CNA Certification guide

CNA Salary: How Much Does a CNA Make?

Mary Rumbaoa
|
Mar 21, 2023

Are you thinking about becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)? If so, you might be wondering how much money CNAs make. The answer depends on several factors: experience, education, and geographic location. Did you know that Alaska is the highest-paying state for CNA jobs? 

If you're considering a career as a CNA, the prospects look good! Over the next decade, there will be an average of 220,200 job openings yearly. With wages growing around 5% throughout 2021-2031, now is the perfect time to start your CNA journey!

How Much Do CNAs Earn?

Where you work, how much experience you have, and your certifications all play a role in determining your compensation as a CNA. 

According to the  BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), CNAs earn a median hourly rate of $14.56 and a median annual wage of $30,310 as of May 2021. The lowest 10% earned less than $23,880, while the highest 10% earned more than $44,240.

CNA Salary by State

Working as a CNA can be financially rewarding, but the salary for this role varies widely depending on factors like geographical location and experience level. A person's skillset also plays an integral part in determining how much they could earn.

Below is the list of all the states and their respective salaries:

State
Hourly mean wage
Annual mean wage
 Alabama

$12.78 

$26,590 

 Alaska

$20.71 

$43,080 

 Arizona

$16.64 

$34,610 

 Arkansas

$13.38 

$27,840 

 California

$19.12 

$39,760 

 Colorado

$16.93 

$35,210 

 Connecticut

$17.36 

$36,110 

 Delaware

$16.46 

$34,240 

 District of Columbia

$18.94 

$39,390 

 Florida

$14.35 

$29,840 

 Georgia

$14.71 

$30,600 

 Hawaii

$17.64 

$36,680 

 Idaho

$14.61 

$30,380 

 Illinois

$15.97 

$33,230 

 Indiana

$14.96 

$31,110 

 Iowa

$15.60 

$32,440 

 Kansas

$14.30 

$29,730 

 Kentucky

$14.08 

$29,290 

 Louisiana

$12.43 

$29,290 

 Maine

$16.52 

$34,360 

 Maryland

$16.37 

$34,040 

 Massachusetts

$18.12 

$37,680 

 Michigan

$16.25 

$33,790 

 Minnesota

$17.66 

$36,730 

 Mississippi

$12.35 

$25,690 

 Missouri

$14.19 

$29,520 

 Montana

$15.41 

$32,050 

 Nebraska

$15.57 

$32,380 

 Nevada

$17.22 

$35,820 

 New Hampshire

$17.34 

$36,070 

 New Jersey

$17.23 

$35,830 

 New Mexico

$15.20 

$31,620 

 New York

$19.56 

$40,680 

 North Carolina

$14.14 

$29,410 

 North Dakota

$17.34 

$36,070 

 Ohio

$15.06 

$31,330 

 Oklahoma

$13.39 

$27,850 

 Oregon

$18.67 

$38,830 

 Pennsylvania

$16.44 

$34,190 

 Rhode Island

$17.12 

$35,610 

 South Carolina

$14.07 

$29,260 

 South Dakota

$14.26 

$29,660 

 Tennessee

$13.89 

$28,900 

 Texas

$14.72 

$30,620 

 Utah

$14.72 

$30,630 

 Vermont

$16.63 

$34,600 

 Virginia

$14.85 

$30,890 

 Washington

$18.40 

$38,270 

 West Virginia

$14.21 

$29,560 

 Wisconsin

$16.28 

$33,870 

 Wyoming

$16.07 

$33,430 

 Guam

$13.38 

$27,830 

 Puerto Rico

$9.17 

$19,070 

 Virgin Islands

$16.96 

$35,270 

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Top-paying States for Nursing Assistants

State
Hourly mean wage
Annual mean wage
 Alaska

$20.71 

$43,080 

 New York

$19.56 

$40,680 

 California

$19.12 

$39,760 

 District of Columbia

$18.94 

$39,390 

 Oregon

$18.67 

$38,830 

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

According to the BLS, the mean hourly pay for Nursing Assistants in Alaska is $20.17, and the mean yearly salary is $43,080. This is 23% more than the CNA pay average across the country.

Alaska pays Nursing Assistants more than New York and California in an attempt to draw in workers from other states. Because of Alaska's remote location away from the central United States, they historically pay a higher hourly wage than other states despite the cost of living.

Top 50 Paying Metropolitan Areas for Nursing Assistants

Metropolitan Area
Hourly mean wage
Annual mean wage
 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

$22.93 

$47,690 

 San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

$22.84 

$47,500 

 Salinas, CA

$21.26 

$44,210 

 Fairbanks, AK

$21.10 

$43,880 

 Napa, CA

$20.34 

$42,310 

 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

$20.17 

$41,940 

 Anchorage, AK

$19.99 

$41,580 

 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

$19.74 

$41,070 

 Santa Rosa, CA

$19.60 

$40,770 

 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

$19.51 

$40,590 

 Salem, OR

$19.50 

$40,560 

 Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA

$19.19 

$39,910 

 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

$19.04 

$39,590 

 Vallejo-Fairfield, CA

$19.00 

$39,520 

 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

$18.74 

$38,990 

 Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH

$18.69 

$38,880 

 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

$18.63 

$38,750 

 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

$18.60 

$38,690 

 San Diego-Carlsbad, CA

$18.55 

$38,580 

 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA

$18.49 

$38,460 

 Bend-Redmond, OR

$18.34 

$38,150 

 Madera, CA

$18.32 

$38,110 

 Ann Arbor, MI

$18.31 

$38,090 

 Modesto, CA

$18.24 

$37,940 

 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA

$18.22 

$37,900 

 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA

$18.22 

$37,900 

 Barnstable Town, MA

$18.20 

$37,860 

 Yuba City, CA

$18.16 

$37,760 

 Rochester, MN

$18.12 

$37,680 

 Stockton-Lodi, CA

$18.11 

$37,660 

 Eugene, OR

$18.04 

$37,520 

 Madison, WI

$17.95 

$37,330 

 Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI

$17.87 

$37,180 

 Boulder, CO

$17.84 

$37,110 

 Bellingham, WA

$17.82 

$37,060 

 Portsmouth, NH-ME

$17.81 

$37,040 

 Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT

$17.77 

$36,960 

 Corvallis, OR

$17.74 

$36,900 

 Medford, OR

$17.71 

$36,830 

 Grants Pass, OR

$17.69 

$36,800 

 Urban Honolulu, HI

$17.68 

$36,770 

 Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA

$17.67 

$36,750 

 Olympia-Tumwater, WA

$17.63 

$36,680 

 Bremerton-Silverdale, WA

$17.57 

$36,550 

 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

$17.45 

$36,300 

 Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV

$17.45 

$36,290 

 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

$17.39 

$36,170 

 Bismarck, ND

$17.38 

$36,140 

 Chico, CA

$17.28 

$35,930 

 New Haven, CT

$17.28 

$35,930 

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

California has a base salary of $22.58 per hour, which is 15% higher than the national average. But, the pay varies per metropolitan area in the state. They contributed the highest proportion of US metros in the Top 50 paying metropolitan areas for CNAs. Working in California as a CNA can earn you more than in any other state, but there are other factors to consider, such as the cost of living.

Top-Paying Work Settings Where CNAs Work

Industries
Annual mean wage
 Government

$37,310 

 Hospitals; state, local, and private

$35, 870 

 Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities)

$29,970 

 Continuing care retirement communities, and assisted living facilities for the elderly

$29,900 

 Home healthcare services

$29,280 

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

The two most common work settings for CNAs are nursing care facilities and hospitals. Skilled nursing facilities rank the highest levels for employment and the highest concentrations of Nursing Assistants in the healthcare industry. Assisted living facilities and retirement communities for the elderly are next in line for the amount of CNAs. 

Despite the fact that Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) have the highest concentration of CNAs, government jobs pay the most compared to other work settings listed above.

Now that you know what salary range you can expect to work as a CNA, you feel ready for this career. Dreambound is your one-stop shop for finding a CNA school near you

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Written by
Mary Rumbaoa

Mary Joy Rumbaoa is a student support representative at Dreambound and an author. She has assisted hundreds of students in locating a suitable trade school where they can complete their training as CNAs and Phlebotomists, allowing them to obtain licenses to work in the medical field.

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