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.
