Nursing Salaries

Compensation in the nursing industry is rarely transparent. We’ve set out to fix that. These pages have been designed to provide an overview of the employment pathways available to nurses, their earnings potential, and strategies for earning more, as you deserve.

The PulsedIn Nursing Compensation Report

Average CNA Salary
$17.41/hour

The national average salary for a Certified Nursing Assistant:

$17.41 per hour, or $36,220 annually

Pathways to the CNA Profession

4-12 weeks

CNA Programs require a high school diploma and can be completed in about 4-12 weeks, on average

For many entering the healthcare field without any post-secondary education, the CNA role can be used to gain experience across a variety of healthcare environments and can be a stepping stone toward becoming an LPN or RN.
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What Does a CNA Do?

CNAs provide basic bedside care to patients in hospitals, residential healthcare facilities, and nursing homes, including

  • Patient Personal Hygiene
  • Taking Vital Signs
  • Patient Observation
  • Record-Keeping & Charting
  • Sterilization & Clean-up
  • Feeding & Bathing

TOP EARNERS IN THE CNA PROFESSION

$22.09/hour

The average salary being earned by the Top 10% of Certified Nursing Assistants: $22.09 per hour or $45,940 annually.

  • Transfer your CNA coursework to an LPN program to reduce time & cost of becoming an LPN

  • Head back to school for your ASN or BSN to jump the ladder from CNA to RN. The hands-on experience you gain as a CNA will help to make you more competitive, even as an entry-level nurse

  • Join a professional network of nurses that can share advice, answer questions and help you navigate to a successful career!

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Average pay by state for CNAs

Blank US states mapAlaskaHawaiiAlabamaArkansasArizonaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIowaIdahoIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMassachusettsMarylandMaineMichiganMinnesotaMissouriMississippiMontanaNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNebraskaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNevadaNew YorkOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVirginiaVermontWisconsinWest VirginiaWyoming

California

Salaries not reported: Check back for updates from the Bureau of Labor & Statistics.

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