• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Business
  • Commerce
  • Management
  • Insurance
  • Banking Finance
  • Marketing & Advertising
  • Tech

Business Finance Articles

Your First Financial Choice....

  • Education
  • Career
  • Investment & Money
  • Accounting & Taxation
  • Transportation & Logistics
  • Industries

How Much Money Does a CNA Make?

Last Updated on May 24, 2023 By Methew Harbor Leave a Comment

Nursing is often the first choice for students looking forward to getting into healthcare and patient care. It is the basic level of being a nurse, and you can improve your stature with time by getting further education. Over 1,343,700 nursing assistants work in the U.S. They work in various medical and senior citizen facilities to help patients with their daily tasks relating to healthcare.

But the question arises, “How much money does a CNA make?”

Keep reading to learn everything about a CNA’s salary, including high-paying states, facilities, and how to increase your earning potential.

Table of Contents

  • What does a CNA do?
  • Do Nursing Assistants Get Paid Well?
  • Factors that Affect Your Earning Potential
    • Qualification
    • Workplace
    • Experience
    • Location
  • Annual Wage by State
  • How Can I Increase My Earning Potential?
  • How can CNAs Make Additional Money?
  • Scope of CNAs in the Coming Years
  • Where to Find CNA Jobs?
  • Further Options After Becoming a CNA
  • The Bottom Line
  • FAQs
    • How much does a CNA make per hour?
    • How much CNA makes an hour in Florida?
    • How to become a CNA?
    • How much money does a CNA make in Kansas?

What does a CNA do?

Before we get into how much CNAs earn on average, let’s first tell you what a CNA actually does.

Certified nursing assistants care for their patients and help them in everyday activities, including healthcare-related tasks. They also report changes in the patient’s emotional or physical health to help doctors assess the situation better.

CNAs observe the patient’s needs, change bedding, and help them bathe, get dressed, and eat, if required. Furthermore, they answer phone calls and notify other related healthcare workers of emergencies.

Do Nursing Assistants Get Paid Well?

Often students wonder if CNAs earn above the national US average salary. The answer to this question is “no,” but it still does not mean that nursing assistants do not have a good salary. Nursing assistants earn less than the national average salary of $45,760. However, they make more money than the median salary of healthcare support occupations, which is $39,880.

Nursing Assistants or CNAs do not require a professional degree which allows them to work overtime. Federal Law orders employers to pay at least 1.5 times their regular pay when CNAs work over their 40-hour week.

How Much Money does a CNA Make per Year?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, CNAs make a median salary of $30,310 in the USA annually with a $14.57 hourly pay. The salaries range from $23,780 to $41,410 per year. The top ten percent of CNAs make above $44,240, while the bottom ten percent earn $23,880.

Factors that Affect Your Earning Potential

If one CNA friend has told you a different salary from the other, none of them may be lying. Being a CNA has varying earning potential depending on your qualification, geographical location, and workplace.

Qualification

Average CNA Salary Depending on Qualification
QualificationAverage Salary
Nursing Assistants$30,310
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$48,070
Registered Nurses$77,600

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

You can become a certified nursing assistant if you have a GED or high school diploma. Next, you must enroll in a state-approved training program and receive the certification or license after passing the competency exam. In most states, you have to obtain 70% – 75% in the exam’s first part of the exam and 100% in the second part to receive the certificate.

Licensed Practical or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN)

Being an LPN or LVN requires an approved educational program typically spanning one year. The program teaches you to administer basic patient care, including changing bandages, inserting catheters, etc.

Registered Nurse (RN)

Registered nurses previously required an associate’s degree in nursing. But now, you need a four-year bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) to get an RN license. In case you already have an associate’s degree, you can get the license in 12 to 14 months through the RN-to-BS Completion Program.

Workplace

Average CNA Salary Depending on Workplace
WorkplaceAverage CNA Salary
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals$35,190
Nursing Care Facilities$32,090
Home Health Care Services$29,930

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals – $35,190 

Certified Nursing Assistants working in general medical and surgical hospitals make around $35,190 on average. They work under a registered nurse to care for patients with a wide range of needs.

Nursing Care Facilities – $32,090

Nursing care facilities, also known as skilled nursing facilities, have residents needing help with their day-to-day tasks. As a CNA at a nursing care facility, you can make $32,090 on average.

Home Health Care Services – $29,930

If you do not prefer working full-time at a facility, you can opt to be a home healthcare service provider. Home healthcare service providers visit patients’ homes to help them with their medical and daily-life tasks.

Experience

Average CNA Salary Depending on Experience
ExperienceAverage Pay Per Hour
One year or less$12.32
One to four years$12.76
Five to nine years$13.38
Ten to nineteen years$13.97
Twenty years or more$14.60

One Year or Less

Salaries may vary depending on the state and facility you work in. However, on average, most CNAs with a working experience of one year or less are paid $12.32 per hour.

One to Four Years

Furthermore, as CNAs work in different areas and get more experience, they can make up to $12.76 per hour.

Five to Nine Years

With over five years of experience, certified nursing assistants are considered a pro, and their hourly wage rises to $13.38.

Ten to Nineteen Years

Certified Nursing Assistants can expect varying wage increments during different career stages depending on the state and working facility. Most CNAs receive $13.97 per hour when they have more than ten years of experience.

Over Twenty Years

After working as a CNA for over twenty years, you can expect $14.60 per hour.

You may stay a CNA and receive the increment over time with an increase in experience or get further training to become an LPN/LVN or RN for better income.

Location

Average Nurse Salary Depending on Location
High Paying StateAverage SalaryLow Paying StateAverage Salary
Alaska$43,080Puerto Rico$19,070
New York$40,680Alabama$26,590
California$39,760Guam$27,830
District of Columbia$39,390Arkansas$27,840
Oregon$38,830Oklahoma$27,850

High Paying States

The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that CNAs in Alaska make the highest average pay compared to other states in the US. After Alaska, New York is the second highest-paying, followed by California, the District of Columbia, and Oregon.

Low Paying States

On the other hand, Puerto Rico has been named the state with the lowest average salaries for certified nursing assistants. Other states with low average hourly and monthly pay for CNAs include Alabama, Guam, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

Annual Wage by State

StateMean Annual Salary
Alabama$26,590
Alaska$43,080
Arizona$34,610
Arkansas$27,840
California$39,760
Colorado$35,210
Connecticut$36,110
Delaware$34,240
District of Columbia$39,390
Florida$29,840
Georgia$30,600
Hawaii$36,680
Idaho$30,380
Illinois$33,230
Indiana$31,110
Iowa$32,440
Kansas$29,730
Kentucky$29,290
Louisiana$29,290
Maine$34,360
Maryland$34,040
Massachusetts$37,680
Michigan$33,790
Minnesota$36,730
Mississippi$25,690
Missouri$29,520
Montana$32,050
Nebraska$32,380
Nevada$35,820
New Hampshire$36,070
New Jersey$35,830
New Mexico$31,620
New York$40,680
North Carolina$29,410
North Dakota$36,070
Ohio$31,330
Oklahoma$27,850
Oregon$38,830
Pennsylvania$34,190
Rhode Island$35,610
South Carolina$29,260
South Dakota$29,660
Tennessee$28,900
Texas$30,620
Utah$30,630
Vermont$34,600
Virginia$30,890
Washington$38,270
West Virginia$29,560
Wisconsin$33,870
Wyoming$33,430
Guam$27,830
Puerto Rico$19,070
Virgin Islands$35,270

How Can I Increase My Earning Potential?

Receiving further education to become a licensed practical or licensed vocational nurse (LPN/LVN) or a registered nurse can help you increase your income. Registered nurses make the highest average among certified nursing assistants, licensed practical or licensed vocational nurses, and registered nurses.

Moreover, you can also receive certifications for oral care aides, bathing aides, oncology aides, and restorative aides to advance in your nursing career. The most high-paying choices are pediatrics, geriatrics, cardiology, and psychiatry aides.

Other high-paying skills for certified nursing assistants include telemetry, surgical, and ICU skills. Training in these domains can help manage patients with special needs, thus allowing CNAs to make better income.

How can CNAs Make Additional Money?

Besides working overtime and obtaining further qualifications, consider talking to your employer about shift differentials. Most employers offer shift differentials if you work on weekends, holidays, or evening shifts; you can earn 1.5 times the standard hourly rate in your workplace.

Scope of CNAs in the Coming Years

Reports by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that the overall employment rate for nursing assistants will grow by 8% from 2020 to 2030, opening around 192,800 new jobs in the next decade with a projected 4.7% growth rate.

The pay for CNAs increases approximately 3.5% more after four years, 8.6% more after five years, 13.4% more after ten years, and 19% more after twenty years. So, there is no second thought in deducing that there will be plentiful jobs for CNAs and other nurses in coming years.

Where to Find CNA Jobs?

You can find CNA jobs through your seniors or hospital websites by visiting their “careers” option. But if you are unable to find any leads through these channels, some other job-searching portals include:

  • Indeed
  • ZipRecruiter
  • SimplyHired
  • Monster
  • Snagajob
  • mycnajobs.com
  • Cnaclassesnearme.com

Further Options After Becoming a CNA

Once a CNA, you can advance into your career by obtaining further certifications and licenses to increase income. Some of the most popular career choices for certified nursing assistants include registered nurse, family nurse practitioner, licensed practical nurse, medical assistant, certified medical assistant, certified nurse’s aide, nursing home administrator, and geriatric care manager.

The Bottom Line

A certified nursing assistant does not make the highest money as a healthcare professional, but nursing is the highest paying among all patient support healthcare domains. CNAs make a median salary of $30,310 in the USA annually with a $14.57 hourly pay. The top ten percent of CNAs make over $44,240, while the bottom ten percent earn $23,880. However, the salaries may vary according to geographical location, qualification, experience, and workplace. You can earn more as a CNA by improving your qualification, acquiring high-paying skills, and working in a better-paying workplace.

FAQs

How much does a CNA make per hour?

The average hourly pay for a CNA in the US is $16.04 an hour. However, the hourly wages may vary from state to state.

How much CNA makes an hour in Florida?

If you are just starting as a CNA in Florida, you can make $17.98 per year. CNAs with 3 to 5 years of experience earn $18.93, up to 9 years of working experience get $19.41, and nursing assistants with more than ten years of experience make $21.39.

How to become a CNA?

Becoming a CNA requires completing a 105-hour state-approved Nurse Aide training program followed by the written and skills competency evaluation to receive the license.

How much money does a CNA make in Kansas?

If you have just received your CNA certification in Kansas, you can earn $17.60 until you have three to five years of experience. CNAs with 3 to 5 years of experience make $18.53, those with 6 to 9 years of experience earn $19.00, while you may make as much as $20.94 per hour with more than 10 years of experience.

matt harbour
Methew Harbor

Matthew is a Co-Founder at BusinessFinanceArticles.org. Matthew was a floor manager at a local restaurant in Wales. He lost his job after the pandemic and took initiative to make a team and start the project.

Filed Under: Career, Investment & Money

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

person's hand holding a silver key
How to Mitsplay Make Money
Smart's Phones' In Recycling
Oil And Gas Recruiting With HireStrong
document and home placed on a table
partner organization the contribute
man hand move in laptop
man-hand-holding-tape
Fixed Annuity dollars
Data Observability
Travel Opportunities Options
How does Fetch Rewards Make Money
Investment
Differences between a Growth and Fixed Mindset
man using calculator
man and woman working in laptop
loan agreement paper
Singapore Good for Business Expansion
Rollover Your IRA
Bail Bondsman make money
How Does Credit Karma Make Money
Susan-Schneider
Generational Wealth Money Dollars
3 Services Offered by Ecommerce Business Builders
BCP

Footer

  • About US
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Comment Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Rights
  • Privacy Policy
  • Follow Us On
  • – Google News
  • – Facebook
  • Entrepreneur Skills
  • Business Cycle
  • Business Ideas
  • App Makes Money
  • Be Wealthy
  • Psychology in HRM
  • HRM in Business
  • Businessman Qualities
  • Salespeople Types
  • Health & Business
  • Business Success Rules
  • Stress At Work
Copyright © 2018-2022 BFA