (CNA)
- Certified Nurses Aide (CNA)
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
- Certified Nursing Attendant (CNA)
- Certified Residential Medication Aide (CRMA)
- Clinical Assistant
- Competency Evaluated Nurse Aide (CENA)
- First Aid Attendant
- Geriatric Nursing Assistant (GNA)
- Gericare Aide
- Health Aide
- Health Care Aide
- Health Care Assistant
- Health Service Worker
Related occupations
What a Nursing Assistants does
- Measure and record food and liquid intake or urinary and fecal output, reporting changes to medical or nursing staff.
- Undress, wash, and dress patients who are unable to do so for themselves.
- Record vital signs, such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration rate, as directed by medical or nursing staff.
- Restock patient rooms with personal hygiene items, such as towels, washcloths, soap, or toilet paper.
- Provide information, such as directions, visiting hours, or patient status information to visitors or callers.
- Turn or reposition bedridden patients.
- Review patients' dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences to ensure patient receives appropriate diet.
- Lift or assist others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Nursing Assistants make?
- The median annual wage for Nursing Assistants is $42,260 ($20 per hour). Pay ranges from about $33,940 at the 10th percentile to $51,980 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Nursing Assistants?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $42,700, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Nursing Assistantss the most?
- Oregon has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $49,830.
- Is Nursing Assistants a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 1.4M people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Nursing Assistants do?
- Measure and record food and liquid intake or urinary and fecal output, reporting changes to medical or nursing staff.; Undress, wash, and dress patients who are unable to do so for themselves.; Record vital signs, such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration rate, as directed by medical or nursing staff..