CNA Salary: How Much Does a CNA Make?
Do you like working closely with patients and helping them throughout the time they are in a hospital setting? If so, one of the best roles in the medical field that comprises these duties is the position of a certified nursing assistant.
The role of a certified nursing assistant can be fulfilling, and, in most cases, it serves as a starting point for people who want to enter or advance further in the medical field.
If you're interested to find out how much a certified nursing assistant makes and learning more about their duties and responsibilities, stay with us!
What Is a CNA?
A certified nursing assistant, shortly known as a CNA, is an entry-level member of a patient's medical team who performs essential patient-centered duties under the direction and control of licensed nursing staff.
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A certified nursing assistant plays a vital role in any healthcare setting. They have a wide range of everyday duties and responsibilities that make them an essential element of the patient care process in healthcare. Certified nursing assistants work in various healthcare settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, adult daycare centers, and more!
What Does a CNA Do?
CNAs ensure their patients' well-being by undertaking a range of tasks that aid in everyday activities. CNAs fully comprehend patients' behaviors and health statuses because they spend more time with them than nurses or doctors.
Certified nursing assistants have the possibility of knowing each patient, their typical behavioral patterns, and their overall health, and they are frequently the first ones to notice physical or emotional shifts. Since CNAs work so closely with their patients, they play a significant role in the detection of symptoms, whether it is reduced mobility, increased pain, or memory issues. CNAs are able to identify any other problems that other healthcare personnel do not.
Individual responsibilities of CNAs vary depending on the work location, sector, and category of patients they serve, but everyday responsibilities include:
Answering phone calls and notifying nurses of emergencies
Observing patient needs and reporting any problems to other members of the healthcare team
Assisting patients with daily activities such as eating, bathing, dressing, and toileting
Repositioning patients in beds, changing bedding, filling water containers, and positioning objects, so they are within reach
Assisting patients in transitioning from a bed to a chair or wheelchair and back
Helping patients in being lifted from their beds to examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers.
How Much Does a CNA Make?
How much a CNA makes depends on a long list of factors. The work location, the sector you work in, the experience, and the level of education are all elements that combined can determine how much you make working as a CNA.
CNA average hourly wage
In the United States, the CNA average hourly wage is $15.21. This sums up to an annual average of $31,641. The bottom 10% of workers on the lower end of that spectrum earn around $24,000 per year, while the top 10% earn over $40,000.
CNA wage based on experience
Experience in the field frequently leads to more significant compensation. CNAs with experience of one year or less receive a median hourly income of $12.32, according to PayScale, but salaries rise steadily as experience grows. Certified nursing assistants with one to four years of experience earn $12.76 per hour. Those with five to nine years of experience make a median hourly income of $13.38. Professionals with ten to nineteen years of experience earn up to $13.97 per hour, and those with twenty-plus years of experience will get $14.60 per hour.
After four years of experience, CNAs may expect to earn about 3.5% more, 8.6% more after five years, 13.4% more after ten years, and 19% more after twenty years.
Aspiring CNAs can choose if they want to earn more money by staying in the position and gaining experience or pursuing higher education and moving into a more lucrative position.
10 best-paying states for CNAs
As mentioned previously, a certified nursing assistant's earnings can be influenced by factors such as cost of living, educational level, and experience. Furthermore, the nursing assistant's salary can vary greatly depending on their location. Working in a large metropolitan area often pays more because living in a city is more expensive than living in a smaller or rural area.
Earnings of a certified nursing assistant change slightly from state to state within the United States. The 10 best-paying states for certified nursing assistants are:
Hawaii: $44,967 annually
Nevada: $38,568 annually
Vermont: $36,637 annually
Oregon: $36,531 annually
New Hampshire: $36,485 annually
Maine: $35,580 annually
Washington: $35,067 annually
Massachusetts: $35,026 annually
New Mexico: $34,125 annually
Rhode Island: $34,050 annually
Other Factors That Impact a CNA’s Salary
Aside from location and the industry a CNA works in, numerous other factors influence how much money a certified nursing assistant can earn.The level of education and experience, whether you work a day or night shift, and whether you have any other specializations or certifications can all have an impact on your compensation.
The first factor that impacts a CNA's salary is the level of education. CNAs with a bachelor's or associate's degree can earn more than those with a high school diploma or technical certificate.
In addition to the level of education, the program you choose to pursue can also make a difference in how much you get paid. Not all CNA training programs provide a high-quality nursing assistant education, and students who fail to do their homework before enrolling may pay the price when it comes time to become certified and find work. It is a smart move to check with your state board of nursing to find out the programs that have been approved by the state and meet standards for training and student services before enrolling in any CNA training program.
Since employers know which programs in the area are approved by the state, graduates of established programs are far more likely to negotiate a better starting wage than those who attended an unapproved program.
Another factor impacting how much a CNA makes an hour is the shifts. Choosing shifts with a higher pay rate, known as a shift differential, is one of the best ways for CNAs to earn more money. For example, a regular day shift for a CNA day at a retirement center pays less than an evening or weekend job. Working nights and weekends may not always be possible, but taking on these alternative schedule shifts can add up to your paycheck when you have the opportunity. Finally, experience pays more in every profession! If you have over ten years of experience as a CNA, your base pay rate will likely improve.
It is critical to understand these factors early in your job hunt so that you can make informed decisions regarding your long-term career. The good news is that you may boost your CNA salary by enrolling in a reputable training program, obtaining valuable experience, changing your work location, and scheduling shifts that optimize your income.
CNA Job Outlook
The profession of CNA has a very bright future ahead! According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS), the overall employment rate of nursing assistants and orderlies is expected to grow by 8% from 2020 to 2030, generating more than 192,800 new job openings for nursing assistants and orderlies each year, on average, over the decade.
People entering the medical field as certified nursing assistants benefit significantly in many areas. While working as a CNA is a humane and rewarding job, many people use it as a starting point to a successful career in nursing or other healthcare fields. Those interested in a career in healthcare should begin as CNAs to ensure that they appreciate patient care and to learn how to communicate with patients, as this job position includes constant close work with patients.
Professionals who begin their careers as certified nursing assistants and enjoy working with patients will receive practical skills and hands-on experience that will help them prepare to become a nurse. In addition, working as a CNA allows people to obtain experience working with patients as well as doing various medical procedures.
Conclusion
Becoming a certified nursing assistant has a lot of advantages. Besides earning a satisfactory salary and a secure job position, becoming a CNA can serve as a bridge to a successful career as a nurse in the medical field. So, if you're planning on entering the healthcare industry, starting as a CNA can really be a smart move!