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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Occupational Requirements Survey > Publications > Factsheets

Nursing assistants

Nursing assistant using a tablet. 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.

For terms and definitions in this profile, see definitions of major terms.

Cognitive and mental requirements

The qualifications that workers need to use judgment, make decisions, interact with others, and adapt to changes in jobs.

In 2025, more than basic people skills were required for 77.9 percent of nursing assistants. Basic people skills were required for 22.1 percent.

Table 1. Percentage of nursing assistants with cognitive and mental requirements, 2025
Requirement	Yes	No
Work schedule varies	53.9	46.1
Ability to pause work (and take brief unscheduled breaks)	28.6	71.4
Working around crowds	<0.5	>99.5
Telework routinely allowed	<0.5	>99.5
Supervising others	<0.5	>99.5
Supervisor present in immediate work area	81.4	18.6
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey

Education, training, and experience requirements

The minimum level of formal education required, credentials necessary, on-the-job training, and prior work experience necessary for average performance in jobs. The time associated with these requirements is combined to calculate the specific vocational preparation level needed for the job.

In 2025, prior work experience was required for 19.3 percent of nursing assistants and on-the-job training was required for 96.8 percent.

A high school diploma was required for 75.1 percent of nursing assistants.

Environmental conditions

The various hazards or difficulties that are in the area where workers perform their critical tasks.

In 2025, a quiet noise exposure was present for 5.9 percent of nursing assistants. Another 94.1 percent were exposed to moderate noise, less than 0.5 percent were exposed to loud noise, and less than 0.5 percent to very loud noise. Personal protective equipment (PPE) was used by less than 0.5 percent of workers to mitigate noise exposure and was not used by greater than 99.5 percent.

Physical demands

The physical activities required to perform tasks in jobs. The presence and, in some cases, duration of these activities are published.

In 2025, reaching at or below the shoulder was required for greater than 99.5 percent of nursing assistants and was not required for less than 0.5 percent. For 2.7 percent of workers, reaching at or below the shoulder was seldom required, for 78.0 percent reaching at or below the shoulder was occasionally required, for 18.9 percent reaching at or below the shoulder was frequently required, and for less than 0.5 percent reaching at or below the shoulder was required constantly.

Performing work in low postures was required for 97.6 percent of nursing assistants and was not required for 2.4 percent.

The choice to sit or stand when performing critical tasks was available to 2.2 percent of nursing assistants. On average, workers spent 20.8 percent of the workday sitting and 79.2 percent of the workday standing.

Table 2. Percentage of nursing assistants with physical demands, 2025
Requirement	Yes	No
Ability to choose to sit or stand for tasks	2.2	97.8
Driving	3.6	96.4
Climbing structure-related ramps or stairs	4.1	95.9
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey