25 Best States For Nursing Assistants

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.

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

24. Oklahoma

Cost of living index: 88.6

Annual mean wage: $24,050

Hourly mean wage: $11.56

Number of employees: 16,910

23. Missouri

Cost of living index: 90.8

Annual mean wage: $24,690

Hourly mean wage: $11.87

Number of employees: 39,460

22. Oregon

Cost of living index: 115.4

Annual mean wage: $31,660

Hourly mean wage: $15.22

Number of employees: 12,480

21. Kentucky

Cost of living index: 90.8

Annual mean wage: $25,160

Hourly mean wage: $12.09

Number of employees: 23,930

20. Ohio

Cost of living index: 93

Annual mean wage: $25,850

Hourly mean wage: $12.42

Number of employees: 66,800

19. Texas

Cost of living index: 90.7

Annual mean wage: $25,410

Hourly mean wage: $12.21

Number of employees: 87,930

18. Illinois

Cost of living index: 95.5

Annual mean wage: $26,830

Hourly mean wage: $12.89

Number of employees: 60,090

17. Washington

Cost of living index: 107.1

Annual mean wage: $30,150

Hourly mean wage: $14.49

Number of employees: 26,530

16. Delaware

Cost of living index: 102.6

Annual mean wage: $29,000

Hourly mean wage: $13.94

Number of employees: 5,270

15. Pennsylvania

Cost of living index: 102.8

Annual mean wage: $29,190

Hourly mean wage: $14.03

Number of employees: 76,300

14. Indiana

Cost of living index: 87.9

Annual mean wage: $25,000

Hourly mean wage: $12.01

Number of employees: 30,910

13. New Mexico

Cost of living index: 95.7

Annual mean wage: $27,280

Hourly mean wage: $13.11

Number of employees: 6,870

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.

11. Idaho

Cost of living index: 89.6

Annual mean wage: $25,630

Hourly mean wage: $12.32

Number of employees: 6,820

10. Nebraska

Cost of living index: 91.3

Annual mean wage: $26,260

Hourly mean wage: $12.62

Number of employees: 13,640

9. Wisconsin

Cost of living index: 96.9

Annual mean wage: $27,980

Hourly mean wage: $13.45

Number of employees: 23,380

8. Colorado

Cost of living index: 102.1

Annual mean wage: $30,150

Hourly mean wage: $14.49

Number of employees: 19,230

7. Iowa

Cost of living index: 91.7

Annual mean wage: $27,310

Hourly mean wage: $13.12

Number of employees: 21,460

6. Minnesota

Cost of living index: 101.1

Annual mean wage: $30,610

Hourly mean wage: $14.71

Number of employees: 31,050

5. Arizona

Cost of living index: 98.1

Annual mean wage: $29,790

Hourly mean wage: $14.32

Number of employees: 13,620

4. Wyoming

Cost of living index: 91.7

Annual mean wage: $29,010

Hourly mean wage: $13.94

Number of employees: 2,990

3. North Dakota

Cost of living index: 98.9

Annual mean wage: $31,600

Hourly mean wage: $15.19

Number of employees: 6,870

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.