31
Nursing Assistants is a notable career in the 31 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Nursing Assistants against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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| soc | 31-1131 |
| title | Nursing Assistants |
| onet code | 31-1131.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 3 |
| major group | 31 |
| tot emp | 1,388,430 |
| a mean | 41,270 |
| a median | 39,530 |
| a pct10 | 31,390 |
| a pct25 | 36,260 |
| a pct75 | 46,070 |
| a pct90 | 50,140 |
| h mean | 19 |
| h median | 19 |
The day-to-day work of a nursing assistants typically centers on turn or reposition bedridden patients. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, and Active Listening. Across the top 8 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.37 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working nursing assistants, the most common entry qualification is a High School Diploma (38.7%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 6% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in Oregon at $48,390 and lowest in Louisiana at $30,240 — a 1.6× spread. The top five states (Oregon, Washington, New York, District of Columbia, California) average $47,464. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $48,390 | $49,970 | $40,180 | $60,500 | 12,800 |
| Washington | $48,260 | $49,960 | $40,170 | $60,220 | 28,080 |
| New York | $47,390 | $47,530 | $37,480 | $59,240 | 85,310 |
| District of Columbia | $46,860 | $47,480 | $39,120 | $56,160 | 2,550 |
| California | $46,420 | $48,790 | $39,220 | $59,540 | 102,380 |
| New Hampshire | $46,050 | $47,190 | $37,400 | $58,530 | 7,190 |
| Alaska | $45,840 | $48,550 | $41,190 | $59,780 | 1,660 |
| Maine | $45,640 | $45,500 | $37,350 | $54,580 | 8,590 |
| Minnesota | $45,580 | $45,230 | $37,760 | $54,230 | 26,970 |
| Massachusetts | $45,410 | $46,130 | $38,380 | $56,340 | 38,280 |
| Nevada | $45,060 | $44,360 | $36,250 | $59,070 | 8,670 |
| Colorado | $44,950 | $45,480 | $37,420 | $53,350 | 20,880 |
| New Jersey | $44,910 | $44,480 | $37,240 | $50,690 | 31,310 |
| Hawaii | $44,830 | $45,480 | $35,600 | $53,150 | 4,620 |
| Illinois | $44,750 | $43,950 | $36,270 | $50,800 | 64,660 |
| Connecticut | $44,500 | $44,860 | $38,450 | $51,790 | 21,390 |
| North Dakota | $44,190 | $42,530 | $34,620 | $49,970 | 6,920 |
| Rhode Island | $44,160 | $43,740 | $38,190 | $49,950 | 8,450 |
| Vermont | $43,610 | $43,610 | $35,820 | $51,660 | 3,140 |
| Wisconsin | $43,250 | $43,050 | $37,040 | $48,200 | 27,480 |
| Arizona | $41,980 | $43,060 | $36,460 | $49,890 | 17,350 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,110 | $41,700 | $36,270 | $48,100 | 65,410 |
| Maryland | $40,000 | $42,070 | $34,330 | $50,030 | 24,230 |
| Montana | $39,300 | $42,020 | $35,240 | $53,330 | 4,800 |
| Delaware | $39,240 | $40,120 | $32,640 | $47,990 | 5,660 |
| Michigan | $38,900 | $40,210 | $35,680 | $45,980 | 40,230 |
| Virginia | $38,790 | $40,160 | $30,220 | $48,520 | 42,760 |
| Iowa | $38,630 | $40,590 | $35,070 | $48,100 | 22,970 |
| Nebraska | $38,620 | $40,830 | $35,790 | $47,970 | 16,490 |
| Ohio | $38,570 | $39,840 | $34,480 | $46,060 | 62,360 |
| Utah | $38,500 | $39,240 | $32,910 | $45,980 | 12,350 |
| Wyoming | $38,360 | $41,040 | $33,110 | $50,810 | 2,680 |
| South Dakota | $38,070 | $38,070 | $29,960 | $45,070 | 6,520 |
| North Carolina | $37,670 | $37,980 | $29,370 | $45,960 | 61,280 |
| Idaho | $37,530 | $37,740 | $28,410 | $46,340 | 7,340 |
| Indiana | $37,330 | $38,610 | $32,100 | $45,510 | 31,240 |
| Kentucky | $37,330 | $37,960 | $29,630 | $46,340 | 22,910 |
| Missouri | $37,170 | $37,650 | $30,320 | $44,960 | 32,650 |
| New Mexico | $37,030 | $38,320 | $30,820 | $46,450 | 4,600 |
| Kansas | $36,910 | $38,600 | $31,140 | $45,980 | 23,950 |
| Florida | $36,850 | $38,320 | $32,690 | $46,080 | 91,280 |
| Tennessee | $36,750 | $37,040 | $30,080 | $44,500 | 23,030 |
| Georgia | $36,570 | $37,090 | $28,470 | $46,190 | 42,460 |
| Texas | $36,390 | $37,010 | $29,580 | $45,760 | 87,050 |
| South Carolina | $36,370 | $35,970 | $28,980 | $42,730 | 21,000 |
| West Virginia | $36,340 | $36,320 | $29,850 | $42,210 | 8,860 |
| Oklahoma | $35,040 | $34,900 | $29,240 | $41,600 | 19,860 |
| Alabama | $32,470 | $32,670 | $25,890 | $38,770 | 24,560 |
| Arkansas | $31,990 | $33,350 | $28,330 | $39,430 | 17,620 |
| Mississippi | $30,460 | $31,750 | $23,570 | $38,790 | 13,130 |
| Louisiana | $30,240 | $31,700 | $26,630 | $37,720 | 20,550 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for nursing assistants. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Birth Attendant or Certified Medication Aide (CMA) frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Nursing Assistants compares to others in the 31 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Nursing Assistants
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.