Nursing Assistants Salary
In Indiana, nursing assistants earn $38,330 at the median, or about $18.43 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.81), which stretches that salary to about $41,749 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,144/month, about 43% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Indiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $38K get you in Indiana?
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What this looks like in Indiana
Nursing assistants pay in Indiana tracks closely to the national median, $38K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,144/month, which is 43.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.81 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% 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, Indiana
Entry-level nursing assistants (10th percentile) start around $35K. 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 Indiana
12 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $39K | +1% | 9,730 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka | $39K | +1% | 1,520 |
| Michigan City-La Porte | $38K | +0% | 340 |
| Columbus | $38K | -0% | 230 |
| Kokomo | $38K | -0% | 460 |
| Elkhart-Goshen | $38K | -0% | 840 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette | $38K | -1% | 770 |
| Fort Wayne | $37K | -3% | 3,610 |
| Evansville | $37K | -3% | 2,030 |
| Muncie | $37K | -3% | 700 |
| Bloomington | $37K | -4% | 830 |
| Terre Haute | $36K | -5% | 720 |
Showing 1–10 of 12 metros
Compare to other states
Track nursing assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Indiana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a nursing assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Indiana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 43.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,144/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 Indiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new nursing assistants typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,123/month. At HUD’s $1,144/month FMR, rent would take 54% 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 Indiana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $38K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Indiana compare to the national average for nursing assistants?
Indiana pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.81), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do nursing assistants make in Indiana?
The median is $38,330 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,390, and experienced nursing assistants can clear $46,890. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Indiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,639/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,144/month, which eats 43.3% 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 Indiana?
Indiana has a Regional Price Parity of 91.81 (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 $41,749 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.