Nursing Assistants Salary
In San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, nursing assistants earn $56,840 at the median, or about $27.33 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 110.42), so that salary is closer to $51,476 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,483/month, about 93.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $57K get you in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara’s Regional Price Parity (110.42). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara sits well above the national pay line for nursing assistants, local pay runs about 35% 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 $3,483/month, which is 90.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.42), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for nursing assistants in metros near San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $47K | $42K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $56K | $49K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $46K | $44K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $48K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Entry-level nursing assistants (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $30K 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare Support
Frequently asked questions
Can a nursing assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 90.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,483/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for nursing assistants in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new nursing assistants typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,840/month. At HUD’s $3,483/month FMR, rent would take 123% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Local pay is 35% above the national median — $57K here vs. $42K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 10% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara compare to the national average for nursing assistants?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s +35%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do nursing assistants make in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
The median is $56,840 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,340, and experienced nursing assistants can clear $77,040. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,834/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,483/month, which eats 90.8% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara has a Regional Price Parity of 110.42 (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 $51,476 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.