Nursing Assistants Salary
In Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC, nursing assistants earn $37,730 at the median, or about $18.14 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.02), that's roughly $38,492 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,816/month, about 70.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal’s Regional Price Parity (98.02). 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal
Pay for nursing assistants in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal 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 $1,816/month, which is 69% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.02) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for nursing assistants in metros near Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia | $37K | $40K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $37K | $40K |
| Charleston-North Charleston | $39K | $38K |
| Spartanburg | $40K | $44K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC
Entry-level nursing assistants (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $12K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare Support
Frequently asked questions
Can a nursing assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 69% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,816/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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new nursing assistants typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,035/month. At HUD’s $1,816/month FMR, rent would take 89% 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $38K here vs. $42K nationally.
How does Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal compare to the national average for nursing assistants?
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.02), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do nursing assistants make in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?
The median is $37,730 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,920, and experienced nursing assistants can clear $46,080. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,631/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,816/month, which eats 69% 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal has a Regional Price Parity of 98.02 (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 $38,492 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.