Certified Nursing Assistant Salary in California
Certified Nursing Assistants in California earn a median of $47,630 a year, or $22.90 an hour. That ranks California #6 of 51 states and is $5,370 more than the national median.
- Median / year
- $47,630
- Median / hour
- $22.90
- Employed
- 110,060
- National rank
- #6of 51
Pay range in California
Certified Nursing Assistant pay by California metro area
| Metro area | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $56,840 | 5,350 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $56,080 | 11,790 |
| Napa, CA | $50,370 | 460 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $49,240 | 1,250 |
| Vallejo, CA | $48,900 | 940 |
| Salinas, CA | $48,870 | 1,070 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $48,070 | 9,670 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $47,940 | 440 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $47,510 | 5,650 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $47,380 | 43,090 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $47,130 | 1,090 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $46,840 | 610 |
| Visalia, CA | $46,810 | 1,530 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $46,800 | 2,070 |
| Modesto, CA | $46,550 | 1,500 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $46,530 | 2,560 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $46,430 | 9,940 |
| Chico, CA | $46,380 | 790 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $46,130 | 1,720 |
| Yuba City, CA | $46,130 | 520 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $45,980 | 290 |
| Redding, CA | $44,880 | 760 |
| Merced, CA | $44,730 | 500 |
| Fresno, CA | $44,710 | 3,880 |
| El Centro, CA | $44,670 | 240 |
FAQ
How much does a certified nursing assistant make in California?
The median annual wage is $47,630 ($22.90 per hour), according to the BLS for May 2025. That is $5,370 above the U.S. median of $42,260.
What do entry-level nursing assistants make in California?
The lowest-paid 10% of California nursing assistants earned $40,110 or less ($19.28/hour), a reasonable estimate for new graduates.
Where do nursing assistants earn the most in California?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has the highest metro median at $56,840.
How many nursing assistants work in California?
About 110,060 nursing assistants were employed in California in May 2025.