Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
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) |
| 1,314,830 |
0.5 % |
$ 15.99 |
$ 33,250 |
0.2 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Nursing Assistants:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 11.48 |
$ 13.89 |
$ 14.57 |
$ 17.87 |
$ 21.27 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 23,880 |
$ 28,900 |
$ 30,310 |
$ 37,170 |
$ 44,240 |
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) |
471,160 |
33.48 |
$ 15.43 |
$ 32,090 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
386,510 |
6.91 |
$ 16.92 |
$ 35,190 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly |
140,850 |
15.80 |
$ 15.15 |
$ 31,520 |
| Home Health Care Services |
83,560 |
5.52 |
$ 14.39 |
$ 29,930 |
| Employment Services |
38,910 |
1.12 |
$ 16.83 |
$ 35,000 |
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) |
471,160 |
33.48 |
$ 15.43 |
$ 32,090 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly |
140,850 |
15.80 |
$ 15.15 |
$ 31,520 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals |
26,100 |
9.67 |
$ 17.02 |
$ 35,400 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
386,510 |
6.91 |
$ 16.92 |
$ 35,190 |
| Home Health Care Services |
83,560 |
5.52 |
$ 14.39 |
$ 29,930 |
Top paying industries for Nursing Assistants:
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.
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 |
94,450 |
5.71 |
0.61 |
$ 19.12 |
$ 39,760 |
| New York |
85,490 |
9.86 |
1.06 |
$ 19.56 |
$ 40,680 |
| Florida |
83,010 |
9.65 |
1.03 |
$ 14.35 |
$ 29,840 |
| Texas |
71,700 |
5.86 |
0.63 |
$ 14.72 |
$ 30,620 |
| Pennsylvania |
68,180 |
12.21 |
1.31 |
$ 16.44 |
$ 34,190 |
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) |
| North Dakota |
7,790 |
19.71 |
2.11 |
$ 17.34 |
$ 36,070 |
| Rhode Island |
8,320 |
18.18 |
1.95 |
$ 17.12 |
$ 35,610 |
| Kansas |
21,750 |
16.24 |
1.74 |
$ 14.30 |
$ 29,730 |
| South Dakota |
6,590 |
15.64 |
1.68 |
$ 14.26 |
$ 29,660 |
| Iowa |
22,070 |
14.86 |
1.59 |
$ 15.60 |
$ 32,440 |
Top paying states for Nursing Assistants:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Alaska |
1,760 |
5.94 |
0.64 |
$ 20.71 |
$ 43,080 |
| New York |
85,490 |
9.86 |
1.06 |
$ 19.56 |
$ 40,680 |
| California |
94,450 |
5.71 |
0.61 |
$ 19.12 |
$ 39,760 |
| District of Columbia |
3,140 |
4.74 |
0.51 |
$ 18.94 |
$ 39,390 |
| Oregon |
12,460 |
6.82 |
0.73 |
$ 18.67 |
$ 38,830 |
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 |
81,890 |
9.44 |
1.01 |
$ 20.17 |
$ 41,940 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
39,130 |
9.24 |
0.99 |
$ 16.53 |
$ 34,390 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
38,030 |
6.65 |
0.71 |
$ 18.60 |
$ 38,690 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
31,280 |
11.78 |
1.26 |
$ 17.14 |
$ 35,650 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
26,580 |
10.28 |
1.10 |
$ 18.69 |
$ 38,880 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
22,390 |
9.13 |
0.98 |
$ 14.42 |
$ 30,000 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
21,990 |
7.50 |
0.80 |
$ 17.06 |
$ 35,490 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
19,050 |
7.36 |
0.79 |
$ 16.13 |
$ 33,540 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
18,530 |
5.16 |
0.55 |
$ 15.57 |
$ 32,380 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI |
16,990 |
9.43 |
1.01 |
$ 16.37 |
$ 34,040 |
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 |
1,390 |
35.14 |
3.77 |
$ 14.36 |
$ 29,880 |
| Bismarck, ND |
2,180 |
31.39 |
3.36 |
$ 17.38 |
$ 36,140 |
| Hot Springs, AR |
870 |
24.03 |
2.57 |
$ 12.93 |
$ 26,890 |
| Rome, GA |
910 |
23.44 |
2.51 |
$ 13.32 |
$ 27,710 |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN |
1,100 |
22.74 |
2.44 |
$ 16.76 |
$ 34,850 |
| Greenville, NC |
1,700 |
22.54 |
2.42 |
$ 13.98 |
$ 29,080 |
| Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA |
860 |
21.90 |
2.35 |
$ 14.83 |
$ 30,850 |
| Homosassa Springs, FL |
640 |
20.15 |
2.16 |
$ 12.99 |
$ 27,020 |
| Topeka, KS |
2,090 |
19.61 |
2.10 |
$ 14.34 |
$ 29,830 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC |
2,840 |
19.36 |
2.07 |
$ 14.07 |
$ 29,260 |
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 Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
4,940 |
4.63 |
0.50 |
$ 22.93 |
$ 47,690 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
10,220 |
4.56 |
0.49 |
$ 22.84 |
$ 47,500 |
| Salinas, CA |
810 |
4.79 |
0.51 |
$ 21.26 |
$ 44,210 |
| Fairbanks, AK |
190 |
5.47 |
0.59 |
$ 21.10 |
$ 43,880 |
| Napa, CA |
550 |
7.93 |
0.85 |
$ 20.34 |
$ 42,310 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
81,890 |
9.44 |
1.01 |
$ 20.17 |
$ 41,940 |
| Anchorage, AK |
1,000 |
6.17 |
0.66 |
$ 19.99 |
$ 41,580 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA |
310 |
3.29 |
0.35 |
$ 19.74 |
$ 41,070 |
| Santa Rosa, CA |
1,010 |
5.27 |
0.57 |
$ 19.60 |
$ 40,770 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
13,850 |
7.22 |
0.77 |
$ 19.51 |
$ 40,590 |
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 |
7,920 |
21.07 |
2.26 |
$ 13.50 |
$ 28,080 |
| Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area |
5,120 |
20.99 |
2.25 |
$ 13.90 |
$ 28,920 |
| Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area |
4,490 |
18.70 |
2.00 |
$ 13.15 |
$ 27,340 |
| North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) |
4,000 |
12.73 |
1.36 |
$ 14.56 |
$ 30,280 |
| Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area |
3,470 |
16.56 |
1.77 |
$ 15.52 |
$ 32,280 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Nursing Assistants:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Nursing Assistants:
About May 2021 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.
(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.
(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 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
