CNA Average Salary

Becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA) is a great way to get your foot in the door of the healthcare field without having to spend years in school. Programs for CNA certification can usually be completed in fewer than five months, and in some cases, as quickly as six weeks. It is required that you have a high school diploma or GED before applying to one of these programs.

These programs are usually offered through community colleges, technical schools, and sometimes even through hospitals. Look into programs in your area; some may offer some or most of the coursework via online study, which allows you complete your classes on your own time. Lab work and clinicals are where you gain hands-on experience, so these portions of the program must be completed in the classroom or the facility where you are training.

Once you complete your required coursework, lab time, and clinicals, you can begin an exciting career as a CNA and start earning a higher salary. Your salary may not be the only factor when choosing a career, but it is still important to know what your earning potential will be. And with a growing demand for qualified medical personnel, the job outlook and opportunity for higher salaries for CNAs looks promising.

The role of a CNA is to provide basic care to patients under the supervision of a doctor or nurse. Some of these tasks include:

Taking patients’ vital signs
Checking medical records
Transporting patients
Feeding patients
Bathing, dressing, and grooming patients
Changing linens

Salary Information

Salaries for CNAs can vary depending on a number of factors, and depending on the type of facility where you work, your pay may be hourly or an annual salary. According to Payscale.com, the national hourly rate for CNAs is $8.35 – $14.34, which comes out to $17,500 – $31,987 annually. These numbers do not include overtime or any bonuses that you may receive. If you work for a company that pays more for overtime hours, that could add anywhere from nine cents to $7.00 to your hourly salary.

Factors That Can Affect Your Salary

Location: Where you work makes a big difference in what you might earn; working in the city versus working in a more rural area, as well as the cost of living in your particular area.
Facility: CNAs can work in a variety of settings including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and doctors’ offices. Where you work and what your job duties entail will play a factor in your overall salary. For example, working for a private medical practice may give you the opportunity for a higher salary, as they can set their own pay scale.
Experience: This is true for any field. The number of years on the job, your previous experience, as well as what types of setting you have worked in can influence your starting salary.

Top Online Nurse Assistant Degree Programs

For anyone who wishes to earn a nurses assistant certification, or CNA, earning a medical assisting or nursing assistant degree is usually required. Most often, an associate's degree from one of the schools below will be sufficient. For those wanting a more advanced degree, bachelor's level programs are also available.

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AS in Medical Assisting	Kaplan University — Kaplan's associate's degree in medical assisting at their School of Nursing offers courses on numerous topics including community nursing care, management, and informatics. Graduates of this program will be eligible for becoming a CNA.
AS in Healthcare	University of Phoenix — The nation's top online university, Phoenix, offers an associate's degree in health care that will prepare its students for becoming a certified nursing assistant, a qualification that would put you in a postition to become part of a healthcare administration team.
AAS in Medical Assisting	Bryant & Stratton College — The Bryant & Stratton College AAS in medical administrative assisting program is designed to train future medical administrative assistants that will work in a variety of health care settings including private medical practices, hospitals, clinics, public health departments, government agencies or insurance firms.
AS in Medical Assisting	Herzing University — The AS degree in medical assisting at Herzing University prepares students for jobs as medical and nursing assistants at physicians' offices. Students are trained to perform routine lab tests, help a doctor in the ER, and handle some administrative duties.
AS in Medical Assisting	Keiser University — Keiser's eCampus Online offers an online associate's degree in medical assisting, which is a perfect fit for busy professionals looking to earn a degree that will lead them into a position as a certified nurses assistant because of its flexible class schedule.