Healthcare support
Nursing assistant
Provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff. Perform duties such as monitoring of health status, feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, or ambulation of patients in a health or nursing facility. May include medication administration and other health-related tasks. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants.
Median pay
$42,260
Growth to 2035
+3%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
196,200
Time to qualify*
3 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Nursing assistant
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
- Required
- State nurse aide competency exam · Listing on the state nurse aide registry
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Exposure to disease
Nursing assistant: 15% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Turn or reposition bedridden patients.
- Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs.
- Feed patients or assist patients to eat or drink.
- Measure and record food and liquid intake or urinary and fecal output, reporting changes to medical or nursing staff.
- Provide physical support to assist patients to perform daily living activities, such as getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, standing, walking, or exercising.
- Document or otherwise report observations of patient behavior, complaints, or physical symptoms to nurses.
- Remind patients to take medications or nutritional supplements.
- Review patients' dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences to ensure patient receives appropriate diet.
Also called: Certified Medication Aide (CMA) · Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) · Certified Nurses Aide (CNA) · Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) · Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) · Nurses' Aide · Nursing Aide · Nursing Assistant
Outlook and AI
Nursing assistants held 1,505,900 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 1,544,900 by 2035 (+3%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Nursing assistant vs. Licensed practical nurse (LPN)
- Nursing assistant vs. Home health and personal care aides
- Nursing assistant vs. Paramedic
- Nursing assistant vs. Registered nurse
- Nursing assistant vs. Emergency medical technician
- Nursing assistant vs. Psychiatric aide
- Nursing assistant vs. Surgical assistant
- Nursing assistant vs. Medical assistant
- Nursing assistant vs. Physical therapist aide