How Much Does a CNA Make in Seattle, WA in 2026?
Typical pay for CNAs in Seattle, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Washington.
BLS OES May 2025 · Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue metro area
A typical CNA in Seattle, Washington earns $25.00 per hour, or $51,990 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,333 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $46,060, and the top 10% of earners make over $67,280.
That pay is 6% above the Washington figure of $49,180 and 23% above the national figure of $42,260. Seattle ranks 1st of 12 metro areas in Washington for CNA pay. About 16,530 CNAs work in the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue area. Seattle is part of the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Tacoma and Bellevue share these figures.
CNA pay in Seattle at a glance
- Typical pay is $25.00 an hour, or $51,990 a year.
- That is 6% above the Washington figure, ranking 1st of 12 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $46,060; the top 10% make over $67,280.
- Typical pay rose +71% from 2015 to 2025, against +73% for Washington as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a CNA make in Seattle?
Pay in Seattle runs from entry-level positions at around $22.14 an hour to more than $32.35 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Washington and national figures.
CNA pay by career stage in Seattle
| Career stage | Seattle | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $46,060$22.14 an hour | $42,500$20.43 an hour | $33,940$16.32 an hour |
| First years | $48,110$23.13 an hour | $46,980$22.59 an hour | $37,260$17.91 an hour |
| Typical CNA | $51,990$25.00 an hour | $49,180$23.65 an hour | $42,260$20.32 an hour |
| Experienced | $59,950$28.82 an hour | $57,930$27.85 an hour | $47,220$22.70 an hour |
| Top 10% | $67,280$32.35 an hour | $62,660$30.13 an hour | $51,980$24.99 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue area as BLS defines it
CNA pay growth in Seattle
Typical (median) annual wage for CNAs in the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical CNA pay in Seattle was $30,400 a year. By 2025 it had reached $51,990, a change of +71%, compared with +73% for Washington over the same years.
How Seattle compares with other Washington cities
Seattle pays CNAs the most of any metro area in Washington. The lowest-paying area in the state is Yakima at $47,080.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Seattle | CNAs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle | $51,990 | $25.00 | this city | 16,530 |
| 2 | Vancouver metro incl. Hillsboro | $50,350 | $24.21 | -3% | 8,890 |
| 3 | Bremerton metro incl. Silverdale · Port Orchard | $49,160 | $23.63 | -5% | 850 |
| 4 | Mount Vernon metro incl. Anacortes | $49,020 | $23.57 | -6% | 500 |
| 5 | East Wenatchee metro incl. Wenatchee | $48,520 | $23.33 | -7% | 440 |
| 6 | Tumwater | $48,060 | $23.11 | -8% | 1,040 |
| 7 | Kennewick metro incl. Richland | $48,060 | $23.11 | -8% | 1,060 |
| 8 | Bellingham | $48,040 | $23.10 | -8% | 790 |
| 9 | Walla Walla | $47,990 | $23.07 | -8% | 290 |
| 10 | Kelso metro incl. Longview | $47,830 | $23.00 | -8% | 440 |
| 11 | Spokane metro incl. Spokane Valley | $47,240 | $22.71 | -9% | 2,780 |
| 12 | Yakima | $47,080 | $22.63 | -9% | 1,320 |
Every metro area in Washington with CNA wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Washington typical pay $49,180
Is Seattle a good place to work as a CNA?
CNAs in Seattle earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $51,990 a year, 23% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue area, about 7.9 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 Seattle, WA?
- A typical CNA in Seattle earns $51,990 a year, or $25.00 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $46,060 and the top 10% earn over $67,280.
- How much does a CNA make an hour in Seattle?
- Typical hourly pay for CNAs in Seattle is $25.00. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $22.14, and the top 10% earn over $32.35 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a CNA in Seattle?
- Entry-level CNA positions in Seattle typically offer around $22.14 an hour, or $46,060 a year.
- Is CNA pay in Seattle higher than in the rest of Washington?
- Seattle pay is 6% above the Washington figure of $49,180 a year, ranking 1st of 12 metro areas in the state.