What is the salary range for entry-level nursing assistants in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?

Entry-level Nursing Assistants (10th percentile) in Denver-Aurora-Centennial earn approximately $41,912 per year. The 25th percentile is $46,218.

How competitive is the health talent market right now?

Based on JOLTS June 2026 data, the health sector has an openings rate of 5.3% and a quit rate of 1.9%. Health Care & Social Assistance openings fell 147K to 1.35M in June, rate down from 5.9% to 5.3% -- the sector's biggest monthly cooling this year, though it remains the second-tightest market. Quits edged up to 1.9%; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.

Nursing Assistants Salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial

SOC 31-1131 · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO · BLS OEWS May 2025

Median Annual Salary

$49,109

$23.61/hr

16.2% higher than the US national median ($42,266)

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Nursing Assistants salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$42K

P25$46K

P50$49K

P75$51K

P90$57K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

🔥

Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- health care job openings are running at 5.3% (JOLTS, June 2026), a tight market. Candidates have leverage, so a competitive offer sits at or above the median; below-median offers often will not close.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in health care are rising about 3.6% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 3.2-3.7% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $49,109 to $51,251 (market median to the 75th percentile). Lean toward the top of the range for senior or hard-to-fill roles.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Nursing Assistants pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 6.9% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.6% wage growth of Health Care & Social Assistance (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · HOT

Health Care & Social Assistance is running a 5.3% job-openings rate with quits at 1.9% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has cooled for 2 straight months (6.1% down to 5.3%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 1.5 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is narrower than typical, so pay is fairly standardized; small differences move a candidate across the market.

What changed recently

Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings fell from 5.9% to 5.3% (down 147K), the sharpest monthly cooling this year, though still the second-tightest market.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.6% per year, the fastest of any major sector. Health benefit costs rose 6.0% nationally.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

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The median salary for Nursing Assistants in Denver-Aurora-Centennial is $49,109 per year ($23.61/hr). This is 16.2% higher than the national median of $42,266.

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.

Wage Percentiles: Denver-Aurora-Centennial

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · BLS metro data

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary	vs National
P10Entry level	$20.15	$41,912	+23.5%
P25	$22.22	$46,218	+24.1%
P50MEDIAN	$23.61	$49,109	+16.2%
P75	$24.64	$51,251	+8.5%
P90Top earners	$27.62	$57,450	+10.5%

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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Nursing Assistants

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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 2 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

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median nursing assistants salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?

The median (P50) annual salary for Nursing Assistants in Denver-Aurora-Centennial is approximately $49,109, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 16.2% higher than the national median of $42,266. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.

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About This Data

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.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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