Salary · SOC 31-1131

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) salary and hourly pay

BLS data for May 2025: median, mean, and percentile pay, per year and per hour, for every state and the largest metro areas.

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, released May 15, 2026. Publisher page

Quick answer

The median pay for nursing assistants in the US was $42,260 a year, or $20.32 an hour, in May 2025 (BLS). The middle 80% earned $33,940 to $51,980. About 1,448,910 were employed.

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Certified Nursing Assistant pay in the US

Certified Nursing Assistant wages, United States, May 2025
MeasureAnnualHourly
Median (50th percentile)$42,260$20.32
Mean (average)$42,700$20.53
10th percentile$33,940$16.32
25th percentile$37,260$17.91
75th percentile$47,220$22.70
90th percentile$51,980$24.99

Employment: 1,448,910.

BLS reports CNAs as Nursing Assistants (SOC 31-1131).

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Publisher page

Certified Nursing Assistant salary by state

Alaska: $46,370AKMaine: $47,070MEWisconsin: $45,130WIVermont: $47,130VTNew Hampshire: $47,870NHWashington: $49,180WAIdaho: $38,650IDMontana: $40,900MTNorth Dakota: $45,820NDMinnesota: $46,680MNIllinois: $45,960ILMichigan: $39,570MINew York: $48,590NYMassachusetts: $46,680MAOregon: $49,830ORNevada: $45,490NVWyoming: $39,160WYSouth Dakota: $38,800SDIowa: $39,350IAIndiana: $38,330INOhio: $39,010OHPennsylvania: $44,590PANew Jersey: $46,830NJConnecticut: $44,790CTRhode Island: $46,440RICalifornia: $47,630CAUtah: $39,840UTColorado: $47,380CONebraska: $40,000NEMissouri: $37,680MOKentucky: $38,370KYWest Virginia: $36,720WVVirginia: $43,200VAMaryland: $43,240MDDelaware: $42,030DEArizona: $44,780AZNew Mexico: $39,390NMKansas: $38,010KSArkansas: $34,430ARTennessee: $37,990TNNorth Carolina: $38,460NCSouth Carolina: $37,220SCDistrict of Columbia: $47,700DCOklahoma: $35,930OKLouisiana: $30,510LAMississippi: $31,520MSAlabama: $34,140ALGeorgia: $37,680GAHawaii: $45,350HITexas: $37,500TXFlorida: $37,510FL
Median annual certified nursing assistant wage by state, May 2025. $30,510 to $37,680$37,680 to $39,350$39,350 to $44,780$44,780 to $46,680$46,680 to $49,830Not publishedEach square is one state, shaded in five equal-count groups.
Certified Nursing Assistant median wage by state, highest first
StateMedian annualMedian hourlyEmployed
Oregon$49,830$23.9614,800
Washington$49,180$23.6530,270
New York$48,590$23.3687,990
New Hampshire$47,870$23.027,810
District of Columbia$47,700$22.933,490
California$47,630$22.90110,060
Colorado$47,380$22.7822,240
Vermont$47,130$22.663,030
Maine$47,070$22.638,540
New Jersey$46,830$22.5232,400
Massachusetts$46,680$22.4438,130
Minnesota$46,680$22.4429,120
Rhode Island$46,440$22.3310,220
Alaska$46,370$22.292,060
Illinois$45,960$22.1068,640
North Dakota$45,820$22.036,840
Nevada$45,490$21.878,100
Hawaii$45,350$21.805,050
Wisconsin$45,130$21.7028,370
Connecticut$44,790$21.5321,380
Arizona$44,780$21.5320,320
Pennsylvania$44,590$21.4467,740
Maryland$43,240$20.7927,720
Virginia$43,200$20.7740,580
Delaware$42,030$20.215,530
Montana$40,900$19.674,390
Nebraska$40,000$19.2316,450
Utah$39,840$19.1512,260
Michigan$39,570$19.0343,290
New Mexico$39,390$18.944,750
Iowa$39,350$18.9222,670
Wyoming$39,160$18.832,830
Ohio$39,010$18.7663,280
South Dakota$38,800$18.656,860
Idaho$38,650$18.587,910
North Carolina$38,460$18.4964,010
Kentucky$38,370$18.4523,410
Indiana$38,330$18.4333,640
Kansas$38,010$18.2724,610
Tennessee$37,990$18.2727,040
Georgia$37,680$18.1243,440
Missouri$37,680$18.1134,050
Florida$37,510$18.0396,960
Texas$37,500$18.0388,680
South Carolina$37,220$17.9021,760
West Virginia$36,720$17.669,390
Oklahoma$35,930$17.2719,410
Arkansas$34,430$16.5517,260
Alabama$34,140$16.4125,250
Mississippi$31,520$15.1514,200
Louisiana$30,510$14.6720,690

Download the state table (CSV)

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Publisher page

Certified Nursing Assistant salary in the largest metro areas

Certified Nursing Assistant median wage in the metro areas with the most employment
Metro areaMedian annualMedian hourlyEmployed
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$49,270$23.6979,480
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$46,940$22.5745,850
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$47,380$22.7843,090
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$46,220$22.2230,680
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$47,590$22.8826,130
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$45,730$21.9925,520
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$38,010$18.2823,490
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$38,530$18.5323,420
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$39,350$18.9223,260
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$37,970$18.2619,230
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$39,900$19.1817,300
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$51,990$25.0016,530
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL$37,470$18.0215,120
St. Louis, MO-IL$39,110$18.8114,620
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$48,020$23.0914,590
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$42,770$20.5613,580
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$39,430$18.9613,580
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$45,290$21.7713,550
Kansas City, MO-KS$39,710$19.0913,370
Cleveland, OH$39,010$18.7613,060

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Publisher page

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Certified Nursing Assistant salary in the US
Median pay: $42,260 a year ($20.32 an hour)
Middle 80% earn $33,940 to $51,980 a year
Employed: 1,448,910
BLS OEWS, May 2025. Source: Rivvi

Questions

How much does a CNA make per hour in the US?

The median hourly wage was $20.32 in May 2025, per BLS. The 10th percentile was $16.32 and the 90th was $24.99.

What is the average CNA salary in the US?

BLS reports a mean (average) of $42,700 a year and a median of $42,260 for May 2025. The median is the middle wage; the mean is pulled up by the highest earners.

Which state pays nursing assistants the most?

Oregon has the highest median, $49,830 a year, and Louisiana the lowest, $30,510 (BLS, May 2025, states with a published median).

Where do these numbers come from?

The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates, SOC 31-1131. BLS reports CNAs as Nursing Assistants (SOC 31-1131). Figures BLS did not publish are left out.

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