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Salary data · Bespree
Nursing Assistant Salary in Chicago
Nursing Assistants in the Chicago area earn a median of $22.57/hr — based on BLS OEWS May 2025.
At median pay, that's roughly $46,946/year, $903/week, or $3,909/month (40-hour week, before taxes).
Adjusted for local prices, the median $22.57/hr wage is about $21.79/hr in national-average purchasing power, and HUD's one-bedroom FMR equals about 70.0 hours of work, or 40% of gross monthly pay.
About nursing assistants
Job duties, work environment, and education based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What nursing assistants do
Nursing assistants, sometimes called nursing aides, provide basic patient care under the direction of registered nurses or licensed practical nurses. They help patients with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, eating, and moving. They answer call lights, serve meals, make beds, take vital signs (temperature, pulse, blood pressure), and observe and report changes in patients' conditions to nursing staff.
Work environment
Nursing assistants work in nursing care facilities, hospitals, assisted living communities, and home health agencies. The work is physically demanding — they spend much of their time on their feet and regularly lift or move patients. They may be exposed to infectious diseases and must follow strict hygiene protocols. Many nursing assistants work full time, and schedules often include evenings, weekends, and holidays because patient care is needed around the clock.
How to become one
Nursing assistants must complete a state-approved education program, typically lasting 4 to 12 weeks, and pass a competency exam to become certified. A high school diploma or equivalent may be required. Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are listed on a state registry. Some nursing assistants pursue further education to become licensed practical nurses or registered nurses.
Similar occupations
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — bls.gov/ooh. BLS content is in the public domain.
Hourly wage ranges
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level (10th) | $18.74 | $38,979 |
| 25th percentile | $20.65 | $42,952 |
| Median (50th) | $22.57 | $46,946 |
| 75th percentile | $23.59 | $49,067 |
| Top earners (90th) | $26.18 | $54,454 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 · Annual estimate = hourly × 2,080 hrs · Actual annual income varies by hours worked and schedule.
Nursing Assistants — Hourly Pay Distribution
Percentile range from entry-level to top earners
How Chicago compares
Nursing Assistants pay by metro
| Metro | Median/hr |
|---|---|
| Chicago | $22.57 |
| New York City | $23.69 |
| Los Angeles | $22.78 |
| Philadelphia | $22.22 |
| Trenton-Princeton | $22.10 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford | $21.90 |
| New Haven | $21.65 |
| Miami | $18.28 |
| Houston | $18.26 |
Nursing Assistants — Median Hourly Pay by Metro
Sorted by median pay, highest to lowest
What pay means locally
A broad purchasing-power view using BEA regional price data.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare broad local price levels with the U.S. average. They help explain how far a median hourly wage may go in Chicago.
| BLS median wage | $22.57/hr |
|---|---|
| BEA all-items RPP | 103.6 |
| Local price level | 3.6% higher than the U.S. average |
| Cost-adjusted median | $21.79/hr |
HUD Fair Market Rent benchmark
HUD Fair Market Rent is a 40th-percentile gross rent benchmark by bedroom size, not average rent. The one-bedroom value is the default comparison for hourly worker affordability.
| Bedroom size | HUD FMR | Hours at median |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,480/mo | 65.6 hours |
| 1 bedroom | $1,581/mo | 70.0 hours |
| 2 bedroom | $1,781/mo | 78.9 hours |
At the local BLS median wage, HUD's one-bedroom FMR equals about 70.0 hours of work, or roughly 40% of gross monthly pay before taxes.
Methodology: cost-adjusted median = BLS median hourly wage ÷ (BEA all-items RPP ÷ 100). An RPP above 100 means local prices are higher than the U.S. average.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis MARPP 2024, line 1 (RPPs: All items); BEA area 16980: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (Metropolitan Statistical Area).
HUD rent source: FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents, 40th percentile gross rent. HUD area: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HMFA. HUD row is an Illinois HMFA subset of the broader BLS/BEA Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro.
This is broad metro-level context, not a personal budget, tax, or take-home-pay estimate.
Compare affordability for nursing assistant (cna)
Compare the same role across metros using cost-adjusted pay and rent context.
Where nursing assistant (cna) pay goes furthest
- Philadelphia
$21.67/hr cost-adjusted median
BLS median: $22.22/hr
- Trenton-Princeton
$21.42/hr cost-adjusted median
BLS median: $22.10/hr
- New York City
$21.05/hr cost-adjusted median
BLS median: $23.69/hr
- New Haven
$20.71/hr cost-adjusted median
BLS median: $21.65/hr
Affordability questions
- What is the cost-adjusted wage for nursing assistant (cna) in Chicago?
- The BLS median wage is $22.57/hr. After adjusting by the BEA all-items RPP of 103.6, that is about $21.79/hr in national-average purchasing power.
- How many hours does one-bedroom Fair Market Rent take at the median wage?
- HUD's one-bedroom FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HMFA is $1,581/mo. At $22.57/hr, that equals about 70.0 hours of work, or 40% of gross monthly pay before taxes.
- Is this a personal budget estimate?
- No. These are broad metro-level comparisons from public datasets. They do not include taxes, benefits, household size, commuting choices, or actual housing costs.
Job outlook for Nursing Assistants
National employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
🟢 Faster than average
+5.5% projected growth, 2024–2034
+79,600
2024–2034
~203,800
New + replacement
1,453,500
2024 estimate
Postsecondary certificate
Entry-level
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034. Published August 2025. National-level projections — local growth may differ.
Skills & qualifications
Key skills and knowledge areas from O*NET OnLine, plus representative tools compiled by Bespree for nursing assistants.
- Active Listening
- Service Orientation
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
- Speaking
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Psychology
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Education and Training
- Blood pressure monitors
- Patient lifting equipment
- Stethoscopes
- Electronic health records software
- Vital signs monitors
Skills and knowledge data from O*NET OnLine, sponsored by U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Bespree has selected and summarized a subset of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Tools & technology listed are representative examples compiled by Bespree.
Commute-adjusted effective wage
What you actually earn after subtracting the cost of getting to work.
Effective hourly wage after estimated commute costs, based on a 40-hr work week.
| Commute mode | Monthly cost | Hourly impact | Effective wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| No commute cost (baseline) | — | — | $22.57 |
| CTA (monthly unlimited) | ~$105/mo | −$0.61/hr | $21.96/hr |
| Driving + parking (estimate) | ~$380/mo | −$2.19/hr | $20.38/hr |
Methodology: Commute cost is deducted from median hourly wage assuming 2,080 working hours per year (52 weeks × 40 hrs). Costs are directional estimates based on published transit fares or AAA average variable driving costs. Actual costs vary by distance, schedule, vehicle, and commute days.
CTA (monthly unlimited): CTA 30-day unlimited pass, 2024 rate.
Driving + parking (estimate): AAA avg variable cost + estimated Loop-area parking.
Local job market
—
No current paid openings on Bespree
No exact matches right now — new openings are added regularly.
Browse all jobs on Bespree →BLS estimates 45,850 nursing assistants employed in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI area, or 3 per 1,000 jobs. (BLS OEWS May 2025)
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Data source: Wage data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, BLS OEWS May 2025. Regional price context uses U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP 2024, all-items RPP). Rent context uses HUD Fair Market Rents (FY 2026, 40th percentile gross rent). Job outlook data is from the BLS Employment Projections program (BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034). BLS data is in the public domain. Occupation profile content summarized from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Skills and knowledge data from O*NET OnLine, sponsored by U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Bespree has selected and summarized a subset of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Tools & technology listed are representative examples compiled by Bespree. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after retrieval. Wage figures are estimates and do not constitute a guarantee of earnings. Actual pay depends on employer, experience, certifications, and hours worked. Weekly and monthly earnings shown assume a 40-hour work week and are pre-tax estimates. Commute cost figures and regional price adjustments are directional estimates; actual commute costs, purchasing power, and budgets vary.