Nursing Assistants Salary in California
The median for nursing assistants in California is $47,630 a year, somewhat above the national $42,260 (+13%); the state ranks 6th of 51 states by median. That is 18% less than the median across all occupations in California ($58,240). Among neighbouring states, Oregon pays more (up to $49,830 in Oregon) and Nevada and Arizona pay less (down to $44,780 in Arizona). California employs 110,060 nursing assistants, 6.04 per 1,000 jobs, the 1st largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.65 means it is less common in California than nationally.
California vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $19.28 | $22.04 | $22.90 | $26.35 | $29.38 | $24.13 | 110,060 | 6.04 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $40,110 | $45,850 | $47,630 | $54,800 | $61,100 | $50,190 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.32 | $17.91 | $20.32 | $22.70 | $24.99 | $20.53 | 1,448,910 | – | – |
| Annual | $33,940 | $37,260 | $42,260 | $47,220 | $51,980 | $42,700 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 6th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 1st of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.65
- Jobs per 1,000
- 6.04
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of California's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in California
25 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching California publish a row for nursing assistants, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $27.33 | $56,840 | $47,340 | $77,040 | 5,350 | 4.71 | 0.51 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $26.96 | $56,080 | $46,700 | $70,540 | 11,790 | 4.97 | 0.53 |
| Napa, CA | $24.21 | $50,370 | $42,020 | $63,080 | 460 | 5.97 | 0.64 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $23.67 | $49,240 | $42,610 | $58,550 | 1,250 | 6.08 | 0.65 |
| Vallejo, CA | $23.51 | $48,900 | $40,320 | $62,550 | 940 | 6.53 | 0.70 |
| Salinas, CA | $23.50 | $48,870 | $39,900 | $57,040 | 1,070 | 5.75 | 0.62 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $23.11 | $48,070 | $40,420 | $60,510 | 9,670 | 6.29 | 0.67 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $23.05 | $47,940 | $39,110 | $57,720 | 440 | 4.48 | 0.48 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $22.84 | $47,510 | $39,470 | $61,240 | 5,650 | 5.23 | 0.56 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $22.78 | $47,380 | $40,050 | $61,100 | 43,090 | 6.87 | 0.74 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $22.66 | $47,130 | $40,120 | $55,890 | 1,090 | 5.45 | 0.58 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $22.52 | $46,840 | $39,730 | $55,650 | 610 | 4.97 | 0.53 |
| Visalia, CA | $22.51 | $46,810 | $38,740 | $55,120 | 1,530 | 8.93 | 0.96 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $22.50 | $46,800 | $39,540 | $58,560 | 2,070 | 6.40 | 0.69 |
| Modesto, CA | $22.38 | $46,550 | $38,390 | $58,150 | 1,500 | 7.67 | 0.82 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $22.37 | $46,530 | $39,250 | $56,380 | 2,560 | 8.84 | 0.95 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $22.32 | $46,430 | $38,950 | $55,840 | 9,940 | 5.79 | 0.62 |
| Chico, CA | $22.30 | $46,380 | $38,860 | $56,620 | 790 | 10.16 | 1.09 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $22.18 | $46,130 | $37,710 | $56,380 | 1,720 | 5.10 | 0.55 |
| Yuba City, CA | $22.18 | $46,130 | $40,260 | $52,990 | 520 | 10.17 | 1.09 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $22.11 | $45,980 | $39,420 | $58,590 | 290 | 5.91 | 0.63 |
| Redding, CA | $21.58 | $44,880 | $37,010 | $60,180 | 760 | 10.64 | 1.14 |
| Merced, CA | $21.51 | $44,730 | $39,040 | $50,880 | 500 | 6.28 | 0.67 |
| Fresno, CA | $21.50 | $44,710 | $37,770 | $49,230 | 3,880 | 8.13 | 0.87 |
| El Centro, CA | $21.48 | $44,670 | $37,280 | $47,190 | 240 | 3.60 | 0.39 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $23.12 | $48,080 | $44,990 | $58,770 | 640 | 5.81 | 0.62 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $22.79 | $47,410 | $40,960 | $61,290 | 330 | 5.21 | 0.56 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $22.66 | $47,130 | $40,700 | $59,770 | 670 | 6.41 | 0.69 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Nursing Assistants (every state ranked) and the California wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS California estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.