occupation · 31-1131 · detailed
Nursing Assistants — wages and employment
Nursing Assistants earned a median annual wage of $39,530 in the United States in May 2024, with 1,388,430 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Nursing Assistants earned a median annual wage of $39,530 in the United States in May 2024, with 1,388,430 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $31,390 or less, the best-paid tenth $50,140 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $38,200 to $39,530, +3.5 %. The best-paying state is Oregon at $48,390; the lowest Puerto Rico at $20,470. Among metropolitan areas, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the highest median, $56,220. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 1,388,430 | $39,530 | $41,270 | $31,390 | $36,260 | $46,070 | $50,140 | $19.01 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 1,351,760 | $38,200 | $39,610 | $30,020 | $34,990 | $44,540 | $48,780 | $18.36 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $48,390 | 12,800 |
| Washington | $48,260 | 28,080 |
| New York | $47,390 | 85,310 |
| District of Columbia | $46,860 | 2,550 |
| California | $46,420 | 102,380 |
| New Hampshire | $46,050 | 7,190 |
| Alaska | $45,840 | 1,660 |
| Maine | $45,640 | 8,590 |
| Minnesota | $45,580 | 26,970 |
| Massachusetts | $45,410 | 38,280 |
| Nevada | $45,060 | 8,670 |
| Colorado | $44,950 | 20,880 |
| New Jersey | $44,910 | 31,310 |
| Hawaii | $44,830 | 4,620 |
| Illinois | $44,750 | 64,660 |
| Connecticut | $44,500 | 21,390 |
| North Dakota | $44,190 | 6,920 |
| Rhode Island | $44,160 | 8,450 |
| Vermont | $43,610 | 3,140 |
| Wisconsin | $43,250 | 27,480 |
| Arizona | $41,980 | 17,350 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,110 | 65,410 |
| Virgin Islands | $41,090 | 120 |
| Maryland | $40,000 | 24,230 |
| Montana | $39,300 | 4,800 |
| Delaware | $39,240 | 5,660 |
| Michigan | $38,900 | 40,230 |
| Virginia | $38,790 | 42,760 |
| Iowa | $38,630 | 22,970 |
| Nebraska | $38,620 | 16,490 |
| Ohio | $38,570 | 62,360 |
| Utah | $38,500 | 12,350 |
| Wyoming | $38,360 | 2,680 |
| South Dakota | $38,070 | 6,520 |
| North Carolina | $37,670 | 61,280 |
| Idaho | $37,530 | 7,340 |
| Indiana | $37,330 | 31,240 |
| Kentucky | $37,330 | 22,910 |
| Missouri | $37,170 | 32,650 |
| New Mexico | $37,030 | 4,600 |
| Kansas | $36,910 | 23,950 |
| Florida | $36,850 | 91,280 |
| Tennessee | $36,750 | 23,030 |
| Georgia | $36,570 | 42,460 |
| Texas | $36,390 | 87,050 |
| South Carolina | $36,370 | 21,000 |
| West Virginia | $36,340 | 8,860 |
| Oklahoma | $35,040 | 19,860 |
| Guam | $32,970 | 240 |
| Alabama | $32,470 | 24,560 |
| Arkansas | $31,990 | 17,620 |
| Mississippi | $30,460 | 13,130 |
| Louisiana | $30,240 | 20,550 |
| Puerto Rico | $20,470 | 770 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $56,220 | 4,910 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $53,990 | 10,750 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $50,690 | 14,910 |
| Boulder, CO | $49,390 | 1,010 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $48,520 | 7,600 |
| Grants Pass, OR | $48,300 | 380 |
| Salem, OR | $48,280 | 1,330 |
| Napa, CA | $48,070 | 380 |
| Bellingham, WA | $47,860 | 720 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $47,810 | 77,360 |
| Vallejo, CA | $47,590 | 870 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $47,580 | 1,290 |
| Bend, OR | $47,560 | 490 |
| Salinas, CA | $47,500 | 970 |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | $47,450 | 690 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $47,430 | 3,320 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $47,420 | 900 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $47,390 | 1,130 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $47,220 | 510 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $47,140 | 450 |
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