Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) salary

The median pay for a certified nursing assistant (CNA) nationally is $16.44 an hour — about $34,190 a year full time. That figure comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for U.S. (2025). Half of the roles pay more than this and half pay less, so treat it as the middle of the market rather than a target.

Most CNAs nationally earn between $14.94 an hour and $23.75 an hour — that is the 10th to the 90th percentile. The spread usually reflects experience, shift, certifications and employer size more than anything else.

Pay at the bottom of the range — roughly what someone starting out can expect — is around $14.94 an hour. A quarter of CNAs earn below $15.16 an hour, so the first year or two typically sits in that band. This is a role employers routinely fill with people who have no prior experience.

The top 10% of CNAs nationally earn about $23.75 an hour or more, roughly 1.4× the median. Getting there usually means experience plus something specific — advanced certification, supervisory responsibility, or specialising in higher-paying work.

Certified nursing assistants provide direct daily care — bathing, mobility, feeding and monitoring — in nursing homes, hospitals and home settings. Training is short, making it the quickest route into healthcare. Day to day, that means help patients with bathing, dressing and mobility, take and record vital signs, assist with feeding and hydration and reposition patients to prevent pressure sores.

The usual route is: (1) enrol in a state-approved CNA programme — some employers fund it, (2) pass the competency exam and join the registry, (3) start in long-term care, hospital or home health, (4) progress to LPN or RN with employer tuition support. Employers typically look for state-approved CNA training (4–12 weeks), state competency exam and listing on the state nurse aide registry.

Yes. Working as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) requires formal certification or licensing — specifically listing on the state nurse aide registry. Requirements are set at state level in most cases, so check your own state's rules before committing to a programme.

There are currently 17 open CNAs listed on LocalWork. An ageing population keeps CNA demand consistently high across almost every market, and many facilities recruit continuously.

Typically four to twelve weeks, combining classroom work with supervised clinical hours, followed by a state competency exam. It is one of the fastest routes into healthcare, and some nursing homes will pay for your training if you commit to working for them.

Yes. CNA is designed as an entry point — no prior healthcare experience is expected. You need the state-approved training and to pass the competency exam, but employers hire newly certified CNAs routinely.