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The differences between licensed nursing assistants and certified nursing assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a licensed nursing assistant and a certified nursing assistant. Additionally, a licensed nursing assistant has an average salary of $41,395, which is higher than the $32,597 average annual salary of a certified nursing assistant.
The top three skills for a licensed nursing assistant include patients, vital signs and LNA. The most important skills for a certified nursing assistant are patients, vital signs, and home health.
| Licensed Nursing Assistant | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $41,395 | $32,597 |
| Hourly rate | $19.90 | $15.67 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 258,713 | 225,834 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.12 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 25% | High School Diploma, 29% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 3 |
A licensed or certified nursing assistant (CNA) is a healthcare professional who is responsible for providing basic health care to patients in medical settings. Under the supervision of a registered nurse, licensed nursing assistants help in repositioning bedridden patients as well as take vital signs of patients such as temperature and blood pressure. They can work with medical technology such as billing, health information, and medical recording charting software. Depending on their level of training and state regulations, licensed nursing staff can also administer medication to patients.
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.
Licensed nursing assistants and certified nursing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Licensed Nursing Assistant | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Average salary | $41,395 | $32,597 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $56,000 | Between $24,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Union City, CA | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Cornerstone VNA | Valley Presbyterian Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a licensed nursing assistant and a certified nursing assistant in terms of educational background:
| Licensed Nursing Assistant | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 25% | High School Diploma, 29% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between licensed nursing assistants' and certified nursing assistants' demographics:
| Licensed Nursing Assistant | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.0% Female, 90.0% | Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 68.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |