Healthcare
Nursing Assistants
Provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff. Perform duties such as monitoring of health status, feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, or ambulation of patients in a health or nursing facility. May include medication administration and other health-related tasks. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants.
Median salary (BLS)
$42,260
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$34k – $52k
Job outlook
+2% (about average)
AI exposure
Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $93,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.
Plan a path to Nursing Assistants
Education
Typical entry: Associate degree
Plan my path to this →How to qualify
EstimateLicense requiredCost to qualify
$8,200–$23,000
Time to qualify
2.2 yr
Renewal
$75/yr
- 1
Associate degree (community college)
DegreeTwo years at in-district rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $4,050/yr, plus ~$1,200/yr books & supplies.
$8,000–$22,000 · 2 years source
- 2
National & state licensure
LicenseA national board/registry exam plus a state license application (the NCLEX pattern). Exact exam and fees depend on the role and state.
$200–$1,000 · 2 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source
Estimated typical U.S. route for "Nursing Assistants" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.
Typical progression
Junior Nursing Assistants
Entry / Junior
$33,940
~2 yrs to advance
Nursing Assistants
Established
$42,260
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Nursing Assistants
Senior
$47,120
Key skills
A typical day
- •Turn or reposition bedridden patients.
- •Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs.
- •Feed patients or assist patients to eat or drink.
- •Measure and record food and liquid intake or urinary and fecal output, reporting changes to medical or nursing staff.
- •Provide physical support to assist patients to perform daily living activities, such as getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, standing, walking, or exercising.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Healthcare
Explore all- Johns Hopkins University7% admit · $93,000 grad pay
- Harvard University4% admit · $119,000 grad pay
- University of Michigan18% admit · $87,000 grad pay
- Duke University6% admit · $105,000 grad pay
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill19% admit · $73,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.