14 Jan CNA Salary
It is estimated that, alongside psychiatric aides, there are over 1 million CNAs employed in the country. Most of the CNAs work as orderlies, attendants and nursing aides. 40% of CNAs get to work in a nursing care facility while 29 % can be found in hospitals. Nursing aides can also work at outpatient centers, residential care facilities, and government agencies. People seeking a career as nursing assistant have excellent job prospects.
The amount earned by a certified nursing assistant will be determined by factors such as the nurse’s education, experience, and the employer.
During their first year, nursing assistants are paid an average CNA salary of $11.00 to $16.50 per hour depending on their educational qualification. A nursing assistant with a college degree can earn an annual income of $30,000 while a CNA with minimal education can expect to earn about $19,000. However, these are just average figures and will vary with different states and the establishment in which the nurse is employed.
According to statistics released in 2016, the average hourly CNA salary of nurses working at nursing care facilities was $12.13 while the salary those employed at Home Health care services was $10.58. Certified nursing assistant employed at surgical hospitals and Employment Services earned higher hourly rates at $13.05 and $14.10 respectively.
Private sectors typically pay more than public medical centers. CNAs employed at schools earn an average of $17,000 to $29,000 every year while CNAs employed with the federal government earn more with an annual income average of $28,000 to $42,000. CNAs may also improve their income by volunteering for added hours or multiple shifts.
The answer to this question depends on where you work and what level of qualifications and experience you have. Some states pay better than others. For those with CNA certification, Florida and similar states with a higher percentage of aging residents tend to offer the best compensation packages. If you can vary your experience i.e. have worked in a residential facility, in the community looking after people in their own homes and in a hospital looking after critically ill patients you can probably expect to earn more.
The Factors that Influence the CNA Salary
Location – this is a very obvious one. The economy of a certain state will determine the limitations of the workers’ salary. To put it into consideration, working as a nurse assistant in New York or Chicago would grant you a salary between $22,000 and $35,000 per year. If you were to work in Wisconsin or Florida, then you can expect the average CNA salary to be between $18,000 and $32,000 per year.
Hourly Wages – this is a factor a lot of people tend to remember but forget to compute. The hourly wage could be dependent on your position or seniority in the working area and what kind of restrictions your position has.
Type of Employment – a nursing assistant working in a mobile medical staff that works with an NGO may earn more than what a nursing assistant earns working in a medical clinic. The type of employment can greatly affect how much you earn. Private nursing homes generally pay more and offer better insurance.
Experience – this is the most obvious factor that could affect your salary. Having less than three years of experience would give you a salary range between $18,000 and $25,000 per year. People with a higher CNA salary are those who have worked for more than three years and have become permanent workers in the medical facility. In some medical facilities though they tend to keep seniority in the hospital more important than the years of experience in the job.
Certification – being certified will not guarantee a higher salary but gaining in-house certification and qualifications can increase your income. Most CNA’s are prohibited by state law to directly administer medication to a patient (this is usually a responsibility to be handled by an RN or LPN) but getting certification can bypass this. With more certification a nursing assistant can hold more responsibilities in the facility, increasing their value and therefore their salary.
It is not always required for you to earn the state certification to be able to work as a nursing assistant but the certification will help you finding a job as many institutions are required by law to hire only nursing aides with certification.