Certified Nursing Assistant

CNAs handle the daily physical care that patients and residents cannot manage alone. That means bathing, dressing, feeding, helping people walk or move safely, and repositioning those who cannot turn themselves. They take and record vital signs. They also observe and report changes in a person's condition to the nurse on duty.

Most CNAs work in long-term care and hospitals. Nursing care facilities employ 534,270 of them, and general medical and surgical hospitals employ 442,820. In every setting the work is done under the direction of licensed nurses, who assign tasks and handle assessments. A separate duties guide describes what a typical shift looks like from start to finish.

Becoming a CNA takes three steps. First, finish a state-approved training program: federal rules set a floor of 75 hours, including 16 practical, and state requirements run from 75 hours in Wyoming to 175 in Missouri. Full-time students commonly finish in 4 to 12 weeks. Second, pass the two-part competency exam, a written or oral knowledge test plus a skills demonstration. Third, get listed on your state's nurse aide registry.

Eligibility rules are set by each state and by the individual program, so confirm both before enrolling. Cost varies by school and state. Under 42 CFR 483.152(c), a nursing facility cannot charge a nurse aide it employs for training, and a new hire who completed paid training within the previous 12 months is entitled to pro rata reimbursement, which the state must provide for. The step-by-step guide and the how-long guide go deeper.

Typical pay for CNAs is $20.32 an hour, or $42,260 a year, according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Entry-level positions typically offer around $16.32 an hour, or $33,940 a year. The best-paid tenth earn about $24.99 an hour, or $51,980 a year. Setting, shift, and experience account for most of that spread.

Pay varies by setting as well as by place. Among the large employer groups, temporary help services pay the most at $23.25 an hour, while home health care services pay $18.29. Geography works the same way: a CNA in a high-cost metro area will see a higher hourly rate than one in a rural county, to match local living costs. Every state and city has its own page with local figures.

Training covers the hands-on care a nurse aide gives, taught in classroom hours and supervised clinical hours. Programs run at community colleges, vocational schools, the Red Cross, and nursing homes. In states that publish approved-program lists, the counts are large: 644 in Illinois, 570 in California, 455 in Ohio, 254 in Texas, 245 in North Carolina, 196 in Florida, 182 in Pennsylvania, and 163 in New York. Those eight states list 2,709 approved programs.

Certification lives on the state registry. Under OBRA-87 every state keeps one, and employers must verify your status before they hire you; there is no federal registry. To keep a listing active you need at least one paid nursing-related work day in 24 months, or the listing lapses, and states set their own cycles. The certification page carries the state requirements table.

Each step above CNA pays more than the $42,260 a year a CNA typically earns. A licensed practical or vocational nurse typically earns $64,400, and practical nursing programs commonly run about 12 months. A registered nurse typically earns $97,550; an associate degree in nursing commonly takes about two years and a BSN about four. A nurse practitioner typically earns $132,300 and requires a graduate degree.

CNA experience counts in nursing school. Applicants arrive having already done direct patient care, and the habits carry over: vital signs, safe transfers, careful charting, and working under a nurse's direction. Many people work as CNAs while they study. Step-by-step guides cover the move from CNA to LPN and CNA to RN.

Employment is projected to grow 2.6 percent from 2025 to 2035. Against that modest rate, about 196,200 openings are expected each year. Most of them come from replacement rather than new positions. Turnover in long-term care runs high, and a steady share of CNAs move on into practical or registered nursing programs.

For someone entering training now, the steady flow of openings is the useful part, though no one can say what a particular employer will do. Hiring depends on your state, your city, and the setting you aim for. Confirm your state's hour requirement before you enroll, since it sets how long you will be in school.

A CNA gives hands-on daily care to patients and residents under the direction of licensed nurses. The path is state-approved training, a two-part competency exam, and a registry listing, commonly 4 to 12 weeks of full-time study. Typical pay is $20.32 an hour, or $42,260 a year. Start by checking your state's requirements and finding a state-approved program near you.