Insights / Hardest metros by occupation / California
10 metros where Nursing Assistants are hardest to fill
Brief California San Jose as $56,840 so the offer letter names the figure.
Start California San Francisco from $56,080 before the range goes out.
Anchor California Minneapolis at $48,020 while the manager still has the draft.
Keep California Seattle near $51,990 before the calendar invite goes out.
Each metro
1San Jose, CA
- Score
- 7.9
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.51
- Jobs per 1,000
- 4.713
- Metro median
- $56,840
- Pay ratio
- 1.35
2San Francisco, CA
- Score
- 7.9
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.53
- Jobs per 1,000
- 4.966
- Metro median
- $56,080
- Pay ratio
- 1.33
3Minneapolis, MN
- Score
- 7.4
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.80
- Jobs per 1,000
- 7.475
- Metro median
- $48,020
- Pay ratio
- 1.14
4Seattle, WA
- Score
- 7.4
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.85
- Jobs per 1,000
- 7.925
- Metro median
- $51,990
- Pay ratio
- 1.23
5New York, NY
- Score
- 7.4
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.90
- Jobs per 1,000
- 8.373
- Metro median
- $49,270
- Pay ratio
- 1.17
6Denver, CO
- Score
- 7.3
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.69
- Jobs per 1,000
- 6.432
- Metro median
- $49,110
- Pay ratio
- 1.16
7Portland, OR
- Score
- 7.3
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.79
- Jobs per 1,000
- 7.360
- Metro median
- $50,350
- Pay ratio
- 1.19
8Sacramento, CA
- Score
- 7.3
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.56
- Jobs per 1,000
- 5.232
- Metro median
- $47,510
- Pay ratio
- 1.12
9San Diego, CA
- Score
- 7.3
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.67
- Jobs per 1,000
- 6.285
- Metro median
- $48,070
- Pay ratio
- 1.14
10Los Angeles, CA
- Score
- 7.2
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.74
- Jobs per 1,000
- 6.871
- Metro median
- $47,380
- Pay ratio
- 1.12
Ranked table
Swipe the table sideways. The same figures are in the blocks above.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Band | Location quotient | Jobs per 1,000 | Metro median | Pay ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | 7.9 | Hard | 0.51 | 4.713 | $56,840 | 1.35 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | 7.9 | Hard | 0.53 | 4.966 | $56,080 | 1.33 |
| 3 | Minneapolis, MN | 7.4 | Hard | 0.80 | 7.475 | $48,020 | 1.14 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | 7.4 | Hard | 0.85 | 7.925 | $51,990 | 1.23 |
| 5 | New York, NY | 7.4 | Hard | 0.90 | 8.373 | $49,270 | 1.17 |
| 6 | Denver, CO | 7.3 | Hard | 0.69 | 6.432 | $49,110 | 1.16 |
| 7 | Portland, OR | 7.3 | Hard | 0.79 | 7.360 | $50,350 | 1.19 |
| 8 | Sacramento, CA | 7.3 | Hard | 0.56 | 5.232 | $47,510 | 1.12 |
| 9 | San Diego, CA | 7.3 | Hard | 0.67 | 6.285 | $48,070 | 1.14 |
| 10 | Los Angeles, CA | 7.2 | Hard | 0.74 | 6.871 | $47,380 | 1.12 |
Takeaways
- Show California New York wage $49,270 before the recruiter refreshes the ad.
- Name California Denver wage $49,110 and the intake can see the figure.
- Put California Portland wage $50,350 so the huddle hears the cell.
- State California Sacramento as $47,510 rather than a statewide average.
For recruiters
- Give California San Diego figure $48,070 so finance sees the same cell.
- State California San Jose as $56,840 inside the Hiring Pack before you post.
FAQ
- Are these posted wages or open jobs?
- No. The table is a government survey or a designation file.
- What should a recruiter do first?
- Follow the recruiter note on this page.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Related hiring pages
Methodology
Rows are the scored metro pages for Nursing Assistants (31-1131) with the highest public market difficulty score, up to 10. Metros under 500 workers are not scored. A metro page is scored only when OEWS employment for that occupation is at least 500. Below that, the page stays up and is left off this ranking. Postsecondary teaching occupations and medical scientists are left off even when they are scored. Nominal weights, before a missing shortage match is rescaled, are projected openings divided by 2025 employment 18%, projected growth 22%, the metro median divided by the U.S. median 40%, how common the occupation is locally compared with the country 8% (the location-quotient column; a lower figure means a thinner local bench), a matching HRSA shortage designation 8%, and statewide all-industry JOLTS for December 2025 4%. Bands are Standard under 4, Elevated from 4 up to 7, and Hard at 7 and above. The California total-nonfarm job openings rate for December 2025 is 3.6. The U.S. rate is 4.0. Both are all-industry JOLTS rates. The article is tagged to California because that state holds the leading metro, so the publishing calendar does not stack it with another California article the same day. Rounded figures in the prose: $56,840 is stated as about $56.8K. a comparison of 1.35 is stated as 35 percent. $42,260 is stated as about $42.3K.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics · May 2025
- BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, total nonfarm · December 2025
Run this opening as a Hiring Pack
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