Nursing Assistants Salary
In Virginia, nursing assistants earn $43,200 at the median, or about $20.77 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $51K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $45,574 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 55.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $43K get you in Virginia?
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What this looks like in Virginia
Nursing assistants pay in Virginia tracks closely to the national median, $43K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 56.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% 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, Virginia
Entry-level nursing assistants (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $51K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Nursing Assistants salary by metro in Virginia
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville | $44K | +2% | 1,610 |
| Lynchburg | $44K | +1% | 1,300 |
| Richmond | $43K | -1% | 6,660 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft | $42K | -2% | 640 |
| Winchester | $40K | -7% | 810 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $39K | -10% | 8,110 |
| Roanoke | $39K | -10% | 2,430 |
| Harrisonburg | $39K | -10% | 540 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $38K | -12% | 760 |
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a nursing assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 56.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for nursing assistants in Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new nursing assistants typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,894/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 87% 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 Virginia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $43K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for nursing assistants?
Virginia pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do nursing assistants make in Virginia?
The median is $43,200 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,560, and experienced nursing assistants can clear $50,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,899/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 56.8% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (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 $45,574 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.