How Much Does a CNA Make in Watertown, NY in 2026?
Typical pay for CNAs in Watertown, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across New York.
BLS OES May 2025 · Watertown · Fort Drum metro area
A typical CNA in Watertown, New York earns $18.43 per hour, or $38,320 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,193 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $36,470, and the top 10% of earners make over $43,870.
That pay is 21% below the New York figure of $48,590 and 9% below the national figure of $42,260. Watertown ranks 11th of 12 metro areas in New York for CNA pay. About 470 CNAs work in the Watertown · Fort Drum area. Watertown is part of the Watertown · Fort Drum metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Fort Drum share these figures.
CNA pay in Watertown at a glance
- Typical pay is $18.43 an hour, or $38,320 a year.
- That is 21% below the New York figure, ranking 11th of 12 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $36,470; the top 10% make over $43,870.
- Typical pay rose +53% from 2015 to 2025, against +44% for New York as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a CNA make in Watertown?
Pay in Watertown runs from entry-level positions at around $17.53 an hour to more than $21.09 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the New York and national figures.
CNA pay by career stage in Watertown
| Career stage | Watertown | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $36,470$17.53 an hour | $38,450$18.49 an hour | $33,940$16.32 an hour |
| First years | $36,670$17.63 an hour | $43,760$21.04 an hour | $37,260$17.91 an hour |
| Typical CNA | $38,320$18.43 an hour | $48,590$23.36 an hour | $42,260$20.32 an hour |
| Experienced | $43,470$20.90 an hour | $51,980$24.99 an hour | $47,220$22.70 an hour |
| Top 10% | $43,870$21.09 an hour | $59,890$28.79 an hour | $51,980$24.99 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Watertown · Fort Drum area as BLS defines it
CNA pay growth in Watertown
Typical (median) annual wage for CNAs in the Watertown · Fort Drum area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical CNA pay in Watertown was $25,050 a year. By 2025 it had reached $38,320, a change of +53%, compared with +44% for New York over the same years.
How Watertown compares with other New York cities
New York pays CNAs the most in New York at $49,270 a year, $10,950 more than Watertown. The lowest-paying area in the state is Elmira at $37,960.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Watertown | CNAs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $49,270 | $23.69 | +29% | 79,480 |
| 2 | Newburgh metro incl. Poughkeepsie · Kiryas Joel | $45,730 | $21.99 | +19% | 2,380 |
| 3 | Ithaca | $45,640 | $21.94 | +19% | 470 |
| 4 | Kingston | $44,710 | $21.50 | +17% | 540 |
| 5 | Binghamton | $44,410 | $21.35 | +16% | 1,310 |
| 6 | Rome metro incl. Utica | $43,560 | $20.94 | +14% | 1,590 |
| 7 | Syracuse | $42,940 | $20.65 | +12% | 3,120 |
| 8 | Albany metro incl. Schenectady · Troy | $40,160 | $19.31 | +5% | 4,200 |
| 9 | Rochester | $40,050 | $19.26 | +5% | 5,130 |
| 10 | Cheektowaga metro incl. Buffalo | $39,790 | $19.13 | +4% | 5,230 |
| 11 | Watertown metro incl. Fort Drum | $38,320 | $18.43 | this city | 470 |
| 12 | Elmira | $37,960 | $18.25 | -1% | 440 |
Every metro area in New York with CNA wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · New York typical pay $48,590
Is Watertown a good place to work as a CNA?
CNAs in Watertown earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $38,320 a year, 9% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Watertown · Fort Drum area, about 12 are CNA positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 9.4. That makes the local economy more reliant on CNAs than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a CNA make in Watertown, NY?
- A typical CNA in Watertown earns $38,320 a year, or $18.43 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $36,470 and the top 10% earn over $43,870.
- How much does a CNA make an hour in Watertown?
- Typical hourly pay for CNAs in Watertown is $18.43. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $17.53, and the top 10% earn over $21.09 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a CNA in Watertown?
- Entry-level CNA positions in Watertown typically offer around $17.53 an hour, or $36,470 a year.
- Is CNA pay in Watertown higher than in the rest of New York?
- Watertown pay is 21% below the New York figure of $48,590 a year, ranking 11th of 12 metro areas in the state. New York pays the most in New York at $49,270.