Typical entry: Postsecondary nondegree award
Certified nursing assistant
Nursing assistants help patients with daily care, take vital signs, and support nurses in hospitals, nursing homes, and home health. It is the most common first job in patient care and counts as experience for nursing programs.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What a certified nursing assistant makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$42,260
$20.32 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $37,260
- 75th percentile
- $47,220
- 90th percentile
- $51,980
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- 87%
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- +2.6%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 196,200
- BLS projections
How people get in without a degree
A state-approved CNA program of 4 to 12 weeks (community colleges, the Red Cross, nursing homes that train for free in exchange for work), then the state competency exam and registry listing. Hospital systems in our listings post CNA roles that state a high school diploma or equivalent.
The work, as O*NET defines it: Provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff. Perform duties such as monitoring of health status, feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, or ambulation of patients in a health or nursing facility. May include medication administration and other health-related tasks. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants.
The next step
State-approved CNA program and competency exam
- Typical cost
- $500 to $2,000; some employers train for free
- Time to complete
- 4 to 12 weeks
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Pay by state
Median pay for nursing assistants by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.
| State | Hourly median | Annual median | 25th to 75th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $23.96 | $49,830 | $47,480 to $59,080 | 14,800 |
| Washington | $23.65 | $49,180 | $46,980 to $57,930 | 30,270 |
| New York | $23.36 | $48,590 | $43,760 to $51,980 | 87,990 |
| New Hampshire | $23.02 | $47,870 | $44,890 to $54,400 | 7,810 |
| District of Columbia | $22.93 | $47,700 | $42,400 to $51,850 | 3,490 |
| California | $22.90 | $47,630 | $45,850 to $54,800 | 110,060 |
| Colorado | $22.78 | $47,380 | $44,550 to $49,920 | 22,240 |
| Vermont | $22.66 | $47,130 | $40,850 to $48,940 | 3,030 |
| Maine | $22.63 | $47,070 | $44,200 to $50,190 | 8,540 |
| New Jersey | $22.52 | $46,830 | $43,950 to $48,760 | 32,400 |
| Massachusetts | $22.44 | $46,680 | $44,340 to $49,800 | 38,130 |
| Minnesota | $22.44 | $46,680 | $40,340 to $49,330 | 29,120 |
| Rhode Island | $22.33 | $46,440 | $44,760 to $47,460 | 10,220 |
| Alaska | $22.29 | $46,370 | $45,120 to $52,240 | 2,060 |
| Illinois | $22.10 | $45,960 | $39,420 to $48,380 | 68,640 |
| North Dakota | $22.03 | $45,820 | $36,410 to $47,950 | 6,840 |
| Nevada | $21.87 | $45,490 | $39,100 to $47,990 | 8,100 |
| Hawaii | $21.80 | $45,350 | $40,060 to $50,440 | 5,050 |
| Wisconsin | $21.70 | $45,130 | $39,580 to $47,320 | 28,370 |
| Connecticut | $21.53 | $44,790 | $41,900 to $47,180 | 21,380 |
| Arizona | $21.53 | $44,780 | $38,320 to $46,630 | 20,320 |
| Pennsylvania | $21.44 | $44,590 | $39,270 to $46,850 | 67,740 |
| Maryland | $20.79 | $43,240 | $38,400 to $45,760 | 27,720 |
| Virginia | $20.77 | $43,200 | $37,020 to $46,930 | 40,580 |
| Delaware | $20.21 | $42,030 | $38,490 to $45,210 | 5,530 |
| Montana | $19.67 | $40,900 | $38,040 to $47,550 | 4,390 |
| Nebraska | $19.23 | $40,000 | $38,030 to $46,410 | 16,450 |
| Utah | $19.15 | $39,840 | $37,040 to $44,350 | 12,260 |
| Michigan | $19.03 | $39,570 | $38,160 to $44,910 | 43,290 |
| New Mexico | $18.94 | $39,390 | $37,310 to $45,410 | 4,750 |
| Iowa | $18.92 | $39,350 | $37,360 to $45,650 | 22,670 |
| Wyoming | $18.83 | $39,160 | $37,180 to $47,340 | 2,830 |
| Ohio | $18.76 | $39,010 | $37,300 to $44,590 | 63,280 |
| South Dakota | $18.65 | $38,800 | $36,830 to $43,940 | 6,860 |
| Idaho | $18.58 | $38,650 | $36,300 to $46,250 | 7,910 |
| North Carolina | $18.49 | $38,460 | $35,950 to $43,850 | 64,010 |
| Kentucky | $18.45 | $38,370 | $36,150 to $44,120 | 23,410 |
| Indiana | $18.43 | $38,330 | $37,020 to $44,420 | 33,640 |
| Kansas | $18.27 | $38,010 | $36,210 to $44,170 | 24,610 |
| Tennessee | $18.27 | $37,990 | $35,560 to $40,880 | 27,040 |
| Georgia | $18.12 | $37,680 | $35,490 to $42,980 | 43,440 |
| Missouri | $18.11 | $37,680 | $35,400 to $41,600 | 34,050 |
| Florida | $18.03 | $37,510 | $36,040 to $42,310 | 96,960 |
| Texas | $18.03 | $37,500 | $35,300 to $43,070 | 88,680 |
| South Carolina | $17.90 | $37,220 | $34,960 to $39,690 | 21,760 |
| West Virginia | $17.66 | $36,720 | $35,460 to $38,410 | 9,390 |
| Oklahoma | $17.27 | $35,930 | $32,900 to $38,250 | 19,410 |
| Arkansas | $16.55 | $34,430 | $30,200 to $36,070 | 17,260 |
| Alabama | $16.41 | $34,140 | $30,060 to $36,390 | 25,250 |
| Mississippi | $15.15 | $31,520 | $29,520 to $35,200 | 14,200 |
| Louisiana | $14.67 | $30,510 | $29,070 to $35,100 | 20,690 |
Questions
Do you need a degree to be a certified nursing assistant?
No. BLS lists "postsecondary nondegree award" as the typical education for entry, and 87% of workers in the occupation report less than a bachelor's degree (O*NET). The usual credential is state-approved CNA program and competency exam.
How much does a certified nursing assistant make?
The median pay was $42,260 a year ($20.32 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $37,260 and $47,220, and the top 10 percent earned more than $51,980.
How long does it take to become a certified nursing assistant?
4 to 12 weeks. The typical cost is $500 to $2,000; some employers train for free.
Is certified nursing assistant work growing?
BLS projects employment to grow 2.6% from 2025 to 2035 with about 196,200 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 31-1131.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile