CNA Salary Details

The decision of choosing CNA as a career can be considered as one of the most important and challenging one, since it is this job that marks the beginning in nursing careers. The CNAs are responsible for taking care of patients. These responsibilities include taking care of all the daily activities as well as making a note of the vital signs of the patients and helping the doctors with medical procedures.

CNAs can work in various types of settings including clinics, hospitals, long term care facilities, home care and many more. The CNAs working in hospitals are typically supervised by and often assist registered nurses and doctors in hospitals; whereas, home health nursing assistants work independently with little supervision.

Being a CNA can offer you very good employment and salary prospects if you continue to work in the field of health care. How much does a CNA earn in a month or year depends on a number of factors. It can vary according to the environment in which they practice.

Certified nursing assistants working in different designations, position and facility have different salaries. For instance, a CNA working in hospitals can make $13.0 to $20.0 per hour, and the one working in home/elderly care may earn $12.0 to $14.0 per hour. Similarly, a certified nurse assistant working in intensive care unit is paid better than nurse aides employed in lower medical areas.

The CNA salary also varies depending on the location i.e. the state or city where they work. CNAs working in metropolitan cities have higher salaries due to higher standard of living in these cities.

Also, as the CNA becomes more experienced, he/she can make more money of the career. An experienced CNA always earns more than a fresh CNA. For instance, a certified nursing assistant salary can go up to $33,000 per annum, if he / she has 5-9 years of experience. On the other hand, a fresher CNA with less than a year experience makes around $20,000 annually.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects pay of nursing assistants to increase by 20 percent from 2010 to 2020, which is quicker than the average of all career options. An increasingly elderly population will create additional long-term care needs. This ensures that, the job of a CNA is secured as there will always be a need for all levels of nursing assistants.