Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between practical nurses and certified nursing assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a practical nurse, becoming a certified nursing assistant takes usually requires 1-3 months. Additionally, a practical nurse has an average salary of $75,363, which is higher than the $32,597 average annual salary of a certified nursing assistant.
The top three skills for a practical nurse include patients, APN and home health. The most important skills for a certified nursing assistant are patients, vital signs, and home health.
| Practical Nurse | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $75,363 | $32,597 |
| Hourly rate | $36.23 | $15.67 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 511,602 | 225,834 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.12 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | High School Diploma, 29% |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 3 |
A practical nurse is responsible for providing the highest quality care services for the patients and assisting them with their needs and concerns. Practical nurses work within a health institution or private household to support the patients in their daily activities, monitor their conditions, administer medication, and inform the doctors of their health updates. They also coordinate with other medical professionals to develop nursing care plans and activities to suit the patients' lifestyle and keep their active wellbeing.
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.
Practical nurses and certified nursing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Practical Nurse | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Average salary | $75,363 | $32,597 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $120,000 | Between $24,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lancaster, CA | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | University Hospitals | Valley Presbyterian Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a practical nurse and a certified nursing assistant in terms of educational background:
| Practical Nurse | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | High School Diploma, 29% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Emory University | - |
Here are the differences between practical nurses' and certified nursing assistants' demographics:
| Practical Nurse | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7% | Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 6.3% White, 60.4% 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% |