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. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants.
BLS SOC 31-1131 · O*NET-SOC 31-1131.00 · BLS 2025–2035 · O*NET 31.0
Median annual wage, 2025
$42,260
Projected change, 2025–2035
2.6%
2025–2035 annual average openings
196,200
AI exposure
Low
Editorial analysis
The work AI can measure is not the same as the care people need
Nursing assistants spend much of their time helping people with activities that are intensely physical and personal: moving, bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, positioning, and getting safely from one place to another. These are difficult tasks for current AI systems to perform.
Technology may watch for changes between visits
Sensors and AI could help identify falls, unusual movement, changes in sleep, pressure-injury risk, or shifts in daily routines. Documentation systems can also reduce repetitive charting and alert staff when observations suggest that a resident or patient may need additional attention.
- Routine documentation may become faster.
- Monitoring systems can help prioritize who needs attention.
- Lifting devices and robotics may reduce some physical strain on workers.
- Personal care, observation, companionship, reassurance, and noticing subtle changes remain human-centered.
Nursing assistants are often the people who spend the most direct time with a patient or resident. That proximity creates valuable information no algorithm automatically possesses. AI may help staff know where to look, but assistants will still be the ones who see and feel that something has changed.
Labor-market picture
Two measures, different questions
These measures offer two different ways to understand the occupation: BLS projections show how national employment may change over time, while relative AI exposure highlights where tasks may intersect with AI-related capabilities. Read them with the work profile and your local context to decide what deserves closer investigation.
Employment
- Employment, 2025
- 1,505,900 jobs
- Projected employment, 2035
- 1,544,900 jobs
- Projected change, 2025–2035
- 39,000 jobs (2.6%)
Relative AI exposure
BLS category: Low. This is a relative task-exposure classification, not a forecast of employment change, automation, wages, or worker replacement.
Relative AI exposure · Low
Work profile
Representative tasks
These task statements come from O*NET 31.0. They are source facts, not labels assigned by the AI exposure measure.
- 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.
Skills that matter
Skills in the source profile
Importance uses O*NET's 1–5 scale. Level uses its 0–7 scale. Select a skill to see its source definition and reported values.
Technology and tools
These technology records come from O*NET and show software or tools reported in the occupation profile. They describe work context, not a required checklist for every employer.
- Business intelligence and data analysis software
- Billing and invoicing software
- Medical software
- Video conferencing software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
Preparation
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Related experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
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Source provenance
Labor-market and exposure facts: bls-ep-2025-35. Work profile: onet-31.0. Verify release details on the Sources page.