How Much Does a CNA Make in Arlington, TX in 2026?
Typical pay for CNAs in Arlington, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Texas.
BLS OES May 2025 · Dallas · Fort Worth · Arlington metro area
A typical CNA in Arlington, Texas earns $18.53 per hour, or $38,530 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,211 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $35,850, and the top 10% of earners make over $49,090.
That pay is 3% above the Texas figure of $37,500 and 9% below the national figure of $42,260. Arlington ranks 2nd of 25 metro areas in Texas for CNA pay. About 23,420 CNAs work in the Dallas · Fort Worth · Arlington area. Arlington is part of the Dallas · Fort Worth · Arlington metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Dallas and Fort Worth share these figures.
CNA pay in Arlington at a glance
- Typical pay is $18.53 an hour, or $38,530 a year.
- That is 3% above the Texas figure, ranking 2nd of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $35,850; the top 10% make over $49,090.
- Typical pay rose +60% from 2015 to 2025, against +61% for Texas as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a CNA make in Arlington?
Pay in Arlington runs from entry-level positions at around $17.24 an hour to more than $23.60 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Texas and national figures.
CNA pay by career stage in Arlington
| Career stage | Arlington | Texas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $35,850$17.24 an hour | $30,620$14.72 an hour | $33,940$16.32 an hour |
| First years | $37,370$17.96 an hour | $35,300$16.97 an hour | $37,260$17.91 an hour |
| Typical CNA | $38,530$18.53 an hour | $37,500$18.03 an hour | $42,260$20.32 an hour |
| Experienced | $45,190$21.73 an hour | $43,070$20.71 an hour | $47,220$22.70 an hour |
| Top 10% | $49,090$23.60 an hour | $47,500$22.84 an hour | $51,980$24.99 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Dallas · Fort Worth · Arlington area as BLS defines it
CNA pay growth in Arlington
Typical (median) annual wage for CNAs in the Dallas · Fort Worth · Arlington area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical CNA pay in Arlington was $24,020 a year. By 2025 it had reached $38,530, a change of +60%, compared with +61% for Texas over the same years.
How Arlington compares with other Texas cities
Round Rock pays CNAs the most in Texas at $38,550 a year, $20 more than Arlington. The lowest-paying area in the state is Brownsville at $32,110.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Arlington | CNAs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Round Rock metro incl. San Marcos · Austin | $38,550 | $18.53 | 0% | 5,600 |
| 2 | Arlington metro incl. Dallas · Fort Worth | $38,530 | $18.53 | this city | 23,420 |
| 3 | Pasadena metro incl. Houston · The Woodlands | $37,970 | $18.26 | -1% | 19,230 |
| 4 | Wichita Falls | $37,870 | $18.21 | -2% | 950 |
| 5 | Abilene | $37,460 | $18.01 | -3% | 800 |
| 6 | Waco | $37,290 | $17.93 | -3% | 1,480 |
| 7 | New Braunfels metro incl. San Antonio | $36,800 | $17.69 | -4% | 7,080 |
| 8 | Amarillo | $36,700 | $17.65 | -5% | 1,000 |
| 9 | Odessa | $36,250 | $17.43 | -6% | 410 |
| 10 | Temple metro incl. Killeen | $36,120 | $17.36 | -6% | 1,480 |
| 11 | Sherman metro incl. Denison | $35,970 | $17.29 | -7% | 610 |
| 12 | Midland | $35,970 | $17.29 | -7% | 580 |
| 13 | College Station metro incl. Bryan | $35,610 | $17.12 | -8% | 940 |
| 14 | San Angelo | $35,390 | $17.02 | -8% | 610 |
| 15 | Corpus Christi | $35,300 | $16.97 | -8% | 1,550 |
| 16 | Tyler | $35,300 | $16.97 | -8% | 1,610 |
| 17 | El Paso | $35,170 | $16.91 | -9% | 2,310 |
| 18 | Laredo | $35,120 | $16.89 | -9% | 510 |
| 19 | Port Arthur metro incl. Beaumont | $35,110 | $16.88 | -9% | 1,200 |
| 20 | Longview | $34,510 | $16.59 | -10% | 1,050 |
| 21 | Lubbock | $34,300 | $16.49 | -11% | 1,490 |
| 22 | Edinburg | $33,990 | $16.34 | -12% | 2,140 |
| 23 | Victoria | $33,980 | $16.34 | -12% | 470 |
| 24 | Texarkana | $32,880 | $15.81 | -15% | 820 |
| 25 | Harlingen metro incl. Brownsville | $32,110 | $15.44 | -17% | 1,070 |
Every metro area in Texas with CNA wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Texas typical pay $37,500
Is Arlington a good place to work as a CNA?
CNAs in Arlington earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $38,530 a year, 9% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Dallas · Fort Worth · Arlington area, about 5.8 are CNA positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 9.3. That makes CNAs a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a CNA make in Arlington, TX?
- A typical CNA in Arlington earns $38,530 a year, or $18.53 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $35,850 and the top 10% earn over $49,090.
- How much does a CNA make an hour in Arlington?
- Typical hourly pay for CNAs in Arlington is $18.53. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $17.24, and the top 10% earn over $23.60 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a CNA in Arlington?
- Entry-level CNA positions in Arlington typically offer around $17.24 an hour, or $35,850 a year.
- Is CNA pay in Arlington higher than in the rest of Texas?
- Arlington pay is 3% above the Texas figure of $37,500 a year, ranking 2nd of 25 metro areas in the state. Round Rock pays the most in Texas at $38,550.