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

Nursing Assistant Salary in Houston, TX

Nursing Assistants in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area earn a median $37,970 a year — 10% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $32,689 take-home, or $2,724 a month.

Median salary
$37,970
$18.25 per hour
Typical range
$32,610 – $47,350
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Houston, TX
19,230
0.63× national concentration
▲2.8%
Pay trend: The median for nursing assistants in Houston, TX rose from $36,940 (May 2024) to $37,970 (May 2025). That roughly kept pace with inflation (2.4%).

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median nursing assistant salary in Houston, TX. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Nursing Assistant in Houston, TX
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$32,689
per year · effective tax rate 13.9%
$2,724Monthly
$1,362Twice a month
$1,257Every 2 weeks
$15.72Hourly
  • Federal income tax$2,376
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,354
  • Medicare (1.45%)$551
  • Texas income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$32,689

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state

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

Nursing Assistant pay by experience in Houston, TX

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$32,610$15.68$28,382$2,365
25th percentile$36,350$17.48$31,387$2,616
Median (50th)$37,970$18.25$32,689$2,724
75th percentile$46,100$22.16$39,221$3,268
90th percentile (top earners)$47,350$22.76$40,226$3,352

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

What $37,970 buys in Houston, TX

Prices in Houston, TX are 1.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.05× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median nursing assistant's $32,689 take-home pay has the buying power of $33,143 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,316
48% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,558
57% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,408
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 less concentrated in Houston, TX than nationally (location quotient 0.63), so openings may be scarcer.

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

Houston, TX ranks #88 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
88Houston, TX$37,970$32,689$33,143

*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 Texas

Frequently asked questions

How much does a nursing assistant make in Houston, TX?

The median nursing assistant salary in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area is $37,970 a year, or about $18.25 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $36,350 and $46,100.

What is a nursing assistant’s take-home pay in Houston, TX?

On the median $37,970 salary, a single filer living in Texas takes home about $32,689 a year ($2,724 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.

Is Houston, TX a good place to work as a nursing assistant?

Pay here is 10% below the national median of $42,260. Local prices are 1.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $33,143 would in a typical U.S. city. Houston, TX ranks #88 of 113 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a nursing assistant afford rent in Houston, TX?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Houston, TX is $1,316 a month ($1,558 for two bedrooms) — 48% of a median nursing assistant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

Related jobs in Houston, TX

Cost of living & all salaries in Houston, TX →