If you are a nursing assistant looking to find your perfect new home state, take a look into our list of the 25 best states for nursing assistants.
Becoming a nursing assistant requires some education and training, but the program is fairly quick. This entry-level position requires a high school diploma and nursing assistant training program to get started. A competency exam is required on top of this education to obtain the CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) title.
Nursing assistants— under the supervision of a licensed nurse or doctor— provide direct care to patients in a variety of facilities. The working environment may include hospitals, nursing homes, prison medical facilities, etc. Their jobs include taking vitals, helping to dress and bathe patients, and reporting patient any concerns to a licensed nurse or doctor. This job requires a great deal of patience, kindness, professionalism, and selflessness, and is not an ideal path for everyone.
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If you are looking to shoot for a higher-paying job within the nursing field, also feel free to check out our list of 25 best states for registered nurses.
Deciding which states qualify as the “best” is not a simple task. Different factors matter more to different people. We decided to consult the Bureau of Labor Statistics for information on the average mean wage and the number of employed nursing assistants in each state. We then sourced information on the cost of living index from Missouri Economic Research And Information Center. Considering all of these factors, we were able to sort our list of best states for nursing assistants.
It is not enough for a state to simply have a high average salary for its nursing assistants. It must also be considered that the number of working nursing assistants in the state may affect the number of job positions that are open to newcomers. On the other side of that argument, more employed nursing assistants points to the possibility of more hospitals, and thus, a more steady stream of work available. The cost of living index can also not be considered alone. It is great to have a low cost of living, but this only matters if your salary is also not super low. A low cost of living paired with a high salary is the most advantageous situation. States falling into this category made the top of our list.
Without further ado, here is our list of 25 best states for nursing assistants.
25. Kansas
Cost of living index: 90.4
Annual mean wage: $24,530
Hourly mean wage: $11.79
Number of employees: 23,310
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24. Oklahoma
Cost of living index: 88.6
Annual mean wage: $24,050
Hourly mean wage: $11.56
Number of employees: 16,910
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23. Missouri
Cost of living index: 90.8
Annual mean wage: $24,690
Hourly mean wage: $11.87
Number of employees: 39,460
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22. Oregon
Cost of living index: 115.4
Annual mean wage: $31,660
Hourly mean wage: $15.22
Number of employees: 12,480
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21. Kentucky
Cost of living index: 90.8
Annual mean wage: $25,160
Hourly mean wage: $12.09
Number of employees: 23,930
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20. Ohio
Cost of living index: 93
Annual mean wage: $25,850
Hourly mean wage: $12.42
Number of employees: 66,800
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19. Texas
Cost of living index: 90.7
Annual mean wage: $25,410
Hourly mean wage: $12.21
Number of employees: 87,930
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18. Illinois
Cost of living index: 95.5
Annual mean wage: $26,830
Hourly mean wage: $12.89
Number of employees: 60,090
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17. Washington
Cost of living index: 107.1
Annual mean wage: $30,150
Hourly mean wage: $14.49
Number of employees: 26,530
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16. Delaware
Cost of living index: 102.6
Annual mean wage: $29,000
Hourly mean wage: $13.94
Number of employees: 5,270
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15. Pennsylvania
Cost of living index: 102.8
Annual mean wage: $29,190
Hourly mean wage: $14.03
Number of employees: 76,300
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14. Indiana
Cost of living index: 87.9
Annual mean wage: $25,000
Hourly mean wage: $12.01
Number of employees: 30,910
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13. New Mexico
Cost of living index: 95.7
Annual mean wage: $27,280
Hourly mean wage: $13.11
Number of employees: 6,870
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12. Alaska
Cost of living index: 131.6
Annual mean wage: $37,520
Hourly mean wage: $18.03
Number of employees: 1,720
We’re halfway through our list of best states for nursing assistants, and now, let’s see the other half.
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11. Idaho
Cost of living index: 89.6
Annual mean wage: $25,630
Hourly mean wage: $12.32
Number of employees: 6,820
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10. Nebraska
Cost of living index: 91.3
Annual mean wage: $26,260
Hourly mean wage: $12.62
Number of employees: 13,640
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9. Wisconsin
Cost of living index: 96.9
Annual mean wage: $27,980
Hourly mean wage: $13.45
Number of employees: 23,380
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8. Colorado
Cost of living index: 102.1
Annual mean wage: $30,150
Hourly mean wage: $14.49
Number of employees: 19,230
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7. Iowa
Cost of living index: 91.7
Annual mean wage: $27,310
Hourly mean wage: $13.12
Number of employees: 21,460
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6. Minnesota
Cost of living index: 101.1
Annual mean wage: $30,610
Hourly mean wage: $14.71
Number of employees: 31,050
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5. Arizona
Cost of living index: 98.1
Annual mean wage: $29,790
Hourly mean wage: $14.32
Number of employees: 13,620
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4. Wyoming
Cost of living index: 91.7
Annual mean wage: $29,010
Hourly mean wage: $13.94
Number of employees: 2,990
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3. North Dakota
Cost of living index: 98.9
Annual mean wage: $31,600
Hourly mean wage: $15.19
Number of employees: 6,870
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2. Nevada
Cost of living index: 104.5
Annual mean wage: $33,650
Hourly mean wage: $16.17
Number of employees: 5,830
1. Michigan
Cost of living index: 88.2
Annual mean wage: $28,750
Hourly mean wage: $13.82
Number of employees: 48,570
This was our list of 25 best states for nursing assistants. We hope we managed to show you some great options, and what you should expect from each state when deciding where to move.
