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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

31-1131 Nursing Assistants

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).


National estimates for Nursing Assistants
Industry profile for Nursing Assistants
Geographic profile for Nursing Assistants

National estimates for Nursing Assistants:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Nursing Assistants:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
1,310,090 0.4 % $ 17.41 $ 36,220 0.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for Nursing Assistants:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 13.48 $ 14.79 $ 17.19 $ 18.87 $ 22.09
Annual Wage (2) $ 28,030 $ 30,770 $ 35,760 $ 39,260 $ 45,940


Industry profile for Nursing Assistants:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Nursing Assistants are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Nursing Assistants, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Nursing Assistants:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 447,940 33.35 $ 16.90 $ 35,160
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 396,060 7.08 $ 18.18 $ 37,820
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly 140,910 16.02 $ 16.41 $ 34,130
Home Health Care Services 81,640 5.32 $ 15.46 $ 32,160
Employment Services 52,310 1.33 $ 19.44 $ 40,430

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Nursing Assistants:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 447,940 33.35 $ 16.90 $ 35,160
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly 140,910 16.02 $ 16.41 $ 34,130
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 27,270 10.07 $ 18.64 $ 38,780
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 396,060 7.08 $ 18.18 $ 37,820
Home Health Care Services 81,640 5.32 $ 15.46 $ 32,160

Top paying industries for Nursing Assistants:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Junior Colleges 80 0.01 $ 33.25 $ 69,150
Offices of Dentists 400 0.04 $ 26.86 $ 55,870
Technical and Trade Schools 110 0.08 $ 24.17 $ 50,270
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 5,010 0.17 $ 23.95 $ 49,820
Scientific Research and Development Services (8) (8) $ 23.09 $ 48,020


Geographic profile for Nursing Assistants:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Nursing Assistants are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Nursing Assistants, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of nursing assistants by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Nursing Assistants:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 99,930 5.67 0.64 $ 20.95 $ 43,570
Florida 89,110 9.67 1.09 $ 16.05 $ 33,390
Texas 81,170 6.25 0.71 $ 15.46 $ 32,150
New York 80,100 8.79 0.99 $ 20.89 $ 43,450
Pennsylvania 66,800 11.50 1.30 $ 17.50 $ 36,400


Map of location quotient of nursing assistants by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Nursing Assistants:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Rhode Island 8,730 18.22 2.06 $ 18.99 $ 39,490
North Dakota 7,350 18.13 2.05 $ 18.37 $ 38,200
Nebraska 15,120 15.58 1.76 $ 16.84 $ 35,020
Kansas 21,310 15.44 1.74 $ 16.10 $ 33,490
Iowa 20,880 13.73 1.55 $ 16.89 $ 35,120


Map of annual mean wages of nursing assistants by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Nursing Assistants:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 1,770 5.77 0.65 $ 21.35 $ 44,420
District of Columbia 2,950 4.28 0.48 $ 21.07 $ 43,820
California 99,930 5.67 0.64 $ 20.95 $ 43,570
New York 80,100 8.79 0.99 $ 20.89 $ 43,450
Oregon 12,450 6.57 0.74 $ 20.65 $ 42,960



Map of employment of nursing assistants by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Nursing Assistants:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 79,570 8.66 0.98 $ 21.50 $ 44,720
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 39,710 6.51 0.73 $ 20.49 $ 42,620
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 37,030 8.39 0.95 $ 18.37 $ 38,200
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 32,440 11.71 1.32 $ 18.17 $ 37,780
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 26,140 9.67 1.09 $ 20.42 $ 42,480
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 22,600 8.61 0.97 $ 16.17 $ 33,640
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 21,980 7.26 0.82 $ 18.33 $ 38,120
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 21,940 5.77 0.65 $ 16.34 $ 34,000
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 20,820 7.63 0.86 $ 17.12 $ 35,610
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 16,990 5.56 0.63 $ 16.18 $ 33,660


Map of location quotient of nursing assistants by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Nursing Assistants:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Goldsboro, NC 1,250 31.69 3.58 $ 15.31 $ 31,850
Bismarck, ND 1,810 25.37 2.86 $ 18.24 $ 37,930
Rome, GA 880 22.23 2.51 $ 14.13 $ 29,400
Grand Forks, ND-MN 1,090 22.16 2.50 $ 18.41 $ 38,280
Sebring, FL 560 21.30 2.40 $ 14.40 $ 29,950
Greenville, NC 1,640 21.08 2.38 $ 15.31 $ 31,840
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA 840 21.06 2.38 $ 15.87 $ 33,000
Hot Springs, AR 790 20.95 2.36 $ 13.77 $ 28,640
Homosassa Springs, FL 660 19.69 2.22 $ 14.33 $ 29,800
Gainesville, FL 2,610 18.98 2.14 $ 16.56 $ 34,430


Map of annual mean wages of nursing assistants by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Nursing Assistants:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 10,980 4.59 0.52 $ 25.13 $ 52,280
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 5,230 4.66 0.53 $ 24.81 $ 51,600
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 13,820 7.33 0.83 $ 22.36 $ 46,520
Salem, OR 1,270 7.26 0.82 $ 21.59 $ 44,900
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 79,570 8.66 0.98 $ 21.50 $ 44,720
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 15,890 7.80 0.88 $ 21.40 $ 44,520
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 370 3.81 0.43 $ 21.36 $ 44,440
Napa, CA 530 7.11 0.80 $ 21.24 $ 44,180
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 5,090 4.95 0.56 $ 21.17 $ 44,040
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 7,480 6.34 0.72 $ 21.15 $ 44,000

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Nursing Assistants:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 7,330 19.12 2.16 $ 14.81 $ 30,800
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 4,800 19.19 2.17 $ 14.77 $ 30,710
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 4,080 12.68 1.43 $ 15.63 $ 32,510
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 4,070 16.62 1.88 $ 13.92 $ 28,960
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 3,100 11.83 1.33 $ 16.92 $ 35,180

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Nursing Assistants:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 1,010 26.62 3.01 $ 16.32 $ 33,940
Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 1,330 21.32 2.41 $ 11.92 $ 24,800
Northeast Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 1,910 20.72 2.34 $ 16.64 $ 34,610
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 3,000 20.59 2.32 $ 16.31 $ 33,930
North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 2,360 20.24 2.28 $ 13.62 $ 28,320

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Nursing Assistants:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $ 22.68 $ 47,170
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 650 6.45 0.73 $ 20.34 $ 42,300
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 600 9.80 1.11 $ 20.14 $ 41,900
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 300 5.00 0.56 $ 19.99 $ 41,570
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 600 5.72 0.65 $ 19.80 $ 41,190


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023