How much does a nursing assistant make?
a year · about $20 an hour
A typical nursing assistant in the United States makes $42,260 a year, about $20 an hour, about the same as a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
They check on patients, help them wash, dress, use the toilet, move between bed and wheelchair, and eat. They measure things like temperature or blood pressure, note health concerns, and tell nurses what they notice.
Did you know? Surprising but true: U.S. nursing assistants have one of the highest rates of job injuries and illnesses of any occupation.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $33,940 and $51,980How do you become one?
Complete state-approved classroom and supervised clinical training, pass the state knowledge-and-skills exam, and join the nurse-aide registry. Age rules vary: New York allows training at 16 and testing at 17; employers set hiring ages.
School needed: Vocational school or a few years' experience
Good for people who like helping and teaching and building and doing
Why does pay differ?
In the United States, nursing assistants’ pay can vary with experience, extra credentials, location, and employer setting, such as a hospital, nursing home, or home-care service. Full-time versus part-time hours change total earnings, and some healthcare jobs pay extra for night or weekend shifts.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Oregon ($49,830), lowest in Louisiana ($30,510).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
In Japan, a nursing assistant averages $22,472. Nursing assistant salary in Japan
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $33,940 | $42,260 | $51,980 | about 1.4 million |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $49,830 | about 15,000 |
| Washington | $49,180 | about 30,000 |
| New York | $48,590 | about 88,000 |
| New Hampshire | $47,870 | about 8,000 |
| District of Columbia | $47,700 | about 3,000 |
Official definition: 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. May include medication administration and other health-related tasks. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants. Excludes “Home Health Aides” (31-1121), “Personal Care Aides” (31-1122), “Orderlies” (31-1132), and “Psychiatric Aides” (31-1133).
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nursing-assistants.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/31-1131.00
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-G/part-483/subpart-D/section
- www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/career-technical-education/natp-progr
- www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/cwc/supplemental-pay-in-the-healthcare-industry-overtime-pa
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY