How Much Does a CNA Make in Waco, TX in 2026?
Typical pay for CNAs in Waco, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Texas.
BLS OES May 2025 · Waco metro area
A typical CNA in Waco, Texas earns $17.93 per hour, or $37,290 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,108 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $30,310, and the top 10% of earners make over $46,540.
That pay is 1% below the Texas figure of $37,500 and 12% below the national figure of $42,260. Waco ranks 6th of 25 metro areas in Texas for CNA pay. About 1,480 CNAs work in the Waco area.
CNA pay in Waco at a glance
- Typical pay is $17.93 an hour, or $37,290 a year.
- That is 1% below the Texas figure, ranking 6th of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $30,310; the top 10% make over $46,540.
- Typical pay rose +49% from 2015 to 2025, against +61% for Texas as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a CNA make in Waco?
Pay in Waco runs from entry-level positions at around $14.57 an hour to more than $22.38 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Texas and national figures.
CNA pay by career stage in Waco
| Career stage | Waco | Texas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $30,310$14.57 an hour | $30,620$14.72 an hour | $33,940$16.32 an hour |
| First years | $35,280$16.96 an hour | $35,300$16.97 an hour | $37,260$17.91 an hour |
| Typical CNA | $37,290$17.93 an hour | $37,500$18.03 an hour | $42,260$20.32 an hour |
| Experienced | $42,810$20.58 an hour | $43,070$20.71 an hour | $47,220$22.70 an hour |
| Top 10% | $46,540$22.38 an hour | $47,500$22.84 an hour | $51,980$24.99 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Waco area as BLS defines it
CNA pay growth in Waco
Typical (median) annual wage for CNAs in the Waco area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical CNA pay in Waco was $25,020 a year. By 2025 it had reached $37,290, a change of +49%, compared with +61% for Texas over the same years.
How Waco compares with other Texas cities
Round Rock pays CNAs the most in Texas at $38,550 a year, $1,260 more than Waco. The lowest-paying area in the state is Brownsville at $32,110.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Waco | CNAs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Round Rock metro incl. San Marcos · Austin | $38,550 | $18.53 | +3% | 5,600 |
| 2 | Dallas metro incl. Arlington · Fort Worth | $38,530 | $18.53 | +3% | 23,420 |
| 3 | Pasadena metro incl. Houston · The Woodlands | $37,970 | $18.26 | +2% | 19,230 |
| 4 | Wichita Falls | $37,870 | $18.21 | +2% | 950 |
| 5 | Abilene | $37,460 | $18.01 | 0% | 800 |
| 6 | Waco | $37,290 | $17.93 | this city | 1,480 |
| 7 | New Braunfels metro incl. San Antonio | $36,800 | $17.69 | -1% | 7,080 |
| 8 | Amarillo | $36,700 | $17.65 | -2% | 1,000 |
| 9 | Odessa | $36,250 | $17.43 | -3% | 410 |
| 10 | Temple metro incl. Killeen | $36,120 | $17.36 | -3% | 1,480 |
| 11 | Sherman metro incl. Denison | $35,970 | $17.29 | -4% | 610 |
| 12 | Midland | $35,970 | $17.29 | -4% | 580 |
| 13 | College Station metro incl. Bryan | $35,610 | $17.12 | -5% | 940 |
| 14 | San Angelo | $35,390 | $17.02 | -5% | 610 |
| 15 | Corpus Christi | $35,300 | $16.97 | -5% | 1,550 |
| 16 | Tyler | $35,300 | $16.97 | -5% | 1,610 |
| 17 | El Paso | $35,170 | $16.91 | -6% | 2,310 |
| 18 | Laredo | $35,120 | $16.89 | -6% | 510 |
| 19 | Port Arthur metro incl. Beaumont | $35,110 | $16.88 | -6% | 1,200 |
| 20 | Longview | $34,510 | $16.59 | -7% | 1,050 |
| 21 | Lubbock | $34,300 | $16.49 | -8% | 1,490 |
| 22 | Edinburg | $33,990 | $16.34 | -9% | 2,140 |
| 23 | Victoria | $33,980 | $16.34 | -9% | 470 |
| 24 | Texarkana | $32,880 | $15.81 | -12% | 820 |
| 25 | Harlingen metro incl. Brownsville | $32,110 | $15.44 | -14% | 1,070 |
Every metro area in Texas with CNA wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Texas typical pay $37,500
Is Waco a good place to work as a CNA?
CNAs in Waco earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $37,290 a year, 12% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Waco area, about 11 are CNA positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 9.3. 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 Waco, TX?
- A typical CNA in Waco earns $37,290 a year, or $17.93 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $30,310 and the top 10% earn over $46,540.
- How much does a CNA make an hour in Waco?
- Typical hourly pay for CNAs in Waco is $17.93. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $14.57, and the top 10% earn over $22.38 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a CNA in Waco?
- Entry-level CNA positions in Waco typically offer around $14.57 an hour, or $30,310 a year.
- Is CNA pay in Waco higher than in the rest of Texas?
- Waco pay is 1% below the Texas figure of $37,500 a year, ranking 6th of 25 metro areas in the state. Round Rock pays the most in Texas at $38,550.