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The national median salary for Nursing Assistants is $42,266 per year ($20.32/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $37,253 and $47,216 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $51,979 per year. There are approximately 1,448,910 nursing assistants employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+2.3%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
204K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
1.4M
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
2% from new growth98% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)
NAICS 623100
534K
$43,000
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
443K
$41,650
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly
NAICS 623300
161K
$39,490
Home Health Care Services
NAICS 621600
71K
$38,040
Employment Services
NAICS 561300
48K
$47,810
Wage range across top 5 industries: $38,040 to $47,810 (26% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$16.32
$33,946
P25
$17.91
$37,253
P50MEDIAN
$20.32
$42,266
P75
$22.70
$47,216
P90
$24.99
$51,979
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.4%
Quits Rate
1.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance openings rebounded to 1.36M (+87K) in March with rate at 5.4%. Hires rose to 700K (+75K). The sector remains structurally tight; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average nursing assistants salary?
The national median salary for Nursing Assistants is $42,266 per year ($20.32/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $37,253 and $47,216 annually.
How much do top-earning nursing assistants make?
The 90th percentile salary for Nursing Assistants is $51,979 per year ($24.99/hr). The 75th percentile is $47,216 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for nursing assistants?
Entry-level Nursing Assistants (10th percentile) earn approximately $33,946 per year ($16.32/hr). The 25th percentile is $37,253 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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