Key Points

• Training requirement: 100 hours minimum (60 lecture / 40 clinical).
• Exam provider: Prometric (written knowledge + practical skills).
• Registry: Texas Nurse Aide Registry (TULIP) — school endorsement required to test.
• Salary (May 2024): $37,010/yr — $17.79/hr (BLS).
• Typical cost: $500–$1,500 total (varies by provider and materials).
• Time to certification: Commonly 4–12 weeks depending on program pacing.

What is a CNA?

A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) provides direct patient care: helping with bathing, dressing, feeding, mobility, and taking vital signs. CNAs work under registered nurses (RNs) or licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) supervision in nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living, home health, and travel assignments. This role builds clinical experience that supports clear career progression into LVN or RN programs.

What Does a CNA Do?

CNAs perform a variety of tasks to ensure patients' comfort and well-being, including:

• Assisting with daily personal care (bathing, dressing, grooming)
• Helping patients with mobility and transfers
• Monitoring and recording vital signs
• Providing assistance with meals and feeding
• Offering emotional support and companionship
• Assisting nurses with basic medical tasks (but typically not administering medication)

CNA Salary in Texas: How Much Do CNAs Make?

According to BLS, the average CNA salary in Texas is approximately $37,010 per year or $17.79 per hour. However, wages vary based on experience, location, and work setting. Hospitals and travel CNA roles typically pay more than long-term care settings.

How to Become a CNA in Texas: Step-by-Step Guide

To be a CNA in Texas, you'll need to have the required documents, pass a background check, complete a state-approved CNA class, and pass the CNA state exam.

We'll break down the steps in detail below:

1. Have required documents

Common paperwork schools require:

• Social Security card or proof of SSN.
• State ID or driver’s license.
• Immunization records and TB test results.
• CPR certification if required by the program.

Ready to enroll? Find state-approved CNA classes and compare start dates, tuition, and schedules: Search CNA classes near you on Dreambound.

Do you need a high school diploma to become a CNA in Texas?

You do not need a high school diploma to become a CNA in Texas. According to the Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC), the federal regulation and the state do not impose a minimum education requirement for nurse aides. However, some schools will require it, especially colleges. If you do not have a high school diploma, you should look for a private accelerated program. With these, you will need to take an 8th-grade math/reading test. This may be done through Wonderlic, or the school may have its own test.

2. Pass a background check

You must pass a background check before starting your CNA certification program. Certain convictions can disqualify you from employment in facilities and agencies regulated by HHSC. A list of these offenses can be found on the HHSC website. You can't have felonies of any kind or misdemeanors involving assault or theft in the last 5 years.

Employers generally follow the same requirements, but some may be more strict. For example, some employers may not want candidates with any felonies at all, and others require drug tests before hiring.

Employers also can’t hire anyone on the Texas Employee Misconduct Registry. This registry checks for different things than the background checks run by different schools and employers. ‍

3. Complete state-recognized training

Texas nursing assistant programs meet a 100-hour minimum: usually 60 hours of classroom theory and 40 hours of supervised clinical practice. Theory can often be partially online, but clinical hours must be completed in person at approved sites. Verify the program is state-recognized before you enroll.

4. Pass the exam

In Texas, CNA trainees can work for four months before needing to pass the state exam. Prometric administers the state exam and includes two parts: one for written knowledge and one for practical skills. The written portion is a multiple-choice test. In the skills portion, a proctor gives you a few different procedures that you will need to demonstrate how to do.

5. Registry and certification

After passing, your name is reported to the Texas Nurse Aide Registry (TULIP). Certificates are valid for two years. To remain active, verify employment or follow HHSC renewal requirements. If you are transferring a license from another state, follow Texas reciprocity mapping and guidance.

Once you are a CNA and your name is on the registry, you can start searching for CNA jobs near you and start your career!

Where Can a CNA Work in Texas?

CNAs in Texas have an exciting array of workplace options, each offering unique opportunities to grow your healthcare career. Let's explore where you can put your CNA certification to work!

• Nursing Homes: most popular workplace for Texas CNAs, entry-level opportunities, consistent schedules
• Hospitals: higher pay and benefits; may require experience.
• Assisted Living Facilities: flexible schedules; sometimes hire non-certified aides initially.
• Home Health: one-on-one care; independence and variable pay.
• Travel CNA: premium pay plus housing stipends for short-term (13-week) contracts

Where to Find CNA Classes in Texas

Search for CNA classes near you in major cities like:

• Houston
• Austin
• Dallas/Fort Worth
• El Paso
• McAllen
• San Antonio

You can also search by zip code on Dreambound, which will allow you to see different payment options available, upcoming class dates, and more.

What Do I Need to Buy for the CNA Class?

The things you need to buy for a CNA class may vary for each school in Texas. Schools generally don’t provide uniforms, books, shoes, textbooks, stethoscopes, or BP cuffs, so you may need to pay for those out of pocket. The costs typically range from $500–$1,500. However, some schools include everything, so you might make a one-time payment together with the tuition fee. Be sure to ask your school as well if the tuition fee includes the cost of the exam.

Some schools and employers in Texas require COVID-19 vaccinations before admission to a CNA class and employment. Clinical sites may also require swab tests when clinicals start.

In case you are not vaccinated, a letter of exemption (for medical or religious reasons) is a must. Most of the time these are accepted when signed by your religious leader or doctor.

How to Register for a CNA Exam?

After you complete your 100-hour CNA training, your school will register you for the state exam. Students can’t apply without the endorsement from their school that they completed the class. The Texas CNA state exam costs $120-125. If you want to take the multiple-choice portion of the exam orally or in Spanish, the exam costs $130-135.

After your school endorses you, you will then log in and fill out the application on the Texas Unified License Information Portal (TULIP) website. After creating an account, scheduling for completed applications or rescheduling of exams will continue at www.iqttesting.com.

If you have any issues or need to reschedule your exam, you can contact Prometric at:‍

1. Phone: 800.488.5787
2. E-mail: [email protected]

You can take the exam up to 3 times. If you are not able to pass within three tries, you will need to retake your CNA class.

How to Prepare for My CNA Exam?

Taking the CNA exam might be a little intimidating, but all of our Texas CNAs have been through the exam as well. Your teacher will provide you with a lot of different resources to prepare for the exam. Everything you need to know about the Texas CNA exam can be read through our helpful blog! Prometric also prepared a guide for both written and clinical readiness exams over here. We also recommend checking out YouTube videos to study for the skills portion of the exam, although be sure to look for Texas-specific videos posted after 2020. Each state has a different curriculum, and Prometric only started administering the Texas state exam on 9/1/2020.