Nursing Assistants

Healthcare Support • Healthcare & Medical Careers

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).

Typical Salary (Median)
$39,530
(2024 BLS data)
Half earn more, half earn less
Average Salary (Mean)
$41,270
Mathematical average of all salaries
National Employment
1,388,430
Education Required
Postsecondary certificate
BLS Code: 311131

Understanding Salary Statistics: The typical salary (median) shows what a middle-of-the-road Nursing Assistants earns, making it useful for salary negotiations. The average salary (mean) can be higher due to top earners and is often used in industry reports.

Salary Distribution

National salary ranges for Nursing Assistants (2024)

10th Percentile
$31,390
25th Percentile
$36,260
75th Percentile
$46,070
90th Percentile
$50,140

Highest Paying Metropolitan Areas

Top 10 metro areas with the highest salaries for Nursing Assistants

1
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
4,910 employed
$58,190
View details →
2
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
10,750 employed
$57,400
View details →
3
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
14,910 employed
$52,500
View details →
4
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
7,600 employed
$50,580
View details →

Top Industries

Industries with the most Nursing Assistants positions

1
Cross-industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local Government
1,388,430
$41,270 avg
2
Sector 62 - Health Care and Social Assistance
1,267,150
$40,830 avg
3
Cross-industry, Private Ownership Only
1,261,890
$41,050 avg
4
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
655,380
$40,390 avg
5
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)
492,050
$40,650 avg

Work Environment

Nursing home Hospital

Career Overview

💼 About This Career

Nursing Assistants professionals work in healthcare & medical careers, specifically in healthcare support. This role typically requires postsecondary certificate and offers a median salary of $39,530.

📊 Job Market Outlook

The job growth outlook for Nursing Assistants is rated as Moderate. Currently, there are approximately 1,388,430 people employed in this occupation nationwide.

Related Skills & Keywords

CNA nursing assistant nurse aide

Related Careers

Similar careers in Healthcare Support

Medical Assistants

$44k

Postsecondary certificate

Home Health and Personal Care Aides

$35k

High school diploma

Related by occupation classification

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

$62k

Code: 292061

Home Health and Personal Care Aides

$35k

Code: 311120
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Data Source: Salary and employment statistics are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program , 2024 data. Historical trends show changes over time. Individual results may vary based on experience, location, and employer.