Nursing assistants

Add Comparison

2019 Workforce

1.42M

Average Age

39.4

Average Salary

$26,780

Average Male Salary

$30,638

Average Female Salary

$26,323

About

Nursing assistants are most often employed by the Nursing Care Facilities industry. The average yearly wage for Nursing assistants was $26,780 in 2016. The top 3 most similar occupations to Nursing assistants by wage are Mail clerks & mail machine operators, except postal service, Taxi drivers, and Tellers.

Nursing assistants are part of the Healthcare Support Occupations, along with Home health aides, Personal care aides, Nursing assistants, Orderlies and psychiatric aides, Occupational therapy assistants & aides, and 9 more.

The top 3 locations that employ the most Nursing assistants are Providence CountyPawtucket & Central Falls Cities PUMA, RI, Jamaica, Hollis & St. Albans PUMA, NY, and Mattapan & Roxbury PUMA, MA. The top 3 locations with a relatively high concentration of Nursing assistants are Lauderhill & Lauderdale Lakes Cities PUMA, FL, Central Savannah River Area Regional Commission (West & Outside Richmond & Columbia) PUMA, GA, and Mattapan & Roxbury PUMA, MA.

Healthcare Support Occupations Service Occupations

Employment

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Nursing assistants and on wages and locations for those in the field. Nursing Care Facilities is the industry that employs the most Nursing assistants, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Nursing assistants, by average wage, is Executive offices & legislative bodies. Nursing assistants are paid most in Jacksonville City (Arlington) PUMA, FL but are relatively concentrated in Lauderhill & Lauderdale Lakes Cities PUMA, FL.

Wages

Yearly Wage

$26,780

AVERAGE SALARY

± $477

In 2019, Nursing assistants earned an average of $26,780, $28,744 less than than the average national salary of $55,524.

Taxi drivers make somewhat more than Nursing assistants while Mail clerks & mail machine operators, except postal service make somewhat less. This chart shows the various occupations closest to Nursing assistants as measured by average annual salary in the US.

Wage Distribution

0.317

WAGE GINI

In 2019, Nursing assistants had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.317, which is lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Nursing assistants (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

Wage by Location

HIGHEST PAYING PUMAS

This map shows the Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States shaded by average annual wage for Nursing assistants.

Spatial Concentration

PUMAs with a Relatively High Concentration of Nursing assistants

This map displays which Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States have a relatively high population of Nursing assistants.

Industries

Most Common

The most common industries employing Nursing assistants, by number of employees, are Nursing Care Facilities, General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals, Home health care services, Residential care facilities, except skilled nursing facilities, Other health care services, Outpatient care centers, Individual & family services, Offices of physicians, Employment services, Administration of human resource programs, and Private households.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries for Nursing assistants, by average wage, are Executive offices & legislative bodies, Pharmacies & drug stores, and Justice, public order, & safety activities .

Industries by Share

1.42M

2019 Workforce

± 29,130

−0.579%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 2.91%

The number of people employed as Nursing assistants has been declining at a rate of −0.579%, from 1,429,368 people in 2018 to 1,421,098 people in 2019.

This graphic shows the share of Nursing assistants employed by various industries. Nursing Care Facilities employs the largest share of Nursing assistants at 37%, followed by General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals with 26.2% and Home health care services with 10.1%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Nursing assistants in the US. The average age of male Nursing assistants in the workforce is 37.6 and of female Nursing assistants is 39.6, and the most common race/ethnicity for Nursing assistants is White (Non-Hispanic).

Composition by Sex

151k

MALE WORKFORCE

± 9,526

1.27M

FEMALE WORKFORCE

± 27,556

89.4% of Nursing assistants are Female, making them the more common sex in the occupation. This chart shows the sex breakdown of Nursing assistants.

Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity of Nursing assistants

White (Non-Hispanic)
Black (Non-Hispanic)
White (Hispanic)

41.3% of Nursing assistants are White (Non-Hispanic), making that the most common race or ethnicity in the occupation. Representing 35.3% of Nursing assistants, Black (Non-Hispanic) is the second most common race or ethnicity in this occupation. This chart shows the racial and ethnic breakdown of Nursing assistants.

Age by Sex

37.6

AVERAGE MALE AGE

± 0.901

39.6

AVERAGE FEMALE AGE

± 0.313

The median age of Nursing assistants is 39.4, and Male employees are generally 1.94 years younger than than their Female counterparts.

Education

Data on higher education choices for Nursing assistants from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Nursing assistants is Health but a relatively high number of Nursing assistants hold a major in Health.