Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
Nursing assistants give patients basic care and help them with everyday activities like bathing, eating and moving around.
U.S. median pay
$20.32/hr
$42,260/yr
Projected growth
+2.6%
2025–35
Openings per year
196,200
average, 2025–35
Typical education
Postsecondary nondegree award
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025; BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
How people get started
A state-approved training program, then your state's competency exam. BLS: How to become one
Licensing in one line
Passing the exam puts you on your state's registry, which you need to work in a nursing home. Titles and rules vary by state.
Pay
What nursing assistants earn
U.S. median hourly pay · BLS May 2025
$20.32
an hour · $42,260 a year
- 10th
- $16.32
- 25th
- $17.91
- Median
- $20.32
- 75th
- $22.70
- 90th
- $24.99
Hourly pay range: 10th percentile $16.32/hr, median $20.32/hr, 90th percentile $24.99/hr.
Schools
Programs that lead here
Licensing
Licensing and verification
Passing the exam puts you on your state's registry, which you need to work in a nursing home. Titles and rules vary by state.
“They must be on the state registry to work in a nursing home.” BLS
California
Full California guide: boards, lookups and key requirements. California CNA licensing
Clinical rotations
For students
Work as a CNA with SHIFTit
Choose shifts that fit your life. Your credentials are verified once and travel with you to every facility on the platform.
Related careers and comparisons
Sources
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Nursing assistants, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (SOC 31-1131), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Checked against these sources on Oct 1, 2026.