Research Summary. After extensive research by the Zippia data science team, we identified these details of patient care assistant salary by state for the United States:
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Hawaii has the highest patient care assistant salary of $38,538
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South Carolina has the lowest patient care assistant salary of $22,009
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The national average salary for patient care assistants is $32,799
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The national hourly pay for patient care assistants is $15.77
You can read more on the specific methodology.
Background
In 2026, salary remains a crucial factor in job satisfaction, and prospective patient care assistants often want to know how much they can earn in their region. With the evolving healthcare landscape and increased demand for patient care services, understanding salary trends is essential.
Factors influencing individual salaries can vary widely, but robust data is available on average salaries for patient care assistants by state and experience level. While local salaries might differ slightly from state averages, these figures provide a valuable benchmark for what to expect.
In 2026, Hawaii continues to lead with the highest salary for patient care assistants.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the top ten states for patient care assistant salaries:
Let’s take a look at how we got here and a full ranking of all the states.
Highest-Paid Patient Care Assistants By State
| Rank | State | Average Patient Care Assistant Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $38,538 | $33,000 | $44,000 |
| 2 | Washington | $38,047 | $29,000 | $48,000 |
| 3 | Oregon | $37,429 | $28,000 | $48,000 |
| 4 | Alaska | $36,979 | $32,000 | $42,000 |
| 5 | California | $36,870 | $25,000 | $53,000 |
| 6 | Maine | $36,005 | $29,000 | $44,000 |
| 7 | Vermont | $35,668 | $28,000 | $44,000 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $35,589 | $27,000 | $45,000 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $34,918 | $26,000 | $45,000 |
| 10 | Nevada | $34,851 | $24,000 | $50,000 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $34,525 | $26,000 | $44,000 |
| 12 | New York | $33,904 | $24,000 | $46,000 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $33,763 | $25,000 | $45,000 |
| 14 | Arizona | $33,736 | $23,000 | $49,000 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $33,704 | $25,000 | $44,000 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $33,551 | $26,000 | $41,000 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $33,485 | $24,000 | $46,000 |
| 18 | Illinois | $33,391 | $24,000 | $45,000 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $33,348 | $25,000 | $44,000 |
| 20 | Idaho | $33,248 | $25,000 | $43,000 |
| 21 | Utah | $32,971 | $23,000 | $45,000 |
| 22 | Colorado | $32,583 | $23,000 | $45,000 |
| 23 | Montana | $31,963 | $25,000 | $40,000 |
| 24 | Michigan | $31,933 | $23,000 | $42,000 |
| 25 | Delaware | $31,771 | $22,000 | $44,000 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $31,749 | $23,000 | $43,000 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $31,660 | $21,000 | $46,000 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $31,366 | $24,000 | $40,000 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $30,390 | $21,000 | $42,000 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $30,363 | $22,000 | $41,000 |
| 31 | Iowa | $30,138 | $22,000 | $40,000 |
| 32 | Ohio | $29,451 | $21,000 | $41,000 |
| 33 | Maryland | $29,267 | $20,000 | $41,000 |
| 34 | Kansas | $29,034 | $20,000 | $41,000 |
| 35 | Missouri | $28,684 | $20,000 | $40,000 |
| 36 | Indiana | $28,040 | $19,000 | $39,000 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $27,607 | $19,000 | $39,000 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $27,363 | $18,000 | $40,000 |
| 39 | Virginia | $26,351 | $18,000 | $37,000 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $25,437 | $17,000 | $36,000 |
| 41 | Alabama | $25,330 | $17,000 | $37,000 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $23,994 | $16,000 | $34,000 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $23,660 | $16,000 | $34,000 |
| 44 | Florida | $23,453 | $16,000 | $33,000 |
| 45 | Georgia | $23,310 | $16,000 | $33,000 |
| 46 | Texas | $23,164 | $15,000 | $34,000 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $23,109 | $15,000 | $34,000 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $23,047 | $16,000 | $33,000 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $22,749 | $15,000 | $33,000 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $22,009 | $15,000 | $31,000 |
Methodology: Patient Care Assistant Salary By State
To better understand patient care assistant pay by state, Zippia has aggregated data from various reliable sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and industry reports. We supplement this data with actual salaries from job listings to ensure accuracy. Our data science team calculates a weighted average of these inputs to create an average pay for patient care assistants by state.
We ranked every state based on these average annual salary figures, identifying the state with the highest average salary for patient care assistants.
Patient Care Assistant Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for patient care assistants?
The highest-paid state for patient care assistants is Hawaii with an average salary of $38,538 per year.
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What city pays patient care assistants the most?
San Diego, CA pays patient care assistants the most with an average salary of $35,323 per year.
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What is the worst state for patient care assistants?
The lowest-paying state for patient care assistants is South Carolina with an average salary of $22,009 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
