CNA Salary Examined

A career as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is one of the most essential of the numerous jobs in the healthcare field. This is a medical job that is classified under nursing careers. A CNA is a well-qualified medical worker who is given the task of taking basic care of patients. The CNA job description comprises all routine, everyday jobs that must be done under the direction of Registered Nurses (RNs).

Direct patient care is the most significant duty of a CNA. Besides the salary, people get into the CNA line of work because it is a secure job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the standard yearly income for the average nursing assistant as $24,620 as of May 2008. In the following, we are going to look at the CNA pay range; arranged according to factors such as geography, type of employer, education and experience level.

CNA Salary Scales Based on Work Experience

Payscale.com reports that CNA's with 1-4 years’ experience earned incomes with an average range of $18,447 to $29,636 as of March 2010. The average range went up to $21,512 to $35,480 after twenty years’ experience or more.

CNA Salary Based on Employer Type

Government employed CNAs received average incomes of $24,417 to $37,083 in March 2010, while those employed with local and state governments were paid salaries with an average of $19,536 to $32,633, according to Payscale.com. Those employed with nonprofits received incomes with an average range of $19,913 to $28,883.

CNA Salary Based on Healthcare Setting

Payscale.com reports that CNAs employed with acute care hospitals earned incomes with an average range of $20,589 to $33,954 as of March 2010. The average range at nursing homes was $17,660 to $25,719, while those working with home healthcare services were paid $16,276 to $29,801 on average.

CNA Salary Based on Education

As of March 2010, CNAs with just high school diplomas earned incomes with an average range of $17,881 to $24,333, as reported by Payscale.com. CNAs with associate degrees in nursing were paid average incomes of $18,867 to $30,521.

CNA Salary Based on Geography

Payscale.com describes New York as the highest-paying state for certified nursing assistants to work in as of March 2010, where qualified nurse assistants received average salaries of $24,841 to $36,329. Other states that paid CNAs well were California and Florida.