BLS pay for certified nursing assistants by percentile, state and workplace, with shift differentials, overtime and take-home after 2026 tax
Nursing assistants, including CNAs, earned a median of $20.32 an hour in May 2025 — $42,260 a year for full-time work — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which counted 1,448,910. Pay is bunched tightly: the bottom tenth earned under $16.32 and the top tenth over $24.99, only about half as much again, so state, employer, extra shifts and differentials are where the bigger differences are.
This is the BLS line for nursing assistants (SOC 31-1131), which includes CNAs; orderlies and home health aides are counted separately. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $16.32 | $33,940 | $2,828 | $29,451 |
| 25th percentile | $17.91 | $37,260 | $3,105 | $32,118 |
| Median | $20.32 | $42,260 | $3,522 | $36,136 |
| 75th percentile | $22.70 | $47,220 | $3,935 | $40,121 |
| 90th percentile | $24.99 | $51,980 | $4,332 | $43,946 |
Oregon ($23.96), Washington ($23.65) and New York ($23.36) pay CNAs the most; Louisiana pays the least at $14.67. California, with the most nursing assistants, pays $22.90 and Florida $18.03.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $23.96 | $49,830 | 14,800 |
| Washington | $23.65 | $49,180 | 30,270 |
| New York | $23.36 | $48,590 | 87,990 |
| New Hampshire | $23.02 | $47,870 | 7,810 |
| District of Columbia | $22.93 | $47,700 | 3,490 |
| California | $22.90 | $47,630 | 110,060 |
| Colorado | $22.78 | $47,380 | 22,240 |
| Vermont | $22.66 | $47,130 | 3,030 |
| Maine | $22.63 | $47,070 | 8,540 |
| New Jersey | $22.52 | $46,830 | 32,400 |
| Massachusetts | $22.44 | $46,680 | 38,130 |
| Minnesota | $22.44 | $46,680 | 29,120 |
| Rhode Island | $22.33 | $46,440 | 10,220 |
| Alaska | $22.29 | $46,370 | 2,060 |
| Illinois | $22.10 | $45,960 | 68,640 |
| North Dakota | $22.03 | $45,820 | 6,840 |
| Nevada | $21.87 | $45,490 | 8,100 |
| Hawaii | $21.80 | $45,350 | 5,050 |
| Wisconsin | $21.70 | $45,130 | 28,370 |
| Arizona | $21.53 | $44,780 | 20,320 |
| Connecticut | $21.53 | $44,790 | 21,380 |
| Pennsylvania | $21.44 | $44,590 | 67,740 |
| Maryland | $20.79 | $43,240 | 27,720 |
| Virginia | $20.77 | $43,200 | 40,580 |
| Delaware | $20.21 | $42,030 | 5,530 |
| Montana | $19.67 | $40,900 | 4,390 |
| Nebraska | $19.23 | $40,000 | 16,450 |
| Utah | $19.15 | $39,840 | 12,260 |
| Michigan | $19.03 | $39,570 | 43,290 |
| New Mexico | $18.94 | $39,390 | 4,750 |
| Iowa | $18.92 | $39,350 | 22,670 |
| Wyoming | $18.83 | $39,160 | 2,830 |
| Ohio | $18.76 | $39,010 | 63,280 |
| South Dakota | $18.65 | $38,800 | 6,860 |
| Idaho | $18.58 | $38,650 | 7,910 |
| North Carolina | $18.49 | $38,460 | 64,010 |
| Kentucky | $18.45 | $38,370 | 23,410 |
| Indiana | $18.43 | $38,330 | 33,640 |
| Kansas | $18.27 | $38,010 | 24,610 |
| Tennessee | $18.27 | $37,990 | 27,040 |
| Georgia | $18.12 | $37,680 | 43,440 |
| Missouri | $18.11 | $37,680 | 34,050 |
| Florida | $18.03 | $37,510 | 96,960 |
| Texas | $18.03 | $37,500 | 88,680 |
| South Carolina | $17.90 | $37,220 | 21,760 |
| West Virginia | $17.66 | $36,720 | 9,390 |
| Oklahoma | $17.27 | $35,930 | 19,410 |
| Arkansas | $16.55 | $34,430 | 17,260 |
| Alabama | $16.41 | $34,140 | 25,250 |
| Mississippi | $15.15 | $31,520 | 14,200 |
| Louisiana | $14.67 | $30,510 | 20,690 |
Government facilities pay nursing assistants the most ($47,050), then skilled nursing facilities ($43,000) and hospitals ($42,310); home health care pays least at $38,040.
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | $47,050 |
| Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) | $43,000 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | $42,310 |
| Continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly | $39,490 |
| Home healthcare services | $38,040 |
Most nursing assistants work full time, though some work part time, and because nursing homes and hospitals provide care at all hours they may work nights, weekends and holidays (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Night and weekend differentials are excluded from BLS's wage figures, so add yours in the calculator.
Nursing assistants are non-exempt and owed time and a half for overtime. Hospitals and residential care facilities can use the 8-and-80 system by prior agreement — overtime after 8 hours in a day and 80 in 14 days — instead of after 40 in a week (DOL Fact Sheet #54). Like licensed practical nurses, CNAs don't qualify for the professional exemption that some salaried RNs fall under (DOL Fact Sheet #17N).
BLS's wage figures leave out shift differentials. The table adds a night or weekend differential to the median $20.32 an hour for 12 hours a week (one 12-hour shift) over 52 weeks. Differentials vary by employer and contract; these amounts are examples to show the arithmetic, not typical rates.
| Differential | Extra a year | Average hourly over 40 hours a week |
|---|---|---|
| $1.00/hour | $624 | $20.62 |
| $2.00/hour | $1,248 | $20.92 |
| $3.00/hour | $1,872 | $21.22 |
| $5.00/hour | $3,120 | $21.82 |
Nursing assistants usually complete a state-approved program of instruction and supervised clinical work, then pass a competency exam to use the state's title — Certified Nursing Assistant in many states — and join the state registry, which is required to work in a nursing home. Some states offer further credentials such as Certified Medication Assistant, which lets the holder give medications (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). BLS doesn't publish a CMA premium; the workplace table below shows the clearest official pay differences.
More ways to work with your CNA pay:
$20.32 an hour ($42,260 a year) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $17.91 to $22.70 an hour.
Oregon ($23.96 an hour, $49,830 a year), then Washington and New York; Louisiana pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
Yes. Nursing assistants are non-exempt under the FLSA. Their employer pays time and a half after 40 hours in a week, or after 8 in a day and 80 in two weeks under the 8-and-80 system some hospitals and care homes use (DOL Fact Sheet #54).
By workplace, BLS's May 2025 medians put government employers first and home healthcare services lowest of the top industries. By state, see the state table on this page.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.