How Much Does A Certified Nurse Assistant Make in 2022?

The entry-level jobs in the nursing field are termed, certified nursing assistants. You do not need prior working experience in the healthcare sector besides the basic academics and nursing course from a state-approved CNA training program. Starting your career as a certified nurse assistant may not provide high financial benefits and salaries like other senior nursing professions. Still, it is an excellent way to enter the healthcare profession. It provides ample opportunities for individuals to grow within the healthcare profession.

Before making up your mind to start your career as a certified nurse assistant, you surely want to consider the salary you will get in the profession. This article discusses how much a nurse assistant makes on average. What skills are required to help you make the maximum salary possible as a certified nurse assistant?

Salary OF A Certified Nurse Assistant

The average salary of a certified nurse assistant in the U.S is $34,670 annually and $15.35 per hour. The additional overtime compensation is around $4,500 annually. However, the salary of the certified nurse assistant greatly depends on multiple factors such as the healthcare facility they choose to work with, their employer, geographical location, their shift timings, and more.

Locations with more healthcare facilities, such as metro areas, offer higher salaries than semi-urban and rural areas. Specialized healthcare facilities, government facilities, or research centers also pay higher.

How Much Does A Certified Nurse Assistant Make?

It totally depends on the type of employer. The salary of a certified nurse assistant depends greatly on the type of settings they work with. Working with government organizations may help them to make more money than the other certified nurse assistants. 

Government organizations such as the community health centers, the department of veteran affairs, the local department of health, nursing care facilities, home health organizations, and retirement and assisted living communities for the elderly pay quite higher. According to a recent survey, certified nurse assistants working for government organizations earn slightly more ($3,750) than average annually nationwide.

The median annual wages for certified nurse assistants in the top healthcare industries are:

• Government organization: $33,800
• Hospitals:$33,050
• Nursing care facilities:$27,840
• Home healthcare services: $27,290
• Retirement communities or assisted living facilities for the elderly: $27,200

Depends On Geographic Location

Certified nurse assistant jobs in more populated areas such as metro cities tend to offer higher salaries than in semi-urban and rural areas to compensate for the higher cost of living. However, if there is a high demand for nurses in remote areas, they can increase the salary to attract and bring in employees. Currently, the states with the highest-paid nursing assistants are Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and New york.

• Alabama- $23,022 yearly
• Alaska- $40,566 yearly
• Arizona- $32,733 yearly
• Arkansas– $25,352 yearly
• California– $37,088 yearly
• Colorado- $35,813 yearly
• Connecticut– $32,648 yearly
• Delaware– $34,215 yearly
• Florida– $30,400 yearly
• Georgia– $24,431 yearly
• Hawaii– $38,944 yearly
• Idaho– $29,831 yearly
• Illinois– $30,568 yearly
• New York– $35,916 yearly
• Ohio– $27,284 yearly
• Oregon– $37,137 yearly
• North dakota– $36,758 yearly
• Pennsylvania– $33,914 yearly
• New mexico– $32,413 yearly
• Rhode island– $33,739 yearly
• South Dakota– $39,012 yearly
• South carolina– $25,163 yearly
• New Jersey– $33,912 yearly

Prior Experience

Working as a CNA does not require any prior industrial experience. Still, if you have some previous healthcare experience, such as volunteering at a local hospital, you can make a higher starting salary.

Our Related Blog:- Hospice LPN Salary: A Detailed Guide

Benefits Offered To CNAs

Besides the salary, certified nurse assistants also get other benefits, but it greatly depends on the type of employment, part-time or full time and the facility you work with. Below are some common benefits you may get working as a certified nurse assistant.

Tuition Reimbursement

Your employer may support your further education. For example, your company may pay your fee if you pursue further education and want to complete your master’s. However, the degree must be relevant to the employee’s job.

Working as a certified nurse assistant, you may be eligible for the tuition reimbursement programs, especially if you are pursuing your education in the relevant healthcare field.

Referral Programs

You might be familiar with the referral programs! You may get rewarded whenever you refer a candidate. However, this program is possible only when the referred candidate gets hired and serves the company for a valid period, a year or six months. After this period, you will get a monetary bonus or another reward for their referral.

Health Insurance

Working as a full-time certified nurse assistant, you will be provided with health insurance benefits. However, the type of health insurance benefits you get depends purely on the employer and healthcare facility.

Paid Sick leave

Working as a certified nurse assistant, you may get the benefits of paid leave. You can take leave for some time and still receive full pay. However, only full-time certified nurses are eligible for this benefit.

401(K)

401(K) is another great benefit healthcare facilities offer their CNAs. It is a tax-advantaged retirement plan that allows employees to keep a portion of their salary for retirement savings. Typically companies match the employee’s contribution and put forth the contribution percentage.

Highest Paying Skills For Certified Nurse Assistant

Like other professions, working as a CNA, you also need to be highly skilled and competent to serve the best possible service to your facility and be successful in your job. These skills will also help you to make a higher salary.

The highest paying skills for a certified nurse assistant are:

Telemetry Skills

Telemetry skills are required to monitor a severe patient using multiple types of equipment continuously. For example, a cardiac patient who suffered heart failure requires round-the-clock monitoring with specialized medical equipment. Knowledge of this medical equipment and being an expert at utilizing it helps you to receive a higher pay scale.

Intensive Care Unit Skills

Professional nurses who usually look after the patients in the ICU often receive a higher paycheck. However, working in the ICU and taking care of severe patients, you need to hold multiple skills and be an expert at monitoring patients with life-threatening conditions. The ICU environment is fast-paced. Professional nurses are required to be alert all the time and be ready for prompt procedures. You are required to work under high pressure and effectively use your skills.

Surgical Skills

Certified nurse assistants who work in surgical settings and assist doctors during surgery receive a higher paycheck than other contemporary nurses. Skills required to work in the surgical settings include monitoring patients before and after surgeries and working under high pressure (you cannot commit any mistakes in an operation theater, it may put a person’s life at stake).

Bottom Line

Suppose you are considering starting your career as a certified nurse assistant but are confused about whether it will provide you a good paycheck or not. This blog is for you.

Certified nurse assistants in the United States earn an average base salary of $34,670, on an annual basis, and$15.35 on an hourly basis. CNAs also make overtime compensation an average of $4500 a year.

Certified nurse assistants are in high demand nowadays. According to survey data, employment for certified nursing assistants is expected to grow 9 percent from 2020 to 2030. This hints toward a faster rate of growth among all occupations.

Find the job that suits you the best with I’Kare Consulting Firm. I’Kare Consulting Firm offers the best staffing and consulting services in the United States of America. It provides the best employment to competent healthcare professionals as well as provides talented candidates to the healthcare institutions.