Nursing Assistants Salary
In Bellingham, WA, nursing assistants earn $48,040 at the median, or about $23.1 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.33), that's roughly $46,492 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,794/month, about 51.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Bellingham?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Bellingham’s Regional Price Parity (103.33). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About nursing assistants
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What this looks like in Bellingham
Bellingham sits well above the national pay line for nursing assistants, local pay runs about 14% higher than the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,794/month, which is 53% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.33) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for nursing assistants in metros near Bellingham, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $52K | $47K |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $47K | $47K |
| Yakima | $47K | $49K |
| Kennewick-Richland | $48K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Bellingham, WA
Entry-level nursing assistants (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Nursing Assistants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Nursing Assistants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $50K | +18% | 14,800 |
| Washington | $49K | +16% | 30,270 |
| New York | $49K | +15% | 87,990 |
| New Hampshire | $48K | +13% | 7,810 |
| District of Columbia | $48K | +13% | 3,490 |
| California | $48K | +13% | 110,060 |
| Colorado | $47K | +12% | 22,240 |
| Vermont | $47K | +12% | 3,030 |
| Maine | $47K | +11% | 8,540 |
| New Jersey | $47K | +11% | 32,400 |
| Minnesota | $47K | +10% | 29,120 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | +10% | 38,130 |
| Rhode Island | $46K | +10% | 10,220 |
| Alaska | $46K | +10% | 2,060 |
| Illinois | $46K | +9% | 68,640 |
| North Dakota | $46K | +8% | 6,840 |
| Nevada | $45K | +8% | 8,100 |
| Hawaii | $45K | +7% | 5,050 |
| Wisconsin | $45K | +7% | 28,370 |
| Connecticut | $45K | +6% | 21,380 |
| Arizona | $45K | +6% | 20,320 |
| Pennsylvania | $45K | +6% | 67,740 |
| Maryland | $43K | +2% | 27,720 |
| Virginia | $43K | +2% | 40,580 |
| Delaware | $42K | -1% | 5,530 |
| Montana | $41K | -3% | 4,390 |
| Nebraska | $40K | -5% | 16,450 |
| Utah | $40K | -6% | 12,260 |
| Michigan | $40K | -6% | 43,290 |
| New Mexico | $39K | -7% | 4,750 |
| Iowa | $39K | -7% | 22,670 |
| Wyoming | $39K | -7% | 2,830 |
| Ohio | $39K | -8% | 63,280 |
| South Dakota | $39K | -8% | 6,860 |
| Idaho | $39K | -9% | 7,910 |
| North Carolina | $38K | -9% | 64,010 |
| Kentucky | $38K | -9% | 23,410 |
| Indiana | $38K | -9% | 33,640 |
| Kansas | $38K | -10% | 24,610 |
| Tennessee | $38K | -10% | 27,040 |
| Missouri | $38K | -11% | 34,050 |
| Georgia | $38K | -11% | 43,440 |
| Florida | $38K | -11% | 96,960 |
| Texas | $38K | -11% | 88,680 |
| South Carolina | $37K | -12% | 21,760 |
| West Virginia | $37K | -13% | 9,390 |
| Oklahoma | $36K | -15% | 19,410 |
| Arkansas | $34K | -19% | 17,260 |
| Alabama | $34K | -19% | 25,250 |
| Mississippi | $32K | -25% | 14,200 |
| Louisiana | $31K | -28% | 20,690 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track nursing assistants salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a nursing assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Bellingham?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 53% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,794/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for nursing assistants in Bellingham?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new nursing assistants typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,575/month. At HUD’s $1,794/month FMR, rent would take 70% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is nursing assistant a high-paying job in Bellingham?
Local pay is 14% above the national median — $48K here vs. $42K nationally.
How does Bellingham compare to the national average for nursing assistants?
Bellingham pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s +14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do nursing assistants make in Bellingham, WA?
The median is $48,040 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,910, and experienced nursing assistants can clear $59,040. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Bellingham?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,387/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,794/month, which eats 53% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a nursing assistants salary go in Bellingham?
Bellingham has a Regional Price Parity of 103.33 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median nursing assistants salary is worth about $46,492 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do nursing assistants get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.