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CNA pay by state
Half of nursing assistants in the United States earned more than $20.32 an hour and half earned less in May 2025, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics' count. By state the median runs from $14.67 in Louisiana to $23.96 in Oregon.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates · nursing assistants are SOC 31-1131
Every state
Hourly wages for nursing assistants (CNAs) across all employers in each state, sorted by the median. Half of the state's CNAs earn more than the median and half less; the middle half earn between the 25th and 75th percentiles. Click a column to sort by it.
| State | CNA 25th percentile | CNA median | CNA 75th percentile | CNAs employed | LPN median | RN median | Nursing homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $22.83 | $23.96 | $28.40 | 14,800 | $38.69 | $62.02 | 128 |
| Washington | $22.59 | $23.65 | $27.85 | 30,270 | $39.98 | $59.71 | 193 |
| New York | $21.04 | $23.36 | $24.99 | 87,990 | $32.30 | $52.62 | 593 |
| New Hampshire | $21.58 | $23.02 | $26.16 | 7,810 | $37.07 | $47.93 | 73 |
| District of Columbia | $20.38 | $22.93 | $24.93 | 3,490 | $36.42 | $49.30 | 17 |
| California | $22.04 | $22.90 | $26.35 | 110,060 | $38.34 | $67.44 | 1,165 |
| Colorado | $21.42 | $22.78 | $24.00 | 22,240 | $35.52 | $48.20 | 210 |
| Vermont | $19.64 | $22.66 | $23.53 | 3,030 | $33.62 | $46.86 | 33 |
| Maine | $21.25 | $22.63 | $24.13 | 8,540 | $35.19 | $41.82 | 78 |
| New Jersey | $21.13 | $22.52 | $23.44 | 32,400 | $36.13 | $51.20 | 348 |
| Massachusetts | $21.32 | $22.44 | $23.94 | 38,130 | $38.57 | $50.27 | 341 |
| Minnesota | $19.39 | $22.44 | $23.72 | 29,120 | $30.65 | $48.80 | 338 |
| Rhode Island | $21.52 | $22.33 | $22.82 | 10,220 | $38.51 | $48.39 | 72 |
| Alaska | $21.69 | $22.29 | $25.12 | 2,060 | $38.85 | $52.64 | 20 |
| Illinois | $18.95 | $22.10 | $23.26 | 68,640 | $36.06 | $46.15 | 666 |
| North Dakota | $17.51 | $22.03 | $23.06 | 6,840 | $29.95 | $38.81 | 72 |
| Nevada | $18.80 | $21.87 | $23.07 | 8,100 | $36.62 | $49.84 | 66 |
| Hawaii | $19.26 | $21.80 | $24.25 | 5,050 | $34.20 | $65.54 | 43 |
| Wisconsin | $19.03 | $21.70 | $22.75 | 28,370 | $30.65 | $45.93 | 323 |
| Arizona | $18.43 | $21.53 | $22.42 | 20,320 | $37.05 | $47.84 | 140 |
| Connecticut | $20.14 | $21.53 | $22.68 | 21,380 | $35.43 | $49.39 | 191 |
| Pennsylvania | $18.88 | $21.44 | $22.52 | 67,740 | $30.74 | $46.36 | 656 |
| Maryland | $18.46 | $20.79 | $22.00 | 27,720 | $35.89 | $47.98 | 221 |
| Virginia | $17.80 | $20.77 | $22.56 | 40,580 | $31.21 | $45.00 | 289 |
| Delaware | $18.51 | $20.21 | $21.74 | 5,530 | $33.03 | $47.85 | 44 |
| Montana | $18.29 | $19.67 | $22.86 | 4,390 | $29.91 | $41.00 | 61 |
| Nebraska | $18.29 | $19.23 | $22.31 | 16,450 | $30.13 | $40.74 | 180 |
| Utah | $17.81 | $19.15 | $21.32 | 12,260 | $30.40 | $40.67 | 97 |
| Michigan | $18.35 | $19.03 | $21.59 | 43,290 | $31.47 | $45.34 | 422 |
| New Mexico | $17.94 | $18.94 | $21.83 | 4,750 | $28.52 | $45.36 | 68 |
| Iowa | $17.96 | $18.92 | $21.95 | 22,670 | $30.11 | $37.80 | 387 |
| Wyoming | $17.88 | $18.83 | $22.76 | 2,830 | $30.51 | $40.27 | 36 |
| Ohio | $17.93 | $18.76 | $21.44 | 63,280 | $29.78 | $39.67 | 922 |
| South Dakota | $17.71 | $18.65 | $21.12 | 6,860 | $25.36 | $37.53 | 96 |
| Idaho | $17.45 | $18.58 | $22.23 | 7,910 | $30.67 | $44.45 | 80 |
| North Carolina | $17.28 | $18.49 | $21.08 | 64,010 | $30.42 | $40.56 | 419 |
| Kentucky | $17.38 | $18.45 | $21.21 | 23,410 | $29.07 | $38.96 | 267 |
| Indiana | $17.80 | $18.43 | $21.36 | 33,640 | $31.60 | $40.14 | 507 |
| Kansas | $17.41 | $18.27 | $21.24 | 24,610 | $29.69 | $38.14 | 296 |
| Tennessee | $17.09 | $18.27 | $19.66 | 27,040 | $28.31 | $39.18 | 303 |
| Georgia | $17.06 | $18.12 | $20.66 | 43,440 | $29.82 | $44.98 | 356 |
| Missouri | $17.02 | $18.11 | $20.00 | 34,050 | $29.58 | $39.32 | 487 |
| Florida | $17.33 | $18.03 | $20.34 | 96,960 | $29.70 | $40.48 | 694 |
| Texas | $16.97 | $18.03 | $20.71 | 88,680 | $29.92 | $46.14 | 1,177 |
| South Carolina | $16.81 | $17.90 | $19.08 | 21,760 | $29.72 | $39.60 | 187 |
| West Virginia | $17.05 | $17.66 | $18.47 | 9,390 | $26.61 | $38.52 | 123 |
| Oklahoma | $15.82 | $17.27 | $18.39 | 19,410 | $28.04 | $39.87 | 283 |
| Arkansas | $14.52 | $16.55 | $17.34 | 17,260 | $27.22 | $37.95 | 221 |
| Alabama | $14.45 | $16.41 | $17.49 | 25,250 | $27.42 | $37.06 | 224 |
| Mississippi | $14.19 | $15.15 | $16.92 | 14,200 | $24.14 | $37.06 | 202 |
| Louisiana | $13.97 | $14.67 | $16.87 | 20,690 | $27.63 | $38.57 | 265 |
| Puerto Rico | $10.50 | $10.99 | $17.94 | 430 | $14.79 | $19.17 | 9 |
| Guam | not published | not published | not published | $20.61 | not published | 1 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state file (download). "Not published" means BLS released no estimate for that cell. Nursing homes: CMS certified homes on this site. Download this table as CSV (free to reuse with a link to this page).
Nursing homes against all employers, nationally
| Job | Nursing care facilities, median | All employers, median | Employed in nursing care facilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing assistants (CNAs) | $20.67 | $20.32 | 534,270 |
| Licensed practical nurses | $33.86 | $30.96 | 188,210 |
| Registered nurses | $41.11 | $46.90 | 142,270 |
Nursing care facilities are NAICS 6231 (skilled nursing facilities). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, national industry file (download). BLS publishes no separate estimate for medication aides.
Questions
How much do CNAs make an hour?
The median hourly wage for nursing assistants was $20.32 in May 2025 across all employers, with the middle half earning $17.91 to $22.70 (BLS OEWS). In nursing care facilities the median was $20.67.
Which state pays CNAs the most?
Oregon, at a median of $23.96 an hour in May 2025. Louisiana is lowest at $14.67, a gap of $9.29 an hour. These are all-employer figures for the occupation, not for nursing homes alone.
Do nursing homes pay CNAs more or less than other employers?
Nationally the BLS median for nursing assistants in nursing care facilities was $20.67 an hour against $20.32 across all employers in May 2025. BLS does not publish the nursing-facility split by state.
These are survey estimates for whole occupations. What one nursing home pays is a different question: see staff pay reports, which show a home's figure only after enough staff have reported it.