Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Salary, Adjusted for Cost of Living
Certified nursing assistants earn the most in Oregon ($49,830/yr) — but once you adjust for what a dollar actually buys there, Oregon drops to #3, and North Dakota pays the most real money ($51,507 in U.S.-average buying power).
| # | State | Nominal / yr | Cost of living | Real pay / yr | COL shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | $45,820 | 89 | $51,507 | ▲ 15 | |
| Maine | $47,070 | 97 | $48,501 | ▲ 7 | |
| Oregon | $49,830 | 103 | $48,210 | ▼ 2 | |
| Vermont | $47,130 | 98 | $48,112 | ▲ 4 | |
| Wisconsin | $45,130 | 94 | $47,962 | ▲ 14 | |
| Minnesota | $46,680 | 99 | $47,333 | ▲ 6 | |
| Illinois | $45,960 | 100 | $45,979 | ▲ 8 | |
| Colorado | $47,380 | 103 | $45,977 | ▼ 1 | |
| Washington | $49,180 | 107 | $45,957 | ▼ 7 | |
| New Hampshire | $47,870 | 104 | $45,956 | ▼ 6 | |
| Pennsylvania | $44,590 | 98 | $45,700 | ▲ 11 | |
| Nevada | $45,490 | 100 | $45,500 | ▲ 5 | |
| Rhode Island | $46,440 | 102 | $45,405 | — | |
| Alaska | $46,370 | 102 | $45,301 | — | |
| New York | $48,590 | 108 | $45,024 | ▼ 12 | |
| Iowa | $39,350 | 88 | $44,837 | ▲ 15 | |
| Arizona | $44,780 | 101 | $44,479 | ▲ 4 | |
| Nebraska | $40,000 | 90 | $44,394 | ▲ 9 | |
| Massachusetts | $46,680 | 106 | $44,139 | ▼ 8 | |
| South Dakota | $38,800 | 89 | $43,799 | ▲ 14 | |
| District of Columbia | $47,700 | 110 | $43,403 | ▼ 16 | |
| Connecticut | $44,790 | 104 | $43,229 | ▼ 2 | |
| Montana | $40,900 | 95 | $43,214 | ▲ 3 | |
| New Jersey | $46,830 | 109 | $43,040 | ▼ 14 | |
| California | $47,630 | 111 | $43,018 | ▼ 19 | |
| Virginia | $43,200 | 101 | $42,728 | ▼ 2 | |
| New Mexico | $39,390 | 92 | $42,717 | ▲ 3 | |
| Kentucky | $38,370 | 90 | $42,558 | ▲ 9 | |
| Wyoming | $39,160 | 93 | $42,248 | ▲ 3 | |
| Kansas | $38,010 | 90 | $42,201 | ▲ 9 | |
| Delaware | $42,030 | 100 | $42,111 | ▼ 6 | |
| Ohio | $39,010 | 93 | $42,048 | ▲ 1 | |
| Missouri | $37,680 | 91 | $41,490 | ▲ 9 | |
| Tennessee | $37,990 | 92 | $41,352 | ▲ 6 | |
| Hawaii | $45,350 | 110 | $41,246 | ▼ 17 | |
| Maryland | $43,240 | 105 | $41,197 | ▼ 13 | |
| Michigan | $39,570 | 96 | $41,126 | ▼ 8 | |
| Indiana | $38,330 | 93 | $41,070 | — | |
| West Virginia | $36,720 | 90 | $41,029 | ▲ 7 | |
| Oklahoma | $35,930 | 88 | $40,903 | ▲ 7 | |
| North Carolina | $38,460 | 94 | $40,773 | ▼ 5 | |
| Idaho | $38,650 | 96 | $40,474 | ▼ 7 | |
| Utah | $39,840 | 99 | $40,298 | ▼ 15 | |
| South Carolina | $37,220 | 94 | $39,702 | ▲ 1 | |
| Arkansas | $34,430 | 87 | $39,603 | ▲ 3 | |
| Georgia | $37,680 | 96 | $39,131 | ▼ 5 | |
| Texas | $37,500 | 97 | $38,637 | ▼ 3 | |
| Alabama | $34,140 | 89 | $38,436 | ▲ 1 | |
| Florida | $37,510 | 103 | $36,272 | ▼ 6 | |
| Mississippi | $31,520 | 87 | $36,249 | — | |
| Louisiana | $30,510 | 88 | $34,589 | — |
How to read this
Nominal pay is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) median wage for certified nursing assistants in each state. Real pay divides that by the state's cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parity, U.S. average = 100), so it reflects what the salary is actually worth locally. A state with high nominal pay but high costs can rank lower on real pay than a cheaper state — that's the COL shift column.
Methodology: nominal medians from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 release); cost of living from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (all items, 2024). Real pay = nominal ÷ (RPP ÷ 100). Cite as “WageAtlas Real Pay Index.”
See all professions in the Real Pay Index arrow_forward · Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) salary overview arrow_forward