Nursing Assistant Salary: What You’ll Make and Why
Nursing assistants make around $29,980 to $66,256 on average in the US, depending on experience, location, skills, and other factors.
According to various salary aggregate websites, a nursing assistant’s salary in the US ranges between $29,980 and $66,256, with an average salary of $38,636. As of July 2022, the base salaries for nursing assistants are listed as follows:
| Payscale | ZipRecruiter | Indeed | Salary.com | Glassdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,513 | $34,109 | $29,980 | $32,322 | $66,256 |
Keep in mind: Salary aggregate websites typically rely on data submitted anonymously by individuals using their site. Some websites may have received larger amounts of data of either higher or lower than average salaries, which may affect the site’s calculated average.
Read more: What Is a Nursing Assistant? How to Become One
What influences a salary?
The salary of a Nursing Assistant is determined by a number of factors, including education, experience, and job location. In this article, we will take a closer look at how these factors impact salary.
Years of experience
Salary increases are generally tied to your experience level. In general, the more years you spend working as a nursing assistant, the more you can expect to earn. Here’s how experience can impact your nursing assistant salary, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Compensation Survey.
| Level of experience | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry-level (less than 1 year) | $30,129 |
| Early career (1 to 4 years) | $34,445 |
| Mid career (5 to 9 years) | $39,121 |
| Experienced (10 to 19 years) | $44,591 |
| Late career (20+ years) | $50,763 |
Location
Where you live can also impact how much you can make as a nursing assistant. Typically, working in a large metropolitan area correlates to a higher salary, as well as a higher cost of living.
Here is a list of some major cities with their corresponding average nursing assistant salary according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| City | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $58,370 |
| New York City, NY | $48,847 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $46,749 |
| Boston, MA | $45,989 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $45,845 |
| Miami, FL | $34,248 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $33,706 |
| St. Louis, MO | $32,826 |
| Birmingham, AL | $31,041 |
| New Orleans, LA | $30,788 |
How does this compare to similar jobs?
Here’s how a nursing assistant’s salary stacks up against similar jobs.
| Related Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Home Health Aide | $25,114 |
| Personal Care Aide | $22,434 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant | $28,288 |
| Medical Assistant | $30,692 |
| Patient Care Technician | $29,952 |
| Unit Secretary | $34,773 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | $46,282 |
| Registered Nurse | $70,335 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | $106,407 |
How to increase your nursing assistant salary
Now that you have a better idea of what you could expect to earn as a nursing assistant, let’s look at ways to boost your salary.
1. Strengthen your skills
Pursuing and improving in-demand skills could make you more competitive for promotions and higher-paying positions. These skills include:
- Patient Assessment: Understand how to assess patients’ medical condition and vital signs
- Infection Control: Follow best practices to prevent the spread of infection
- Patient Transportation: Assist patients with ambulation and moving to different areas of the facility
- Wound Care: Understand how to clean and dress wounds
- Patient Education: Teach patients and their families about medical conditions, medications, and discharge instructions
2. Seek regular feedback
Nursing assistants who seek regular feedback from their supervisors tend to be more successful in their roles and receive higher salaries than those who do not. If you’re not already doing so, start asking for feedback on your performance on a regular basis. Not only will this help you improve in your role, but it will also show your boss that you’re committed to your career and want to be compensated accordingly.
3. Maintain a consistent performance
One of the best ways to ensure a salary increase is to be a consistent performer. Show up to your shifts on time, complete your tasks efficiently and with a positive attitude, and avoid taking too much time off. If you can demonstrate that you’re a reliable and valuable member of the team, you’ll be more likely to see a bump in your paycheck.
Article Sources
1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “National Compensation Survey, https://www.bls.gov/ncs/.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
2. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes311131.htm.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
3. Payscale. “Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) Hourly Pay, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Certified_Nurse_Assistant_(CNA)/Hourly_Rate.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
4. Ziprecruiter. “Nursing Assistant Annual Salary, https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Nursing-Assistant-Salary.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
5. Indeed. “Indeed Salary Finder, https://www.indeed.com/career/salaries.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
6. Salary.com. “Nursing Assistant Salary, https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/nursing-assistant-salary.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
7. Glassdoor. “Nursing Assistant Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/nursing-assistant-salary-SRCH_KO0,17.htm.” Accessed July 2, 2022.