Nursing Assistants salary · California
Nursing Assistants Salary in California
Nursing Assistants in California earn a median of $47,630 a year, which is $22.90 an hour. That is $5,370 above the national median of $42,260, a difference of 13 percent. The state employs 110,060.
California against the US May 2025
| Figure | California | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $47,630 | $42,260 |
| Median hourly | $22.90 | $20.32 |
| Mean annual | $50,190 | $42,700 |
| 10th percentile | $40,110 | $33,940 |
| 90th percentile | $61,100 | $51,980 |
| Employment | 110,060 | 1,448,910 |
How California compares
By median pay, California ranks 2 of the 12 states this site reports for nursing assistants. Ranking is on the published median only. It says nothing about how far that salary goes once housing, state income tax and commuting are paid, and those differences between states are frequently larger than the pay gap itself.
Other states for nursing assistants May 2025
| State | Median | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $48,590 | $23.36 | 87,990 |
| Massachusetts | $46,680 | $22.44 | 38,130 |
| Illinois | $45,960 | $22.10 | 68,640 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,590 | $21.44 | 67,740 |
| Virginia | $43,200 | $20.77 | 40,580 |
| Michigan | $39,570 | $19.03 | 43,290 |
| Ohio | $39,010 | $18.76 | 63,280 |
| North Carolina | $38,460 | $18.49 | 64,010 |
| Georgia | $37,680 | $18.12 | 43,440 |
| Florida | $37,510 | $18.03 | 96,960 |
| Texas | $37,500 | $18.03 | 88,680 |
Common questions
How much do nursing assistants make in California?
The median salary for nursing assistants in California is $47,630 a year, or $22.90 an hour. That is $5,370 above the national median of $42,260, a difference of 13 percent. California employs 110,060 of them.
Is California a good state to work as a nursing assistant?
On pay alone, California ranks 2 of the 12 states this site reports for the occupation, by median salary. Pay is only half the question though: a state with a higher median can still leave you with less once housing and taxes are counted, and this site does not adjust for cost of living.
What is the pay range for nursing assistants in California?
The lowest-paid 10 percent earn $40,110 or less and the highest-paid 10 percent earn $61,100 or more. The middle half falls between $45,850 and $54,800.
Where these numbers come from
Published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release, for SOC code 31-1131 in California. Nothing on this page is interpolated or averaged by this site. See the national nursing assistants salary page for the full picture, or how to read these figures for what the survey covers.