Sort by any column. Employment is the number of nursing assistants OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Nursing Assistant Salary by State (2026)
Nursing Assistants earn the most in Oregon at $49,830 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $22,850 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $42,260. All 53 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $49,830
- National median
- $42,260
- Lowest median
- $22,850
- States reporting
- 53
Oregon
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Nursing Assistants
- 1. Oregon$49,830 median · $48,210 adjusted · 14,800 employed
- 2. Washington$49,180 median · $45,957 adjusted · 30,270 employed
- 3. New York$48,590 median · $45,024 adjusted · 87,990 employed
- 4. New Hampshire$47,870 median · $45,956 adjusted · 7,810 employed
- 5. District of Columbia$47,700 median · $43,403 adjusted · 3,490 employed
Lowest-paying states for Nursing Assistants
- 53. Puerto Rico$22,850 median · no price parity · 430 employed
- 52. Louisiana$30,510 median · $34,589 adjusted · 20,690 employed
- 51. Mississippi$31,520 median · $36,249 adjusted · 14,200 employed
- 50. Alabama$34,140 median · $38,436 adjusted · 25,250 employed
- 49. Arkansas$34,430 median · $39,603 adjusted · 17,260 employed
Nursing Assistant salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $49,830 | $47,480 | $59,080 | 14,800 | $48,210 |
| 2 | Washington | $49,180 | $46,980 | $57,930 | 30,270 | $45,957 |
| 3 | New York | $48,590 | $43,760 | $51,980 | 87,990 | $45,024 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $47,870 | $44,890 | $54,400 | 7,810 | $45,956 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $47,700 | $42,400 | $51,850 | 3,490 | $43,403 |
| 6 | California | $47,630 | $45,850 | $54,800 | 110,060 | $43,018 |
| 7 | Colorado | $47,380 | $44,550 | $49,920 | 22,240 | $45,977 |
| 8 | Vermont | $47,130 | $40,850 | $48,940 | 3,030 | $48,112 |
| 9 | Maine | $47,070 | $44,200 | $50,190 | 8,540 | $48,501 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $46,830 | $43,950 | $48,760 | 32,400 | $43,040 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $46,680 | $44,340 | $49,800 | 38,130 | $44,139 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $46,680 | $40,340 | $49,330 | 29,120 | $47,333 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $46,440 | $44,760 | $47,460 | 10,220 | $45,405 |
| 14 | Alaska | $46,370 | $45,120 | $52,240 | 2,060 | $45,301 |
| 15 | Illinois | $45,960 | $39,420 | $48,380 | 68,640 | $45,979 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $45,820 | $36,410 | $47,950 | 6,840 | $51,507 |
| 17 | Nevada | $45,490 | $39,100 | $47,990 | 8,100 | $45,500 |
| 18 | Hawaii | $45,350 | $40,060 | $50,440 | 5,050 | $41,246 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $45,130 | $39,580 | $47,320 | 28,370 | $47,962 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $44,790 | $41,900 | $47,180 | 21,380 | $43,229 |
| 21 | Arizona | $44,780 | $38,320 | $46,630 | 20,320 | $44,479 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $44,590 | $39,270 | $46,850 | 67,740 | $45,700 |
| 23 | Maryland | $43,240 | $38,400 | $45,760 | 27,720 | $41,197 |
| 24 | Virginia | $43,200 | $37,020 | $46,930 | 40,580 | $42,728 |
| 25 | Delaware | $42,030 | $38,490 | $45,210 | 5,530 | $42,111 |
| 26 | Montana | $40,900 | $38,040 | $47,550 | 4,390 | $43,214 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $40,000 | $38,030 | $46,410 | 16,450 | $44,394 |
| 28 | Utah | $39,840 | $37,040 | $44,350 | 12,260 | $40,298 |
| 29 | Michigan | $39,570 | $38,160 | $44,910 | 43,290 | $41,126 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $39,390 | $37,310 | $45,410 | 4,750 | $42,717 |
| 31 | Iowa | $39,350 | $37,360 | $45,650 | 22,670 | $44,837 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $39,160 | $37,180 | $47,340 | 2,830 | $42,248 |
| 33 | Ohio | $39,010 | $37,300 | $44,590 | 63,280 | $42,048 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $38,800 | $36,830 | $43,940 | 6,860 | $43,799 |
| 35 | Idaho | $38,650 | $36,300 | $46,250 | 7,910 | $40,474 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $38,460 | $35,950 | $43,850 | 64,010 | $40,773 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $38,370 | $36,150 | $44,120 | 23,410 | $42,558 |
| 38 | Indiana | $38,330 | $37,020 | $44,420 | 33,640 | $41,070 |
| 39 | Kansas | $38,010 | $36,210 | $44,170 | 24,610 | $42,201 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $37,990 | $35,560 | $40,880 | 27,040 | $41,352 |
| 41 | Georgia | $37,680 | $35,490 | $42,980 | 43,440 | $39,131 |
| 42 | Missouri | $37,680 | $35,400 | $41,600 | 34,050 | $41,490 |
| 43 | Florida | $37,510 | $36,040 | $42,310 | 96,960 | $36,272 |
| 44 | Texas | $37,500 | $35,300 | $43,070 | 88,680 | $38,637 |
| 45 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $37,240 | $37,240 | $40,090 | 110 | N/A |
| 46 | South Carolina | $37,220 | $34,960 | $39,690 | 21,760 | $39,702 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $36,720 | $35,460 | $38,410 | 9,390 | $41,029 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $35,930 | $32,900 | $38,250 | 19,410 | $40,903 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $34,430 | $30,200 | $36,070 | 17,260 | $39,603 |
| 50 | Alabama | $34,140 | $30,060 | $36,390 | 25,250 | $38,436 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $31,520 | $29,520 | $35,200 | 14,200 | $36,249 |
| 52 | Louisiana | $30,510 | $29,070 | $35,100 | 20,690 | $34,589 |
| 53 | Puerto Rico | $22,850 | $21,840 | $37,310 | 430 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Nursing Assistants, that changes the ranking: Oregon leads on raw pay at $49,830, while North Dakota leads once prices are taken into account at $51,507.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Nursing Assistant pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Nursing Assistants the most?
Oregon reports the highest median wage for Nursing Assistants at $49,830 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Washington ($49,180) and New York ($48,590).
Which state pays Nursing Assistants the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Nursing Assistants at $22,850 a year, $26,980 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Nursing Assistants earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts North Dakota first at $51,507 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $45,820. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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