Nursing assistants work in varied healthcare settings, including skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, assisted living facilities, home healthcare agencies, and other individual and family service environments. As of May 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated that approximately 1,352,000 nursing assistants were employed in the U.S., making it one of the largest healthcare occupations in the U.S. The BLS further estimated that, as of May 2023, the national mean wage for nursing assistants was $39,610 per year. From state to state there was considerable disparity in nursing assistants' mean annual wages, with nursing assistants in some regions of the country earning 50% or more than their counterparts elsewhere. Per BLS data as of May 2023, based on annual mean wage levels the ten best and worst states for nursing assistant pay were:
The Best and Worst States for Nursing Assistant Pay
| Best Paying States | |
| District of Columbia | $47,860 |
| Alaska | $47,080 |
| California | $47,070 |
| Oregon | $46,970 |
| Washington | $46,430 |
| New York | $46,020 |
| New Hampshire | $45,090 |
| Hawaii | $44,990 |
| Massachusetts | $44,750 |
| Colorado | $43,580 |
| Worst Paying States | |
| North Carolina | $35,340 |
| West Virginia | $35,340 |
| Georgia | $34,890 |
| Tennessee | $34,850 |
| South Carolina | $34,590 |
| Oklahoma | $33,090 |
| Arkansas | $32,050 |
| Alabama | $31,280 |
| Louisiana | $30,420 |
| Mississippi | $29,660 |
(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 6, 2024
