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Nursing Assistant - Federal Salaries of 2021
Pay Rates for "Nursing Assistant"
How much does a Nursing Assistant in the federal government get paid? $42,722.88* *Based on the 2021 average.Nursing Assistant was the 24th most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2021, with 14,953 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.
In 2021, the Veterans Health Administration hired the most employees titled Nursing Assistant, with an average salary of $42,778.
Government Nursing Assistant jobs are classified under the General Schedule (GS) payscale. The minimum paygrade for a Nursing Assistant job is GS-1, and the highest paygrade that can be attained within this job series is GS-9. Remember that the starting and maximum yearly pay listed above reflect base pay only - your actual salary will be higher based on the Locality Pay Adjustment for the area in which you work.
This occupation covers positions which involve a variety of personal care, nursing care, or related procedures which do not require (a) the knowledges and skills represented by the licensure of practical and vocational nurses by a State, Territory, or the District of Columbia, or (b) fully professional nurse education.
Agencies that have hired a Nursing Assistant
| Agency | Employees Hired | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Health Administration | 14,419 | $42,778.41 |
| Indian Health Service | 417 | $40,833.20 |
| Armed Forces Retirement Home | 72 | $43,995.07 |
| Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System | 23 | $46,252.39 |
| Office Secretary Health and Human Services | 20 | $32,092.84 |
| Department of State | 1 | $60,506.00 |
| 1 | $0.00 |
Nursing Assistant Pay Distribution
The average pay for a Nursing Assistant is $42,722.88. The highest paid Nursing Assistant made $89,329 in 2021.
Common Nursing Assistant Payscales
| Payscale | Number of Nursing Assistant Employees |
|---|---|
| GS - General Schedule | 14,929 |
| GL - Gs Employees In Grades 3 Through 10 Paid A Law Enforcement Officer Special Base Rate | 23 |
| * - Invalid | 1 |
| Starting Paygrade: | $20,999.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-1, Step 1 |
| Maximum Paygrade: | $63,734.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-9, Step 10 |
| Category: | Technical and Medical Support |
| Occupation Family: | 0600 MEDICAL, HOSPITAL, DENTAL, AND PUBLIC HEALTH GROUP |
Other Jobs at the GS-1 Paygrade
GS-1 is the starting paygrade for Nursing Assistant jobs. Here are some other Federal Government jobs that can be held by employees at the GS-1 paygrade.
| Occupation | Occupation Category | Starting Paygrade | Maximum Paygrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchasing | Clerical and Administrative Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
| Production Control | Clerical and Administrative Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
| Accounting Technician | Clerical and Administrative Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
| Construction Control Technical | Technical and Medical Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
| Autopsy Assistant | Technical and Medical Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
Average Nursing Assistant Pay Trend from 2004 to 2021
In 2004, the average pay for a Nursing Assistant was $30,364. Since then, the average pay has increased to $42,723 in 2021.
Data Sources
The information provided on these pages is sourced from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 
Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) dataset. Postal Service data is managed exclusively by the USPS . All information is displayed unmodified and as provided by the source agency.
Federal employee salaries are public information under open government laws (5 U.S.C. § 552). FederalPay provides this data in the interest of government transparency — employee data may not be used for commercial soliciting or vending of any kind. Learn more about the FederalPay Employees Dataset here.
The series code of this occupation is 0621.