How to hire a certified nursing assistant

Certified nursing assistant hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring certified nursing assistants in the United States:

There are currently 997,871 certified nursing assistants in the US, as well as 225,834 job openings.
Certified nursing assistants are in the highest demand in New York, NY, with 843 current job openings.
The median cost to hire a certified nursing assistant is $1,633.
It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new certified nursing assistant to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a certified nursing assistant, step by step

To hire a certified nursing assistant, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a certified nursing assistant:

Here's a step-by-step certified nursing assistant hiring guide:

Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
Step 3: Make a budget
Step 4: Write a certified nursing assistant job description
Step 5: Post your job
Step 6: Interview candidates
Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new certified nursing assistant
Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a certified nursing assistant do?

A certified nursing assistant generally assists patients in their healthcare needs and medical procedures. They support patients in their daily activities by monitoring patients' temperature and food intake, ensuring the cleanliness of the patient's room, and keeping documentation of patients' conditions for reference of nurses and doctors. A certified nursing assistant should also communicate with patients' families and provide updates as often as needed. It is also important that a nursing assistant is patient and compassionate enough to attend to direct patient needs, which could get demanding or challenging at times.

Learn more about the specifics of what a certified nursing assistant does

Post a certified nursing assistant job for free, promote it for a fee

Identify your hiring needs

Before you post your certified nursing assistant job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a certified nursing assistant for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

Determine employee vs contractor status

Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

Hiring the perfect certified nursing assistant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

This list shows salaries for various types of certified nursing assistants.

Type of Certified Nursing Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
Certified Nursing Assistant	Nursing assistants, sometimes called nursing aides, help provide basic care for patients in hospitals and residents of long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. Orderlies transport patients and clean treatment areas... Show more	$11-20
Nurses' Aide	A nurses' aide is responsible for providing healthcare and welfare assistance to patients in long-term care facilities while under the supervision of a registered nurse or a licensed colleague with extensive expertise. A nurses' aide is mostly involved in basic hygienic tasks, such as helping a patient in bathing and dressing, using the toilet, preparing meals, feeding, and performing basic chores... Show more	$11-18
Nurse Technician	Nurse technicians, also known as nursing aides, assistants, or attendants, usually work in clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes. Primarily, they help a registered nurse by providing essential mobility, care, and support to patients... Show more	$12-19

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Patients
- Vital Signs
- Home Health
- Rehabilitation
- CPR
- Quality Care
- Care Plan
- Resident Care
- Customer Service
- Blood Pressure
- Infection Control
- ADL
- Compassion
- Direct Patient Care
Check all skills
Responsibilities:
- Achieve lead CMA role when a nurse are not available.
- Manage patient charts as relates to activity of daily living through EMR system.
- Manage memory unity within facility.
- Care for patients with blood born pathogens such as but not limit to HIV/AIDS.
- Work per LNA practice guidelines in all aspects of care at facility: assist living; skil nursing and rehabilitation
- Assist the patients with their various mobility devices such as their walkers, wheelchairs, canes and lifters if need.
More certified nursing assistant duties

Make a budget

Including a salary range in your certified nursing assistant job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A certified nursing assistant salary can vary based on several factors:

Location. For example, certified nursing assistants' average salary in mississippi is 44% less than in hawaii.
Seniority. Entry-level certified nursing assistants earn 43% less than senior-level certified nursing assistants.
Certifications. A certified nursing assistant with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a certified nursing assistant's salary.

Average certified nursing assistant salary

$15.67hourly

$32,597 yearly

Entry-level certified nursing assistant salary

$24,000 yearly salary

Updated December 5, 2025

Average certified nursing assistant salary by state

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Maine	$38,636	$19
2	Massachusetts	$36,947	$18
3	Washington	$36,534	$18
4	Oregon	$35,701	$17
5	Rhode Island	$35,547	$17
6	New York	$35,528	$17
7	Connecticut	$34,310	$17
8	California	$34,015	$16
9	Pennsylvania	$33,570	$16
10	Nevada	$33,229	$16
11	Minnesota	$32,385	$16
12	Wisconsin	$32,174	$15
13	New Mexico	$31,671	$15
14	Michigan	$31,657	$15
15	Illinois	$31,580	$15
16	Ohio	$31,479	$15
17	Arizona	$31,446	$15
18	Maryland	$31,344	$15
19	Virginia	$30,954	$15
20	Indiana	$30,788	$15

Average certified nursing assistant salary by company

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	Valley Presbyterian Hospital	$43,781	$21.05
2	University of California-Berkeley	$43,404	$20.87	2
3	Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company	$42,542	$20.45
4	Favorite Healthcare Staffing	$42,317	$20.34
5	Alameda Health System	$41,729	$20.06	26
6	Encompass Health	$41,423	$19.91	426
7	American Mobile Healthcare	$41,031	$19.73
8	Blessing Hospital Emergency Room	$40,907	$19.67	18
9	Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95	$40,901	$19.66	1
10	North Shore Healthcare	$40,231	$19.34	174
11	University of California	$40,176	$19.32	102
12	Dignity Health	$40,051	$19.26	340
13	QuintilesIMS	$39,864	$19.17	59
14	Southcoast Health	$39,832	$19.15	49
15	Seattle Cancer Care Alliance	$39,784	$19.13
16	Washington Hospital Healthcare System	$39,749	$19.11
17	Lawrence General Hospital	$39,479	$18.98	23
18	The University of Chicago	$39,419	$18.95	33
19	Student Conservation Association	$39,327	$18.91	2
20	Dialysis Clinic	$39,307	$18.90	160

Writing a certified nursing assistant job description
A good certified nursing assistant job description should include a few things:
- Summary of the role
- List of responsibilities
- Required skills and experience
Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a certified nursing assistant job description:
Certified nursing assistant job description example
$19.25/hour Flexible Scheduling

Hey are you a CNA who's fed up with the rat race? You want more control of your life and schedule, and you want to earn more money?

We are a staffing agency that helps dozens of facilities when they need a CNA.

You will get access to our shift list and can choose from hundreds of open shifts choosing when and where you work. Go somewhere you love? Go back all the time! Go somewhere you don't like--never go back there again, it's super easy and flexible. Plus you are in control!

Pay is great, bonuses are available and so is overtime. Daily pay is also available. Apply today and start almost immediately!.

Do you have what it takes to make our team? Click Apply and lets find out!

What our amazing staff has to say about Interim HealthCare:

"I like how fast the team is to respond to any issues or problems I may have. I feel very valued as an employee."-CL (CNA)

"I like being able to make my own schedule. I also feel like the staff is really supportive and willing to work with you when life gets in the way of some things. The staff also communicate with the nurses really well. " J.R. (RN)

"It has a great family feel" RP (CNA)

"I love that I know everyone. I feel like part of a family. Picking up shifts is easy and the turn around for pay is quick." SJ (LPN)

"What I like most is that management genuinely cares about their staff and that I have a flexible schedule that allows me to be a stay at home mom at the same time." AF (CNA)
Company DescriptionInterim HealthCare of Salt Lake City is locally owned and operated.
We provide a great working environment and the ability to make a difference in your work every day. Work for the best agency around

Our staff has complete flexibility picking when and where you work.
Post your job
There are a few common ways to find certified nursing assistants for your business:
- Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
- Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
- Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
- Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
Post your job online:
- Post your certified nursing assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit certified nursing assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
Your first interview with certified nursing assistant candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.
It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Send a job offer and onboard your new certified nursing assistant
Once you've decided on a perfect certified nursing assistant candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.
It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.
To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.
Go through the hiring process checklist
- Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
- Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
- Define job responsibilities and requirements
- Establish budget and timeline
- Determine hiring decision makers for the role
- Write job description
- Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
- Promote the job internally
- Process applications through applicant tracking system
- Review resumes and cover letters
- Shortlist candidates for screening
- Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
- Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
- Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
- Conduct background checks on top candidates
- Check references of top candidates
- Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
- Extend offer to top candidate(s)
- Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
- Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
- Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
- Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a certified nursing assistant?

Before you start to hire certified nursing assistants, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire certified nursing assistants pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

You can expect to pay around $32,597 per year for a certified nursing assistant, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for certified nursing assistants in the US typically range between $11 and $20 an hour.

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How to hire a Certified Nursing Assistant

Updated December 5, 2025

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How to hire a certified nursing assistant