CNA Salary - Is It Worth The Extra Study?

Certified nursing assistants (CNA) work in healthcare settings including hospitals, nursing homes and long-term care facilities for disabled individuals. These front-liners in the healthcare industry perform a wide variety of roles and responsibilities including but not limited to taking vital signs, assisting in personal hygiene needs, and transferring patients from one place to the next within the facility. Of course, these competent individuals should have completed their CNA training programs and passed their CNA certification exams.

The profession is one of the fastest-growing in the healthcare industry for several reasons. As the population ages, more and more individuals require short-term and long-term medical care in hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities. This is where certified nursing assistants come in. Add in the good salaries and benefits packages available for certified nursing aides and you, too, will be interested in it as a career.

Range of Salaries

And speaking of salary, exactly how much does an employed nursing aide earn in a year? Like with all professions, the answer depends on several factors including experience of the individual on one hand as well as type of facility and geographical location on the other hand. Even in the same establishment or in the same city, the salary for two certified nursing aides of similar work experience will be different.

For example, your lower salary reflects your employment status as an entry-level staff while the salaries of your senior colleagues reflect their seniority in the organization. It may also be that your higher salary in a nursing home in comparison with another nursing aide in a hospital boils down to the size of these establishments.

Experience as a Determinant

In general, however, certified nursing aides earn according to their level of experience and employment status. As you gain more experience, you are more likely to enjoy higher salaries. It also helps to put the lessons you have learned during CNA training to good use as an employee.

On average, nursing aides with less than a year of experience can earn $20,000-$31,000 annual salary while those with up to four years of experience will enjoy $22,000-$32,000 per year in basic salaries. Nursing assistants with more than 5 years of experience can earn $25,000 to $34,000 a year, aside from the perks of the job like bonuses. Of course, the CNA certification of these front-liners must be valid and updated for employers to keep them on the job. So, you had better take note of this fact of life.

Other determinants in the salary of certified nursing aides are:

• Type of facility - Those who work in veterans' hospitals, private homes and private offices tend to earn more ($24,000-$38,000) than those who work in nursing homes ($18,500-$30,000) and hospitals ($20,000-$32,000).

• Location - Those who work in metropolitan areas are more likely to earn more than their rural-based counterparts.

Yes, the money is good, indeed!