Average Salary for Nursing Assistants
SOC 31-1014 · Healthcare Support Occupations · 2018 data
The median annual wage for Nursing Assistants in the United States is $28,540 ($13.72/hr), based on 2018 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $21,290 at the 10th percentile to $39,560 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 1,450,960 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 13.7% since 2014.
Median Annual
$28,540
Mean Annual
$29,580
10th Pct
$21,290
75th Pct
$33,580
Employment
1,450,960
Salary Distribution
$21k
10th
$24k
25th
$29k
Median
$34k
75th
$40k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Ithaca, NY | $40,760 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $39,670 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $39,220 |
| Anchorage, AK | $37,890 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $37,800 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $37,210 |
| Salinas, CA | $37,080 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $36,370 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $35,760 |
| Napa, CA | $35,490 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $35,430 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $35,420 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $35,140 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $35,140 |
| Reno, NV | $35,110 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $38,500 |
| New York | $36,610 |
| Hawaii | $34,870 |
| Nevada | $34,060 |
| North Dakota | $33,980 |
| Minnesota | $33,350 |
| California | $33,070 |
| Connecticut | $32,620 |
| Oregon | $32,350 |
| Massachusetts | $32,310 |
| Colorado | $32,000 |
| New Hampshire | $31,280 |
| Washington | $31,220 |
| District of Columbia | $31,190 |
| Arizona | $30,540 |
| Maryland | $30,230 |
| Pennsylvania | $30,080 |
| Delaware | $30,020 |
| Rhode Island | $30,000 |
| Wyoming | $29,970 |
| Vermont | $29,910 |
| Michigan | $29,710 |
| New Jersey | $29,470 |
| Virgin Islands | $29,280 |
| Wisconsin | $29,240 |
| Montana | $28,820 |
| Iowa | $28,520 |
| Maine | $28,350 |
| Nebraska | $28,280 |
| Guam | $28,110 |
| New Mexico | $27,890 |
| Illinois | $27,860 |
| Utah | $27,650 |
| Virginia | $27,270 |
| Ohio | $27,040 |
| Indiana | $26,830 |
| Idaho | $26,770 |
| South Dakota | $26,300 |
| Kentucky | $26,080 |
| Florida | $26,020 |
| Texas | $25,760 |
| Tennessee | $25,680 |
| Kansas | $25,670 |
| North Carolina | $25,260 |
| West Virginia | $25,180 |
| Georgia | $24,680 |
| Arkansas | $24,610 |
| Oklahoma | $24,530 |
| Missouri | $24,350 |
| South Carolina | $24,190 |
| Alabama | $23,290 |
| Mississippi | $22,480 |
| Louisiana | $22,070 |
| Puerto Rico | $19,200 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Nursing Assistants broken down by industry sector, 2018 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $41,130 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | $41,130 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $39,790 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $39,790 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) | $38,800 |
| Federal government, including the US Postal Service | $38,800 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $35,850 |
| Educational Services | $35,710 |
| Educational Support Services | $34,430 |
| Junior Colleges | $33,980 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding state and local schools and hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OES Designation) | $33,800 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding state and local schools and hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OES Designation) | $33,800 |
| Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers | $32,590 |
| Insurance Carriers | $32,590 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $32,570 |
| Finance and Insurance | $32,360 |
| Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $32,210 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $31,690 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $31,380 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $31,380 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $31,380 |
| State government, including schools and hospitals | $31,240 |
| Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospitals, and the US Postal Service | $31,060 |
| State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) | $31,010 |
| Hospitals | $30,940 |
| Religious Organizations | $30,880 |
| Educational Services | $30,790 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $30,690 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | $30,630 |
| Offices of All Other Health Practitioners | $30,400 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) | $30,350 |
| Offices of Physicians | $30,130 |
| Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | $29,800 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | $29,800 |
| Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories | $29,470 |
| Child Day Care Services | $29,310 |
| Local government, including schools and hospitals | $29,240 |
| Temporary Help Services | $28,880 |
| Employment Services | $28,800 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $28,780 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $28,780 |
| Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | $28,710 |
| Retail Trade | $28,480 |
| All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $28,470 |
| Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities | $28,360 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | $28,360 |
| Food and Beverage Stores | $28,360 |
| Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) | $28,360 |
| Cross-industry, private ownership only | $28,340 |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | $28,300 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | $28,130 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $28,040 |
| Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services | $28,040 |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $28,000 |
| Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers | $27,980 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | $27,840 |
| Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | $27,650 |
| Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists | $27,330 |
| Home Health Care Services | $27,290 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | $27,200 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services | $27,010 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities | $26,410 |
| Other Residential Care Facilities | $26,020 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities | $25,980 |
| Social Assistance | $25,770 |
| Business Schools and Computer and Management Training | $25,700 |
| Individual and Family Services | $25,690 |
| Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities | $25,680 |
| Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) | $25,400 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $24,030 |
| Grantmaking and Giving Services | $22,350 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2018 | $28,540 |
| 2017 | $27,520 |
| 2016 | $26,590 |
| 2015 | $25,710 |
| 2014 | $25,100 |