Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| California | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $47,630 | $41,878 | +14% |
| Median hourly wage | $22.90 | $20.13 | +14% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $43,026.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Nursing Assistant in California is $47,630, or about $22.90 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Nursing Assistants is $41,878. California is +14% above the national median.
Entry-level nursing assistants in California typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 110,060 nursing assistant jobs on record and a median salary of $47,630, California offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, nursing assistants rank 625 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 21% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Physical Therapist Assistants at $83,110, Occupational Therapy Assistants at $81,770, Medical Equipment Preparers at $61,370 — all figures are median annual wages for California.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, nursing assistants rank 625 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 21% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in California | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Therapist Assistants | $83,110 | $9,400 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistants | $81,770 | $3,840 |
| Medical Equipment Preparers | $61,370 | $8,720 |
| Phlebotomists | $56,040 | $13,520 |
| Dental Assistants | $50,110 | $56,220 |
| Orderlies | $49,920 | $4,870 |
California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 793 occupations in California.