Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Nursing Assistant Salary in Grand Rapids, MI

Nursing Assistants in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area earn a median $38,340 a year — 9% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $31,607 take-home, or $2,634 a month.

Median salary
$38,340
$18.43 per hour
Typical range
$36,530 – $45,230
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Grand Rapids, MI
5,870
1.05× national concentration
▲2.9%
Pay trend: The median for nursing assistants in Grand Rapids, MI rose from $37,270 (May 2024) to $38,340 (May 2025). That roughly kept pace with inflation (2.4%).

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median nursing assistant salary in Grand Rapids, MI. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Nursing Assistant in Grand Rapids, MI
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$31,607
per year · effective tax rate 17.6%
$2,634Monthly
$1,317Twice a month
$1,216Every 2 weeks
$15.20Hourly
  • Federal income tax$2,421
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,377
  • Medicare (1.45%)$556
  • Michigan income tax$1,379
  • Take-home pay$31,607

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.25% state

Living in Grand Rapids? City residents also pay Grand Rapids’s city income tax — about $575 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $31,032 ($2,586 a month). Choose “Grand Rapids” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Nursing Assistant pay by experience in Grand Rapids, MI

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$36,530$17.56$30,230$2,519
25th percentile$37,810$18.18$31,204$2,600
Median (50th)$38,340$18.43$31,607$2,634
75th percentile$43,750$21.03$35,725$2,977
90th percentile (top earners)$45,230$21.75$36,851$3,071

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Michigan resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $38,340 buys in Grand Rapids, MI

Prices in Grand Rapids, MI are 4.5% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 13% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median nursing assistant's $31,607 take-home pay has the buying power of $33,081 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,242
47% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,479
56% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,392
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Nursing Assistant jobs are about as common in Grand Rapids, MI as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.05).

Best-paying cities for nursing assistants, adjusted for cost of living

Grand Rapids, MI ranks #89 of 113 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1San Jose, CA $56,840$45,652$41,343
2Spokane, WA $47,240$40,137$39,999
3Des Moines, IA $43,940$36,468$39,768
4Seattle, WA $51,990$43,954$39,551
5San Francisco, CA $56,080$45,097$39,007
6Milwaukee, WI $45,690$37,663$38,853
7Scranton, PA $43,980$36,168$38,659
8Las Vegas, NV $45,350$38,619$38,536
89Grand Rapids, MI$38,340$31,607$33,081

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 113 metros →

About the job: nursing assistants

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.

Typical education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
+2.6% (about average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Nursing Assistant salaries elsewhere in Michigan

Frequently asked questions

How much does a nursing assistant make in Grand Rapids, MI?

The median nursing assistant salary in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area is $38,340 a year, or about $18.43 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $37,810 and $43,750.

What is a nursing assistant’s take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI?

On the median $38,340 salary, a single filer living in Michigan takes home about $31,607 a year ($2,634 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,379 in Michigan taxes in 2026.

Is Grand Rapids, MI a good place to work as a nursing assistant?

Pay here is 9% below the national median of $42,260. Local prices are 4.5% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $33,081 would in a typical U.S. city. Grand Rapids, MI ranks #89 of 113 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a nursing assistant afford rent in Grand Rapids, MI?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Grand Rapids, MI is $1,242 a month ($1,479 for two bedrooms) — 47% of a median nursing assistant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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Cost of living & all salaries in Grand Rapids, MI →