How to become a Nursing Assistant
Official title: Nursing Assistants
Also called: Certified Medication Aide (CMA), Certified Nurse Aide (CNA), Certified Nurses Aide (CNA), Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA), Nurses' Aide, Nursing Aide, Nursing Assistant, Patient Care Assistant (PCA), State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA)
Provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff. Perform duties such as monitoring of health status, feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, or ambulation of patients in a health or nursing facility. May include medication administration and other health-related tasks. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants.
Main tasks
- Turn or reposition bedridden patients.
- Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs.
- Feed patients or assist patients to eat or drink.
- Measure and record food and liquid intake or urinary and fecal output, reporting changes to medical or nursing staff.
- Provide physical support to assist patients to perform daily living activities, such as getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, standing, walking, or exercising.
- Document or otherwise report observations of patient behavior, complaints, or physical symptoms to nurses.
- Remind patients to take medications or nutritional supplements.
- Review patients' dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences to ensure patient receives appropriate diet.
How to become one
Nursing assistants often need to complete a state-approved education program and pass their state's competency exam to become licensed or certified. Orderlies typically have at least a high school diploma.
Typical education to start: Postsecondary nondegree award
Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Nurse Assistant.
- Certificate or associate's degree: Postsecondary nondegree award. Programs such as Health Aide; Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide; Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants, Other
- Licence: A licence is required in 25 states.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $42,260 a year The middle half earn $37,260 to $47,220.
- About 1,505,900 people work in this job now, and about 1,544,900 are projected by 2035. (+2.6%)
- People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Nursing Assistant?
Nursing assistants often need to complete a state-approved education program and pass their state's competency exam to become licensed or certified. Orderlies typically have at least a high school diploma.
How much does a Nursing Assistant earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $42,260 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $37,260 to $47,220.
Is a Nursing Assistant a growing career in the US?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 3% by 2035, from about 1,505,900 to about 1,544,900 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become a Nursing Assistant?
Usually not. Only 12% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Postsecondary nondegree award; Nurse Assistant.
Will AI change the work of a Nursing Assistant?
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.
Sources
- Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.