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Job outlook for registered nursing assistants in the United States
Registered nursing assistant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected registered nursing assistant job growth rate is 9% from 2018-2028.
About 137,800 new jobs for registered nursing assistants are projected over the next decade.
Registered nursing assistant salaries have increased 8% for registered nursing assistants in the last 5 years.
There are over 894,782 registered nursing assistants currently employed in the United States.
There are 231,224 active registered nursing assistant job openings in the US.
The average registered nursing assistant salary is $50,644.
Are registered nursing assistant jobs in demand?
Registered nursing assistant job and salary trends over time
Registered nursing assistant jobs over time
Registered nursing assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 894,782 | 0.27% |
| 2020 | 1,868,252 | 0.56% |
| 2019 | 1,778,126 | 0.53% |
| 2018 | 1,106,645 | 0.33% |
| 2017 | 1,108,712 | 0.34% |
Average registered nursing assistant salary over time
Registered nursing assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $50,644 | $24.35 | +5.2% |
| 2025 | $48,126 | $23.14 | --4.3% |
| 2024 | $50,273 | $24.17 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $48,476 | $23.31 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | $46,838 | $22.52 | +3.4% |
Registered nursing assistant jobs by state
Most common states for registered nursing assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 866 | 64% |
| 2 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 758 | 57% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 3,679 | 54% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 2,865 | 51% |
| 5 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 345 | 46% |
| 6 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 819 | 45% |
| 7 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 2,856 | 43% |
| 8 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 357 | 41% |
| 9 | Vermont | 623,657 | 258 | 41% |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 5,079 | 40% |
| 11 | Delaware | 961,939 | 375 | 39% |
| 12 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 1,192 | 38% |
| 13 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 709 | 37% |
| 14 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 390 | 37% |
| 15 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 377 | 36% |
| 16 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 4,099 | 35% |
| 17 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 1,024 | 35% |
| 18 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 3,534 | 34% |
| 19 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,981 | 33% |
| 20 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 3,301 | 32% |
Most common cities for registered nursing assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carbondale | 7 | 27% | $26,452 |
| 2 | Pittsfield | 5 | 12% | $39,251 |
| 3 | Chesterfield | 5 | 10% | $28,649 |
| 4 | Fort Myers | 6 | 8% | $42,938 |
| 5 | Grand Junction | 5 | 8% | $27,958 |
| 6 | Manchester | 8 | 7% | $31,010 |
| 7 | Duluth | 6 | 7% | $25,616 |
| 8 | Newton | 5 | 6% | $39,122 |
| 9 | Anchorage | 16 | 5% | $31,282 |
| 10 | Santa Rosa | 8 | 5% | $39,043 |
| 11 | Saint Louis | 12 | 4% | $28,732 |
| 12 | Providence | 5 | 3% | $35,220 |
| 13 | Bakersfield | 5 | 1% | $35,055 |
| 14 | Fresno | 5 | 1% | $35,320 |
| 15 | Tampa | 5 | 1% | $42,009 |
| 16 | New York | 18 | 0% | $38,316 |
| 17 | Los Angeles | 5 | 0% | $34,646 |
Registered Nursing Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of registered nursing assistant experts
Spokane Community College
Merrimack College
Bellevue College
Endicott College
Georgia State University
ACVP - Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Eastern Michigan University
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
Bellevue College
Jeanne Martin PhD, MSN, RN, CNE
Clinical Associate ProfessorWhat general advice would you give to a Registered Nursing Assistant?
Jeanne Martin PhD, MSN, RN, CNE: First I tell them they are more prepared for practice than they think they are. They need to give themselves a measure of patience and grace that they will not know a lot of things when they begin. I stress that they need to get adept at asking lot of questions, so they understand the “why’s: of what they are doing vs. just being task oriented. This develops their clinical reasoning and decision making skills. All of our graduates enter into Nurse Residency programs at their various facilities. These programs are designed to take graduates from a myriad of nursing schools and help them solidify the core components of nursing school. These residency programs and unit orientation programs ensure a new graduate is ready to take care of the patients on their specific units.
What Registered Nursing Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jeanne Martin PhD, MSN, RN, CNE: As the nursing shortage intensifies, health care facilities are increasing their hourly wages and the supplemental wages of working off-shifts or weekends. They are enticing new graduates with sign-on bonuses that they receive in portions over a specified period of time (like 1-2 years). Many facilities are also offering tuition reimbursements so new graduates can pay off their student loans. I am sure there are other measures but these are the ones I hear most about from our graduates.
What will help Registered Nursing Assistants increase their earning potential?
Jeanne Martin PhD, MSN, RN, CNE: I think honing clinical judgment is the KEY to safe patient care. A lack of clinical judgment competency is associated with preventable nursing errors, such as medication inaccuracies or failure to recognize a patient is deteriorating and then step in to rescue that patient. These errors are more prevalent in new graduate nurses. This is why the National Council State Board of Nursing changed the licensure exam to reflect the Clinical Judgment Model. As the complexities of health care expand, the clinical judgment of the nurse must expand with it.
What general advice would you give to a Registered Nursing Assistant?
Shanna Chapman DNP, FNP-C, FAANP, APRN: People like being a nursing assistant for a lot of reasons similar to those listed in #2. It is rewarding and gives the nursing assistant a sense of purpose. It gives them the opportunity to directly impact patients. There is a large variety of settings that the nursing assistant can choose to work in and there is definitely job stability. There is a high demand that will not be dissolving with an increase in the baby boomer population into geriatrics. There is opportunity for the knowledge gained to be utilized if the nursing assistant wants to go to nursing school and a lot of nurses will use it as a stepping stone to learn. The dislikes about being a nursing assistant is that it can be mentally and physically challenging. Some facilities may work shorthanded causing the nursing assistant to have higher patient loads resulting in stress as well as physically challenging. I also recommend that nursing assistants do their research on the facility before applying for a job. Make sure that the facility expectations, mission, and values are congruent with the nursing assistant's personal beliefs.
What Registered Nursing Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Shanna Chapman DNP, FNP-C, FAANP, APRN: Nursing assistants are pivotal in playing a critical role in providing basic care to patients in various health care settings. This role is extremely important and should not be underestimated. Nursing assistant responsibilities are: 1. Personal Care 2. Vital Signs 3. Mobility Assistance 4. Observing and Reporting 5. Assisting the nurse with procedures such as IV starts, foley catheters, wound care. 6. Maintaining a clean environment 7. Providing support for the patient and caregivers. 8. Assisting with meals that can including feeding 9. Documentation
What will help Registered Nursing Assistants increase their earning potential?
Shanna Chapman DNP, FNP-C, FAANP, APRN: Becoming a nursing assistant can be extremely rewarding. This role is the backbone of healthcare. Nursing assistants have an opportunity to directly impact the lives of their patients and caregivers. There is job stability. It gives you a great knowledge base and can help further your education should they decide to proceed with nursing school. They can have flexible work schedules and can gain jobs in nursing homes, assistant living facilities, hospitals, physician offices, and home healthcare. Last but not least, most nursing assistant love their profession as it gives them a sense of fulfillment and allows them to understand the direct impact that they have.
Jean Schlittenhart
NAC Program DirectorSpokane Community College
NAC Program
What skills stand out on Registered Nursing Assistant resumes?
Jean Schlittenhart: Nurses' aids are the foundation of nursing and medical practice as they are the professionals' eyes, ears, and hands. The nurses' aid is a very trusted position as they care for the largest and most vulnerable group of people in the United States: Aged and Disabled. They have been educated to treat people with respect, respect their wishes and provide very personal care cheerfully and with skill. Upon graduation and State certification, they can provide at least 22 skills that relate to vital signs, personal care, transfers, and providing feeding support. They are educated to identify health risks, emergency situations and provide rehabilitation and restorative care under the direction of a nurse or other therapist.
What soft skills should all Registered Nursing Assistants possess?
Jean Schlittenhart: Communication such as listening skills, empathy, compassion, emotional support, and holistic care.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Registered Nursing Assistants?
Jean Schlittenhart: Safety in transfers, personal care, nutritional support, and vital signs. They assist residents and patients throughout their whole stay: admission to discharge. The nursing assistant cares for residents, including comfort care and after-death care.
What skills will help Registered Nursing Assistants earn the most?
Jean Schlittenhart: Communication and compassion are among the top priorities and the 22 basic care skills provided for the residents and patients.
Comora Sarah
Assistant Clinical ProfessorMerrimack College
Nursing Department
What skills stand out on Registered Nursing Assistant resumes?
Comora Sarah: Experience in the industry, Dementia training, BLS certification
What soft skills should all Registered Nursing Assistants possess?
Comora Sarah: Ability to effectively communicate with all patients and interdisciplinary team members, willing to be flexible with shifts and scheduling, a team player with a great work ethic.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Registered Nursing Assistants?
Comora Sarah: Ability to accurately take and record vital signs, safe patient mobility practice, and ability to assist clients with activities of daily living.
What skills will help Registered Nursing Assistants earn the most?
Comora Sarah: CNA are paid differently across the industry and in different settings. From an education and training perspective in CNA onboarding, it is more beneficial to an organization to hire candidates that have demonstrated the soft set of skills mentioned. The theory is that in the position of Certified Nursing Assistant, hard skills can be taught, and competency can be achieved after hire if you have the right candidate for your organization and team.
What skills stand out on Registered Nursing Assistant resumes?
Marina Orobinskaia: Experience, good program attended.
What soft skills should all Registered Nursing Assistants possess?
Marina Orobinskaia: Friendliness, positive energy, leadership.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Registered Nursing Assistants?
Marina Orobinskaia: There are no more or less important skills. You need to learn all of them to excellence and what is most important - use your critical thinking when you do them.
What skills will help Registered Nursing Assistants earn the most?
Marina Orobinskaia: Additional job training type certifications were added to the original Nursing Assistant, such as nursing delegation, phlebotomy, medication pass.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Registered Nursing Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Bethany Nasser Ph.D.: A need for health care employees (nurses) as many nurses are getting fatigued and burned out and may leave the profession or look for less stressful jobs or going back to school.
What technical skills for a Registered Nursing Assistant stand out to employers?
Bethany Nasser Ph.D.: They will need medical training.
What's a good job out of college for Registered Nursing Assistants?
Bethany Nasser Ph.D.: Nursing as there is always a need. As a nurse you can be at the bedside, in a hospital, home care, educator, travel nurse and there are so many roles. It is the best career as most nurses work three 12-hour shifts and it is a great career to have a family.
Traci Sims
Clinical Associate ProfessorGeorgia State University
Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Registered Nursing Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Traci Sims: - Increase in hiring
- More externship programs to prepare new nurses
- More across-state line licensing
- Increased telehealth training to care for non-COVID patients
- Unemployed and retired nurses returning to work
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Registered Nursing Assistants to find work opportunities?
Peggy McElgunn: Frankly, cardiovascular care is still the most robust field in healthcare. This is mainly because it remains the number one killer (heart disease), but COVID 19 has impacted this. We know COVID 19 effects the heart, as well. And there are places for qualified graduates EVERYWHERE! Most hospitals offer fantastic onboarding incentives, too. And of course, they all have their protocols and policies - again, speaking the value and importance of flexibility!
Of course, again, membership in the Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals offers graduates a chance to network and learn directly from those working in the field. They are also the first to hear about opportunities and openings and often drive possibilities through these connections.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Registered Nursing Assistants, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Jason Mott Ph.D.: Salaries for nurses are outstanding. Also, there are many opportunities to grow and get advanced degrees, increasing the amount of money that nurses can make. There are so many opportunities to move around and advance in the profession to make nursing a perfect career choice.
Michael Williams Ph.D.
Director and Associate ProfessorEastern Michigan University
School of Nursing
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Registered Nursing Assistants in the next 5 years?
Michael Williams Ph.D.: Nurses will continue to be in high demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 7% growth from 2019-2029 for all registered nurses, but a 45% growth is projected for advanced practice nurses. There are projected 175,900 openings for RNs each year through 2029 due to nurse retirements and workforce exits. Many factors contribute to the demand-supply issue; specifically, 1) the nursing workforce is known to be older (47.5% are over the age of 50) than other occupations, and 2) the ongoing shortage of qualified faculty to prepare nursing students.
As a result of the pandemic, we see older nurses choose to retire earlier than planned, and some nurses choose to stay home to care for their children or more aging parents. So the demand will continue, the supply will continue to be insufficient, but there will be nurses. I am hopeful that Michigan, a state that has restricted practice for nurse practitioners, will finally grant full practice authority for nurse practitioners so they can perform at the highest level of their education and training.
I am thrilled to share that our applicant pool for our BSN program at Eastern Michigan University was at an all-time high this summer for the limited spaces we have. When asking the incoming students if they had any hesitancies about becoming a nurse during the pandemic, the response was overwhelming "we're more committed than ever before." This is excellent news for everyone.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Registered Nursing Assistants to find work opportunities?
Shelly Wells Ph.D.: Nurses continue to be in high demand throughout the nation. While new graduate nurses may not be able to find their dream "no weekends, day shift position in their favorite specialty" right out of school, there are opportunities abound for the new nurse to build their skills to prepare for that dream position. The demand for nurses in community-based agencies is increasing. Nurses who have completed their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree find expanded leadership opportunities, public health, and non-traditional nursing positions. One does not have to live in or near a large city to find a chance to work as a registered nurse as there are countless positions in rural America waiting for the right graduate nurses.
How do you envision technology impacting Registered Nursing Assistants in the next 5 years?
Shelly Wells Ph.D.: As technology continues to evolve and change healthcare, there will always be a role for nurses. Technology will continue to provide ways to diagnose and treat many more conditions with less invasiveness and lost time. Technology will be used to improve communication between the patient and healthcare providers as telehealth grows. New robotic surgery techniques will allow patients to recover quicker than more invasive procedures. Electronic platforms for storing health care information will improve from the current time-intensive frameworks. As the improvements continue to emerge, there will be no replacement for the problem-solving and patient-teaching skills that the registered nurse brings to the health care arena.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Registered Nursing Assistants?
Katrina Malkin: There is no question that this pandemic is a game-changer, a sea change, if you will. Nothing will ever be that same, and that very much includes nursing school, both those who choose to enter it and those who make it through and enter the profession of nursing in a COVID and post-COVID world. In terms of psychosocial-emotional impacts, the virus has made clear to our students, in the most real and proximal way, that not everything has an easy order fix. It is not shot or pill or formula to follow-the hubris of our human position, especially we, as North Americans, have been knocked sideways.
Our students see, in stark relief, that there is no higher power, no Wizard of Oz man behind the curtain, who will light the way and hand them the answers. They have risen to the challenge presented here is a way that floods me with hope. We did not lose one single student when COVID came down last spring. I thought that Coronaphobia would have scared some of our students away. But their resolve to join the fight was impressive. Mostly they were frustrated at not getting to go into the hospitals and clinics that normally host student nurses. They want to serve. On a more tangible, technical, and logistics level - boots on the ground - we are all learning how to teach and learn remotely. Everyone is groaning with the effort of enhancing our literacy around the transition to online instruction.
We've figured out how to deliver instruction, and this will surely translate to cohorts of tech-savvy graduates who can work within their institutions and the profession at large to deliver healthcare this way as well. Telehealth is the next frontier. I believe that our graduates will be in the vanguard of what is possible to use the internet to deliver more consistent and accessible healthcare to more people, more often, proactively, and wide ranging. Treating chronic diseases such as our epidemic of Diabetes by going, virtually, into people's homes, kitchens lives, and working with them to build sustainable sea changes of their own gives me hope for what is possible.
How do you envision technology impacting Registered Nursing Assistants in the next 5 years?
Katrina Malkin: Enhanced A/V technology, both in the delivery of telehealth - allowing RNs to go virtually into people's homes and see how they live, will give us an edge for delivering more sustainable and holistic care - and get buy-in from our clients to make lifestyle changes in the context of their lives, not our sterile clinic settings.
Simulation education - We have ramped up an already burgeoning trend to use simulation to move our nursing students into the "hot seat" to give them opportunities to exercise their clinical reasoning skills in myriad dynamic simulated client case scenarios. Learning how to use their brains and bodies to deliver care in simulation - where they can risk trying what they think is the right move, without risk to a real client. We have sim manikins that speak, have pulses, breathe, have a heartbeat, their pupils dilate, we can make them pee and bleed, start IVs on them, and manipulate the whole client/RN experience from behind a one-way mirror. It's powerful.
During COVID, we are experimenting with live-action avatars. Since students can't come to campus, we, the faculty, are serving as their avatar-they remote in, via Zoom, and direct us. We are also exploring the use of virtual reality to give dynamic, low-risk experiential education to nursing students; how all of this translates to bridging the divide between real human client interactions and the virtual world remains to be seen. Will tech translate? Will we be able to sustain meaningful engagement with real human bodies? Technology has the potential to bring us closer or add layers of distance and divide.