Nursing Assistants Salary
In Florida, nursing assistants earn $37,510 at the median, or about $18.03 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.58), that's roughly $38,050 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,658/month, about 61.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Florida. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $38K get you in Florida?
About nursing assistants
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What this looks like in Florida
Pay for nursing assistants in Florida runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,658/month, which is 61.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.58) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for nursing assistantss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Florida
Entry-level nursing assistants (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $12K spread from bottom to top.
Nursing Assistants salary by metro in Florida
22 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naples-Marco Island | $40K | +7% | 1,400 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $40K | +7% | 4,660 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor | $39K | +3% | 870 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $38K | +1% | 23,490 |
| Jacksonville | $38K | +1% | 7,960 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $38K | +0% | 12,000 |
| Port St. Lucie | $38K | +0% | 2,680 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $38K | +0% | 3,520 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $37K | -0% | 15,120 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $37K | -1% | 2,760 |
| Gainesville | $37K | -1% | 2,890 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin | $37K | -1% | 850 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | $37K | -1% | 3,160 |
| Punta Gorda | $37K | -2% | 880 |
| Ocala | $37K | -3% | 1,470 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $36K | -3% | 2,150 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach | $36K | -3% | 670 |
| Wildwood-The Villages | $36K | -4% | 600 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | $36K | -4% | 2,960 |
| Sebring | $36K | -5% | 540 |
| Homosassa Springs | $35K | -8% | 850 |
| Tallahassee | $34K | -9% | 1,520 |
Showing 1–10 of 22 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Florida numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a nursing assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Florida?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 61.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,658/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for nursing assistants in Florida?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new nursing assistants typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,061/month. At HUD’s $1,658/month FMR, rent would take 80% 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 Florida?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $38K here vs. $42K nationally.
How does Florida compare to the national average for nursing assistants?
Florida pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.58), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do nursing assistants make in Florida?
The median is $37,510 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,350, and experienced nursing assistants can clear $46,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Florida?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,681/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,658/month, which eats 61.8% 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 Florida?
Florida has a Regional Price Parity of 98.58 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median nursing assistants salary is worth about $38,050 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.