The median CNA salary in the United States is $42,260 per year ($20.32 per hour), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (SOC 31-1131). That figure covers roughly 1.45 million nursing assistants working across hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, and assisted living communities – and it varies significantly depending on where you work, what setting you’re in, and how long you’ve been in the field.
This guide breaks down CNA pay by state and work setting, explains what drives the variation, and maps the path from CNA wages to LPN and RN earnings for those planning to advance.
CNA salary at a glance
The BLS percentile data for nursing assistants (SOC 31-1131, May 2025) shows a wide spread between entry-level and experienced pay:
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry-level) | $33,940 | $16.32 |
| 25th | $37,260 | $17.91 |
| 50th (median) | $42,260 | $20.32 |
| 75th | $47,220 | $22.70 |
| 90th (top earners) | $51,980 | $24.99 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is about $18,000 per year – roughly 53% more earnings at the top of the range than at the bottom. That gap reflects the combined effect of geography, work setting, experience, and specialization.
CNA salary by state
State-level pay varies by roughly $19,300 per year between the highest- and lowest-paying states. Oregon ($49,830), Washington ($49,180), and New York ($48,590) lead the rankings. Louisiana ($30,510), Mississippi ($31,520), and Alabama ($34,140) sit at the bottom.
The top five states by median CNA salary are Oregon, Washington, New York, New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia. The bottom five are Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. These differences track closely with cost of living, state minimum wage floors, and regional labor market conditions – CNAs in high-cost metro areas often need higher wages to attract workers, even if the purchasing power difference narrows when adjusted for local costs.
| State | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $49,830 | $23.96 |
| Washington | $49,180 | $23.64 |
| New York | $48,590 | $23.36 |
| New Hampshire | $47,870 | $23.01 |
| District of Columbia | $47,700 | $22.93 |
| California | $47,630 | $22.90 |
| Colorado | $47,380 | $22.78 |
| Vermont | $47,130 | $22.66 |
| Maine | $47,070 | $22.63 |
| New Jersey | $46,830 | $22.51 |
| Massachusetts | $46,680 | $22.44 |
| Minnesota | $46,680 | $22.44 |
| Rhode Island | $46,440 | $22.33 |
| Alaska | $46,370 | $22.29 |
| Illinois | $45,960 | $22.10 |
| North Dakota | $45,820 | $22.03 |
| Nevada | $45,490 | $21.87 |
| Hawaii | $45,350 | $21.80 |
| Wisconsin | $45,130 | $21.70 |
| Connecticut | $44,790 | $21.53 |
| Arizona | $44,780 | $21.53 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,590 | $21.44 |
| Maryland | $43,240 | $20.79 |
| Virginia | $43,200 | $20.77 |
| Delaware | $42,030 | $20.21 |
| Montana | $40,900 | $19.66 |
| Nebraska | $40,000 | $19.23 |
| Utah | $39,840 | $19.15 |
| Michigan | $39,570 | $19.02 |
| New Mexico | $39,390 | $18.94 |
| Iowa | $39,350 | $18.92 |
| Wyoming | $39,160 | $18.83 |
| Ohio | $39,010 | $18.75 |
| South Dakota | $38,800 | $18.65 |
| Idaho | $38,650 | $18.58 |
| North Carolina | $38,460 | $18.49 |
| Kentucky | $38,370 | $18.45 |
| Indiana | $38,330 | $18.43 |
| Kansas | $38,010 | $18.27 |
| Tennessee | $37,990 | $18.26 |
| Georgia | $37,680 | $18.12 |
| Missouri | $37,680 | $18.12 |
| Florida | $37,510 | $18.03 |
| Texas | $37,500 | $18.03 |
| South Carolina | $37,220 | $17.89 |
| West Virginia | $36,720 | $17.65 |
| Oklahoma | $35,930 | $17.27 |
| Arkansas | $34,430 | $16.55 |
| Alabama | $34,140 | $16.41 |
| Mississippi | $31,520 | $15.15 |
| Louisiana | $30,510 | $14.67 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 31-1131 (Nursing Assistants). Hourly figures derived from annual medians at 2,080 hours.
CNA salary by work setting
Where you work matters as much as where you live. In the most recent BLS industry breakdown for this occupation (May 2024), hospitals paid the most, with a general medical and surgical hospital mean of $42,120 per year ($20.25/hr). Nursing care facilities, which employ the largest share of CNAs, paid a mean of $40,640 ($19.54/hr). Home health care services paid the least of the major settings at $37,810 ($18.18/hr).
Note the vintage: BLS publishes the national totals for a survey year before the full industry cross-tabulations, so the setting figures below run one release behind the state and national medians above. As of August 2026 the May 2025 national estimates are out (median $42,260, mean $42,700) but the May 2025 industry cross-tabulations are not, so the setting means below are still May 2024. That vintage gap is why the hospital mean of $42,120 sits slightly below the current national median – the two numbers come from different survey years. Treat the ranking between settings as reliable and the absolute dollar amounts as a floor that the May 2025 release will lift.
| Work setting | Mean annual | Mean hourly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| General medical and surgical hospitals | $42,120 | $20.25 | Highest base pay; often includes better benefits |
| Nursing care facilities (SNFs) | $40,640 | $19.54 | Largest employer of CNAs; often highest overtime opportunity |
| Home health care services | $37,810 | $18.18 | Flexibility; lower base; mileage reimbursement varies |
Source: BLS OEWS industry-specific estimates for SOC 31-1131, May 2024
Hospitals pay more because they carry higher acuity patients, require broader clinical skills, and compete with other hospital roles for staff. Government employers – particularly VA medical centers and state-run long-term care facilities – are widely reported to match or exceed hospital pay and come with federal or state benefits packages that raise total compensation, though BLS does not publish a separate CNA wage series for them, so treat any specific figure you see quoted for VA CNA pay as an estimate and check the actual GS or facility pay scale for the posting you are considering.
Nursing care facilities employ the most CNAs nationally (roughly 492,000 workers), so they set the floor for the labor market in most regions. The tradeoff is that SNF shifts are often physically demanding, and overtime is widely available – a CNA working consistent overtime in an SNF can meaningfully close the gap with hospital pay.
Home health offers flexibility and independence that appeals to many CNAs, but base pay tends to be lower. Mileage reimbursement and scheduling autonomy partially offset the wage difference.
What affects CNA pay
Several factors push individual CNA wages above or below the state median.
Experience and seniority. New CNAs typically start at or near the 10th percentile ($16.32/hr). After two to three years, movement to the 25th–50th percentile is common, particularly in facilities with defined tenure raises. CNAs at the 90th percentile tend to have five or more years of experience, specialty certifications, or supervisory duties.
Geography – urban versus rural. Metropolitan areas consistently pay more. CNAs in San Jose, San Francisco, Seattle, and New York City earn well above their state medians. Rural CNAs often earn less in absolute dollars but may face lower housing costs. Before accepting a rural position at a lower wage, it’s worth running a cost-of-living comparison rather than relying on the gross number alone.
Shift differentials. Most facilities pay a differential for evening shifts (typically $1–$2/hr above base), night shifts ($2–$3/hr), and weekend shifts ($1–$3/hr). A CNA working permanent nights on weekends can add $4,000–$6,000 per year in differentials without any promotion. Overtime pay (1.5× the regular rate for hours beyond 40 per week) compounds further.
Certifications and specialty skills. CNAs who hold additional certifications beyond the basic state credential can command higher pay. Common certifications that increase earning potential include CNA Level II (in states that have a two-tier system), Certified Medication Aide (CMA), wound care assistant certification, dementia care specialist credentials, and IV therapy aide certification (state-dependent). Facilities often pay a flat rate differential or higher base for certified CNAs with specialty skills.
Union membership. In unionized settings – more common in hospitals, government facilities, and some SNFs in the Northeast and West – CNAs may earn wages set by collective bargaining agreements that exceed non-union rates. Union CNAs also typically receive defined benefit structures around shift differentials and seniority progression.
Setting choice. The setting decision may be the single largest lever available to a working CNA. A CNA moving from a home health role to a hospital role in the same city could add $4,000–$5,000 per year in base pay without any change in credentials or experience.
How to increase your CNA salary
The most reliable paths to higher CNA earnings fall into four categories: earn more credentials, target better-paying settings, use scheduling strategically, and plan the longer-term career move.
Earn a specialty certification. Specialty certifications make you more valuable to facilities that deal with specific patient populations. A dementia care specialist certification is in high demand at memory care units. A wound care assistant credential opens doors in both SNFs and home health. Certified Medication Aide programs, offered in most states, typically come with a pay bump of $1–$3/hr above standard CNA rates. Research what’s available in your state, since CNA scope of practice varies significantly.
Target hospital or government employment. If you’re currently in an SNF or home health role and want to raise your income without additional credentials, a hospital or VA facility application is the most direct move. Hospitals often prefer CNAs with at least one year of experience, so time in an SNF builds the resume that makes the transition possible.
Relocate to a higher-paying state – or metro. For CNAs open to relocating, the difference between Louisiana ($30,510 median) and Oregon ($49,830 median) is $19,320 per year. Even moving from a lower-paying state to a neighboring higher-paying one can add $5,000–$8,000 annually. Within any state, larger metro areas consistently pay above the state median.
Use differentials and overtime strategically. If your facility offers shift differentials, consider whether a permanent evening or night shift assignment makes financial sense. The extra hourly rate compounds across a full schedule. Similarly, picking up overtime during periods when you need to maximize income (paying down debt, building a training fund) is more effective than waiting for base wage increases.
Bridge to LPN or RN. The most significant income increase available to a CNA is advancing to a licensed nursing role. The credential ladder goes CNA → LPN → ADN-RN → BSN-RN. CNAs who earned their credential as a stepping stone to nursing school are in a strong position – clinical experience, patient familiarity, and professional references all transfer. California offers an experience-based alternative worth understanding, though it is a long route rather than a fast one. The BVNPT’s equivalency pathway (Method 3) lets a candidate sit the licensure exam without completing an approved vocational nursing program, but it requires 51 months of paid general duty inpatient bedside nursing experience – 48 months of medical/surgical plus six weeks each of maternity or genitourinary and pediatric nursing – along with a 54-theory-hour pharmacology course. All the experience must fall within the past ten years, half within the past five, and at least 40 months must be in acute care facilities.
Two limitations matter more than the timeline. No other state accepts a license earned by this method, so it does not travel if you ever leave California, and some California facilities hire only graduates of approved programs. For most CNAs, a standard approved program remains the more portable choice. See the CNA to LVN California guide for the full eligibility requirements. For broader bridging options, see the how to become a CNA guide.
CNA salary vs LPN vs RN
The nursing career ladder produces meaningful income gains at each step. A CNA earning the median $42,260 who advances to LPN adds roughly $22,000 per year. An LPN who bridges to RN adds another $33,000 or more.
| Role | Median annual (BLS May 2025) | Median hourly | Typical education | SOC code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA (Nursing Assistant) | $42,260 | $20.32 | State-approved training program (4–12 weeks) | 31-1131 |
| LPN/LVN | $64,400 | $30.96 | Practical nursing program (12–18 months) | 29-2061 |
| RN (Registered Nurse) | $97,550 | $46.90 | ADN (2 years) or BSN (4 years) | 29-1141 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
The steps require real time investment. An LPN program runs 12–18 months and costs $10,000–$20,000 at community colleges; employer tuition assistance is common for CNAs who are already employed. An ADN program adds two more years; a BSN four. But the compounding effect is significant – an RN earns about $55,000 more per year than a CNA at the median. Over a 20-year career, that differential is considerable.
For more on those paths, see the how to become an LPN guide and the ADN degree and BSN degree pages.
Job outlook for CNAs
BLS projects 1% to 2% employment growth for nursing assistants between 2024 and 2034 – slower than the average across all occupations, and a step down from the prior projection round, which put the occupation at about 4% and described it as growing roughly as fast as average. The qualitative label changed along with the number, so older career pages describing CNA work as a fast-growing field are running a superseded projection.
The growth rate understates the hiring picture, though. BLS projects about 204,100 openings per year for nursing assistants over the decade against a 2024 employment base of 1,441,500 – roughly one opening annually for every seven people in the occupation. Almost all of that is replacement demand rather than new positions: CNAs leave for LPN and RN programs, move into other healthcare roles, or exit the field. For someone entering the role, near-flat projected growth and abundant vacancies are not in tension. Jobs are readily available; what the projection tells you is that the occupation is not expanding, which is part of why wage growth depends more on state, setting, and differentials than on market-wide scarcity.
Is becoming a CNA worth it?
For most people who want to work in healthcare, the CNA credential is one of the best entry points available. The program takes weeks, not years. Most state-approved programs cost under $2,000, and many SNFs and hospitals offer employer-paid training in exchange for a short work commitment afterward.
The CNA role provides direct patient care experience that’s difficult to get any other way before nursing school. You’ll learn how patients move, communicate, and respond to care at the bedside level – context that accelerates your development in nursing school and makes you a stronger candidate for clinical programs.
The wage picture is honest: entry-level CNA pay in most states is $16–$18/hr, which is livable in lower-cost regions and tight in expensive cities. With experience, specialty certifications, and strategic setting choices, a CNA can realistically reach $23–$25/hr without advancing to a licensed role. That’s a reasonable income for a credential that takes weeks to earn.
Where the CNA credential shows its full value is as a bridge. For nursing students who want clinical experience before applying to ADN or BSN programs, or for career changers who want to confirm that nursing is the right field before committing to a multi-year degree, the CNA credential is a low-cost, high-information decision. You work in hospitals and SNFs, you see what nursing work really looks like, and you build the professional network that helps you get into programs and jobs later.
The calculation is different if long-term CNA work is the goal, rather than a stepping stone. The physical demands are real, the median wage is modest, and advancement within the CNA role is limited without moving into a licensed nursing credential. For those planning to stay in the role long-term, the best strategy is to maximize income through setting, differentials, and specialty certifications while building toward the best possible compensation floor.
Key takeaways
- The median CNA salary is $42,260 per year ($20.32/hr), based on BLS May 2025 OEWS data for SOC 31-1131
- State pay ranges from $30,510 (Louisiana) to $49,830 (Oregon) – a gap of roughly $19,300
- Hospitals pay more than nursing care facilities ($42,120 vs. $40,640 mean annual, May 2024 industry data); home health pays least at $37,810
- Shift differentials (nights, weekends) and overtime can add $4,000–$6,000/yr without any credential change
- Specialty certifications – CMA, wound care, dementia care – typically add $1–$3/hr above base
- The career ladder to LPN adds ~$22,000/yr median; advancing to RN adds ~$55,000/yr vs. CNA median
- CNA is a strong entry credential: low cost, fast to earn, real clinical experience – and a clear bridge to licensed nursing
For a full walkthrough of the CNA credential process, see the companion guide: how to become a CNA.
To compare salaries across the nursing ladder, see the LPN salary guide and RN salary guide.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Nursing Assistants,” Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), SOC 31-1131, national and state estimates, May 2025 (released 15 May 2026). https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes311131.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses,” OEWS SOC 29-2061, May 2025 (released 15 May 2026). https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes292061.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Registered Nurses,” OEWS SOC 29-1141, May 2025 (released 15 May 2026). https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Nursing Assistants and Orderlies,” Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–34 projections edition (employment count and setting data). https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nursing-assistants.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Employment and Wages by Industry,” OEWS industry-specific estimates for SOC 31-1131 (hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health), May 2024. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.htm
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), “NCLEX Examinations,” licensure pathway reference for LPN/LVN and RN advancement, accessed 2026. https://www.ncsbn.org/exams.page
- O*NET OnLine, “Nursing Assistants (31-1131.00),” national and state wage estimates (BLS OEWS May 2025 mirror), accessed August 2026. https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/31-1131.00