Nursing Assistants Salary
In Idaho, nursing assistants earn $38,650 at the median, or about $18.58 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.88), which stretches that salary to about $41,170 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,136/month, about 43.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Idaho. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $39K actually covers in Idaho, month by month
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What this looks like in Idaho
Nursing assistants pay in Idaho tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,136/month, which is 42.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.88 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Idaho
Entry-level nursing assistants (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Nursing Assistants salary by metro in Idaho
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coeur d'Alene | $40K | +3% | 970 |
| Boise City | $39K | +1% | 3,790 |
| Lewiston | $39K | +1% | 350 |
| Twin Falls | $39K | +0% | 540 |
| Idaho Falls | $38K | -2% | 540 |
| Pocatello | $36K | -6% | 300 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Idaho numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a nursing assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Idaho?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 42.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,136/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 Idaho?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new nursing assistants typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,022/month. At HUD’s $1,136/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Idaho?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Idaho compare to the national average for nursing assistants?
Idaho pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.88), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — below the national median.
How much do nursing assistants make in Idaho?
The median is $38,650 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,380, and experienced nursing assistants can clear $47,430. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Idaho?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,660/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,136/month, which eats 42.7% 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 Idaho?
Idaho has a Regional Price Parity of 93.88 (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 $41,170 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.