There were more than 1,310,000 nursing assistants working in the USA according to May 2022 data released earlier this year by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Over 154,700 nursing assistants were employed in the six-state Far West region of the country.  Per BLS data, the Far West U.S. was the top region in the country for nursing assistant pay. Not only did all states in the region feature an annual mean wage for nursing assistants that topped the national average, but all six Far West states ranked among the top ten states nationally for nursing assistant pay. Moreover, three of the top five states nationally for nursing assistant annual mean wages were in the Far West region. A further examination of BLS data from May 2022 reveals the following about nursing assistant pay in the Far West U.S.:

Nursing Assistant Pay in the Far West U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AK	1,770	$44,420	1st
CA	99,930	$43,570	3rd
HI	4,850	$39,870	10th
NV	7,480	$41,110	9th
OR	12,450	$42,960	5th
WA	28,270	$42,430	7th
U.S.	1,310,090	$36,220	-------

(*) 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 10, 2023