When an individual decides to make a career in a particular industry, there are two vital aspects that they would consider. The important aspects are the salary and future growth opportunities. If you plan to start your career as a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant), then you can expect both high salary and better future career prospects.

  • Those who are beginning their career as a certified nurse aide can expect a salary of USD 10 to USD 12 per hour. The average salary of CNA ranges between USD 8.5 to USD 16.8 per hour. The entry-level candidates in this field can earn more income by working extra hours. The certified nurse aides are paid on a hourly basis, so one can plan to work for extra hours to gain more salary.

  • Traveling certified nurse assistant is a good career option that the nursing aides can opt for. Here the nursing aide needs to travel to different destinations and attend different patients. An individual can become a travel nursing aide after relevant amount of work experience. The traveling CNA salary ranges from USD 14 to USD 15.5 per hour. Some organizations provide additional travel expenses payment to the travel nurses.

  • The nursing aide can earn more, if they get an opportunity to work in pediatric care. The candidates planning to work as pediatric nurse need to avail additional training so that they can get an opportunity to work as a pediatric nurse. Those working in pediatric care can earn a salary of around USD 15 per hour. They can earn up to USD 40,000 annually, which is much higher than the salary of certified nurse aide.

  • Working in a retirement facility is another option for the CNAs. The salary of nursing professionals working in retirement facilities can range between USD 11 to USD 17 per hour. The nursing aide must be trained to deal with aging patients and should be able to provide necessary emotional support to the ailing patients.

The salary of the certified nurse assistants vary from one state to another. The salary of nursing professional also depend on the geographical area in which they work. The CNA salary in Chicago is around USD 31,500 annually. The highest hourly salary is paid in states like Alaska and New York, while the lowest hourly salary is paid in Mississippi and Louisiana. Those who plan to make a career in this field should get all the details about the salary paid in the different geographical areas in their state, before they start job search.

Author's Bio: 

Kacie is a certified nurse aide from Fargo, ND working in a local clinic. She has 3+ years of experience in nursing & healthcare. Nowadays CNA career is in boom in USA and there are lots of CNA classes which train you to become a successful certified nursing assistant. Just checkout my pins about CNA.