Nursing Assistants pay in the U.S.
$42,700avg. a year
$20.53 an hour · 1,448,910 employed
Nursing Assistants in the U.S. earn an average of $42,700 a year and a median of $42,260. Pay is highest in Washington ($52,230) and lowest in Louisiana ($32,250).
$42,260Median pay
$20.53Average hourly
+33%Avg. pay since 2020
1,448,910Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for nursing assistants
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
130,270 jobs
Washington
$52,230
$25.11 an hour
214,800 jobs
Oregon
$52,160
$25.08 an hour
3110,060 jobs
California
$50,190
$24.13 an hour
47,810 jobs
New Hampshire
$49,290
$23.70 an hour
52,060 jobs
Alaska
$48,920
$23.52 an hour
687,990 jobs
New York
$48,800
$23.46 an hour
73,490 jobs
District of Columbia
$47,930
$23.04 an hour
838,130 jobs
Massachusetts
$47,700
$22.93 an hour
98,540 jobs
Maine
$47,510
$22.84 an hour
1022,240 jobs
Colorado
$47,400
$22.79 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Nursing Assistants pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $39k$39k–$42k$42k–$46k$46k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $59,370 | $28.54 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $56,700 | $27.26 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $55,220 | $26.55 |
| Grants Pass, OR | $52,720 | $25.35 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $52,660 | $25.32 |
| Salem, OR | $52,170 | $25.08 |
| Napa, CA | $51,930 | $24.97 |
| Bend, OR | $51,900 | $24.95 |
Related jobs
- Home Health and Personal Care Aides$36,120
- Orderlies$40,660
- Psychiatric Aides$45,690
- Medical Assistants$46,120
- Dental Assistants$50,200
- Phlebotomists$45,520
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Nursing Assistants pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $33,670 | $34,140 | 25,250 |
| Alaska | $48,920 | $46,370 | 2,060 |
| Arizona | $44,820 | $44,780 | 20,320 |
| Arkansas | $33,970 | $34,430 | 17,260 |
| California | $50,190 | $47,630 | 110,060 |
| Colorado | $47,400 | $47,380 | 22,240 |
| Connecticut | $45,440 | $44,790 | 21,380 |
| Delaware | $42,290 | $42,030 | 5,530 |
| District of Columbia | $47,930 | $47,700 | 3,490 |
| Florida | $39,160 | $37,510 | 96,960 |
| Georgia | $38,760 | $37,680 | 43,440 |
| Hawaii | $45,710 | $45,350 | 5,050 |
| Idaho | $39,100 | $38,650 | 7,910 |
| Illinois | $45,230 | $45,960 | 68,640 |
| Indiana | $40,200 | $38,330 | 33,640 |
| Iowa | $41,490 | $39,350 | 22,670 |
| Kansas | $39,730 | $38,010 | 24,610 |
| Kentucky | $39,170 | $38,370 | 23,410 |
| Louisiana | $32,250 | $30,510 | 20,690 |
| Maine | $47,510 | $47,070 | 8,540 |
| Maryland | $43,310 | $43,240 | 27,720 |
| Massachusetts | $47,700 | $46,680 | 38,130 |
| Michigan | $41,490 | $39,570 | 43,290 |
| Minnesota | $46,030 | $46,680 | 29,120 |
| Mississippi | $32,890 | $31,520 | 14,200 |
| Missouri | $38,410 | $37,680 | 34,050 |
| Montana | $43,160 | $40,900 | 4,390 |
| Nebraska | $42,390 | $40,000 | 16,450 |
| Nevada | $44,900 | $45,490 | 8,100 |
| New Hampshire | $49,290 | $47,870 | 7,810 |
| New Jersey | $46,810 | $46,830 | 32,400 |
| New Mexico | $41,400 | $39,390 | 4,750 |
| New York | $48,800 | $48,590 | 87,990 |
| North Carolina | $39,280 | $38,460 | 64,010 |
| North Dakota | $43,330 | $45,820 | 6,840 |
| Ohio | $40,520 | $39,010 | 63,280 |
| Oklahoma | $35,920 | $35,930 | 19,410 |
| Oregon | $52,160 | $49,830 | 14,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $43,960 | $44,590 | 67,740 |
| Rhode Island | $46,360 | $46,440 | 10,220 |
| South Carolina | $37,390 | $37,220 | 21,760 |
| South Dakota | $39,510 | $38,800 | 6,860 |
| Tennessee | $38,230 | $37,990 | 27,040 |
| Texas | $38,780 | $37,500 | 88,680 |
| Utah | $40,450 | $39,840 | 12,260 |
| Vermont | $46,850 | $47,130 | 3,030 |
| Virginia | $42,160 | $43,200 | 40,580 |
| Washington | $52,230 | $49,180 | 30,270 |
| West Virginia | $37,490 | $36,720 | 9,390 |
| Wisconsin | $44,600 | $45,130 | 28,370 |
| Wyoming | $41,470 | $39,160 | 2,830 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$50,810
79,480 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$46,610
45,850 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$49,700
43,090 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$45,820
30,680 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$48,730
26,130 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$45,130
25,520 jobsMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$40,030
23,490 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$40,700
23,420 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do nursing assistants make?
The average is $42,700 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $42,260 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $20.53, and the median is $20.32 an hour.
Which state pays nursing assistants the most?
Washington, with an average of $52,230 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $59,370.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $33,940 a year, and the top 10% earn over $51,980.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 31-1131. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.