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Certified nursing assistant salary

Average certified nursing assistant salary

$15.67

$32,597 yearly

Entry-level certified nursing assistant salary
$24,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Average Certified Nursing Assistant Salary

The average salary for a Certified Nursing Assistant in the United States is approximately $32,597 annually or about $16 per hour. Factors such as location, experience, and specific healthcare settings can significantly influence these figures.

Highest Paying States for Certified Nursing Assistants

Some of the highest paying states for CNAs include California, Washington, and New York. In these states, CNAs may earn upwards of $40,000 due to higher living costs and demand for healthcare professionals.

Career Advancement Opportunities

CNAs can enhance their earnings through additional certifications or by advancing to roles such as Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Registered Nurse (RN). Continuing education and experience can lead to better positions and higher pay, making it a worthwhile investment for those in the field.

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Where can a Certified Nursing Assistant earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
61k
41k
21k
788
Columbus, OH$38,636
Indianapolis, IN$30,788
Compare salary by company
Vs
69k
49k
29k
9k
Valley Presbyterian Hospital$43,781
Dialysis Clinic$39,307

Certified nursing assistant salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Indeed and Glassdoor, the average salary for a certified nursing assistant typically falls between $30,000 and $41,485.
zippia
$32,597yearly
glassdoor[1]
$41,485yearly
indeed[2]
$30,000yearly

Average certified nursing assistant salary by state

The highest-paying states for certified nursing assistants are Hawaii, Alaska, and Vermont. The lowest average certified nursing assistant salary states are Texas, Arkansas, and Georgia.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for certified nursing assistants

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Maine$38,575$18.55
2New Hampshire$37,696$18.12
3Pennsylvania$33,411$16.06
4Vermont$40,762$19.60
5Rhode Island$35,490$17.06
6Massachusetts$36,900$17.74
7Washington$36,232$17.42
8New Jersey$35,230$16.94
9Oregon$35,586$17.11
10Alaska$42,735$20.55
11Connecticut$34,189$16.44
12Hawaii$45,187$21.72
13Wisconsin$32,207$15.48
14Michigan$31,632$15.21
15New York$35,584$17.11
16Minnesota$32,324$15.54
17Indiana$30,924$14.87
18North Dakota$32,143$15.45
19New Mexico$31,749$15.26
20Ohio$30,710$14.76
21Nevada$33,337$16.03
22Montana$31,162$14.98
23Delaware$33,587$16.15
24Arizona$31,418$15.10
25Wyoming$31,858$15.32
26West Virginia$29,142$14.01
27Illinois$31,442$15.12
28Iowa$29,614$14.24
29Kentucky$29,208$14.04
30California$34,156$16.42
31South Dakota$29,933$14.39
32Idaho$30,836$14.82
33Maryland$31,174$14.99
34Missouri$29,187$14.03
35Kansas$29,224$14.05
36Tennessee$27,747$13.34
37Nebraska$29,669$14.26
38Utah$30,522$14.67
39North Carolina$27,842$13.39
40Virginia$30,998$14.90
41District of Columbia$31,562$15.17
42Florida$27,476$13.21
43Colorado$30,603$14.71
44Oklahoma$28,851$13.87
45South Carolina$25,978$12.49
46Texas$27,265$13.11
47Alabama$27,943$13.43
48Georgia$26,394$12.69
49Arkansas$26,863$12.91
50Louisiana$25,719$12.36
51Mississippi$25,164$12.10

Highest paying cities for certified nursing assistants

The highest-paying cities for certified nursing assistants are Portland, ME, Boston, MA, and Seattle, WA.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Portland, ME$38,636$18.57
2Boston, MA$36,947$17.76
3Seattle, WA$36,534$17.56
4Eugene, OR$35,701$17.16
5Providence, RI$35,547$17.09
6New York, NY$35,528$17.08
7Wallingford, CT$34,310$16.50
8Los Angeles, CA$34,015$16.35
9Philadelphia, PA$33,570$16.14
10Las Vegas, NV$33,229$15.98
11Saint Paul, MN$32,385$15.57
12Milwaukee, WI$32,174$15.47
13Albuquerque, NM$31,671$15.23
14Detroit, MI$31,657$15.22
15Chicago, IL$31,580$15.18
16Cleveland, OH$31,479$15.13
17Glendale, AZ$31,446$15.12
18Baltimore, MD$31,344$15.07
19Charlottesville, VA$30,954$14.88
20Indianapolis, IN$30,788$14.80

Certified Nursing Assistants are the most in-demand in these five cities:

  1. Portland, ME
  2. Boston, MA
  3. Seattle, WA
  4. Eugene, OR
  5. Providence, RI

Certified nursing assistant salary details

A certified nursing assistant's salary ranges from $24,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $42,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average certified nursing assistant salary graph
Average certified nursing assistant salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a certified nursing assistant's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$42,000$3,500$20
75th Percentile$37,000$3,083$18
Average$32,597$2,716$16
25th Percentile$28,000$2,333$13
10th Percentile$24,000$2,000$12

Highest paying certified nursing assistant jobs

The highest paying types of certified nursing assistants are registered nursing assistant, licensed nursing assistant, and assistant.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Nurses' Aide$30,496$2,541$14.66157,723
Nurse Technician$33,005$2,750$15.87195,553
Certified Medical Aide$32,675$2,723$15.71235,444
Certified Nurses' Aide$32,566$2,714$15.66171,087

Which companies pay certified nursing assistants the most?

Certified nursing assistant salaries at Valley Presbyterian Hospital and University of California, Berkeley are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average certified nursing assistant salary at companies like Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company and Favorite Healthcare Staffing are highly competitive.

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$35,000$34,600$34,200$33,800$33,400$33,000
MaleFemale

Certified nursing assistant salary trends

The average certified nursing assistant salary has risen by $5,355 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average certified nursing assistant earned $27,242 annually, but today, they earn $32,597 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for certified nursing assistants over the last decade.

Compare certified nursing assistant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average certified nursing assistant salary over time

Compare certified nursing assistant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Certified nursing assistant salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$32,600$15.67+5.0%
2024$31,000$14.89-4.5%
2023$32,400$15.56+3.6%
2022$31,200$15.00+3.4%
2021$30,100$14.49+3.3%

Recently added certified nursing assistant salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
CmhCNA, Nights, Rumford Community HomeRumford, ME06/30/2025$42,784
WellpathCertified Nursing AssistantBatesville, AR06/30/2025$37,044
Providence Life ServicesCertified Nursing Assistant (CNA), AM ShiftHomer, IL06/30/2025$38,088
SutterhealthNursing AssistantSan Francisco, CA06/30/2025$58,353
Independent Living ResourcesDirect Support Professional-Cna/Hha/Pca ExperienceEast Greenbush, NY06/30/2025$36,523
Easter Seals New HampshireMedication Nursing Assistant (MNA)Manchester, NH06/30/2025$48,001
IlluminusCertified Nursing Assistant CNA ST. Dominic VillaDubuque, IA06/30/2025$38,735
MyfamilyfirsthcCNA Pediatric Home HealthWinner, SD06/30/2025$43,827
Encompass Health CorpCertified Nursing Assistant IFitchburg, WI06/29/2025$37,566
Encompass HealthRehab Nursing Tech/Nursing AssistantParkersburg, WV06/29/2025$31,305

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