Whenever considering a new line of job it is important to look into the salary. Work as a CNA in one of the following areas:
- Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division
- Anchorage, AK
- Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division
- Las Vegas-Paradise, NV
- Fairbanks, AK
- New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division
- New Haven, CT
- Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA
This is because the areas mentioned above are the highest paying metropolitan areas for CNAs. It is important that you remember, however, that there are a number of factors that affect how much you will get paid as a certified nursing assistant. You need to consider all of the parameters carefully before making a final decision about whether or not a CNA is what you want to be because there are a number of salary considerations to take into account. However, once you are a CNA, you will have the opportunity to become an LPN and maybe even eventually an RN which means that you will earn even more.
CNA Salaries Overview
Before we look at salaries for metropolitan areas let’s take a quick look at the average CNA salaries across the country.
An overview of the statistics shows us the following interesting information:
- Hourly Rate: $8.40 – $14.37
- Overtime: $7.27 – $21.60
- Bonus: $0.00 – $623
- Total Pay: $17,598 – $32,073
These are very general numbers that reflect the fact that there are different salary expectations in each individual state across the country. This is one of the biggest variables in determining how much you will be able to earn as a CNA.
Your experience plays a big part in how much you will be able to earn. Here are the average salary figures in terms of experience:
- Less than 1 year: $14,517 – $39,380 a year
- 1-4 years: $13,817 – $39,454 a year
- 5-9 years: $15,713 – $41,947 a year
- 10-19 years: $14,683 – $38,318 a year
- 20 years or more: $17,557 – $43,692 a year
As you can see if you have a lot of experience in the field you can fairly well in this line of work. There are, however, a number of factors that affect how much you can earn. As you can see there are wide salary ranges for each of the above mentioned years of experience. This is because there are a number of factors that affect your salary. For example if you are male you will most likely earn more on an hourly basis (an average of about $9.59 – $12.53) than a female ($9.33 – $12.26) even though women make up a substantially greater portion of the industry than men. The level of qualification you have can also significantly affect your CNA salary. If you have an Associate’s Degree you can expect to earn about $8.69 – $14.72 an hour, while a Bachelor’s Degree will get you something in the region of $8.39 – $14.53 an hour. A GED or High School Diploma will earn you around $8.33 – $14.69 on an hourly basis, a High School Diploma will earn you around $8.24 – $15.10 on an hourly basis, and a Certificate (Cert), Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) will earn you around $8.66 – $14.16 on an hourly basis. Again the ranges are very wide because of the differing rules and structures that govern each individual state. Finding out what the specific policies are in your state is one of the best things that you can do.
Annual CNA Salaries In Metropolitan Areas
As mentioned in the introduction there are certain CNA salaries in metropolitan areas that are higher than others. Annual salaries in each of these locations are as follows:
In Nassau-Suffolk you can expect a CNA salary of $35, 160 a year. In San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara you can expect to earn something in the region of $34, 660 a year, and in San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City you can expect to earn in the region of $34, 610. In Anchorage the annual salary that you could hope to earn is about $33, 580 and in Oakland-Fremont-Hayward you will earn something like $33, 480. In Las Vegas-Paradise you can expect to earn $33, 340, in Fairbanks you can expect to earn $33, 270, in New York-White Plains-Wayne you can expect to earn $32, 760, in New Haven you can expect to earn $31, 420, and in Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta you can expect to earn about $31, 190.
However, because it is not always possible to choose the exact location where you work you may not be able to find jobs in these metropolitan areas. In that case it is well worth considering which states pay more than others and to try your best to find a job as a CNA in those particular states. When it comes to the best paying states the following annual rates apply:
- Alaska: $34, 210
- Nevada: $31, 370
- New York: $31, 320
- Hawaii: $31, 020
- Connecticut: $30, 590
Hourly Pay
It is also worthwhile looking at the hourly rates that CNAs can expect to earn in the top paying metropolitan areas. In Nassau-Suffolk the hourly rate is in the region of $19.90, in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara the hourly rate is in the region of $16.67, in San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City the hourly rate is something like $16.64, in Anchorage the hourly rate is $16.15, in Oakland-Fremont-Hayward the hourly rate is in the region of $16.10, in Las Vegas-Paradise the hourly rate is somewhere around $16.03, in Fairbanks the hourly rate is about $16.00, in New York-White Plains-Wayne the hourly can be something like $15.75, in New Haven the hourly rate is about $15.11, and in Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta the hourly rate is around $15.00.
Again, because you may not be able to work in these particular metropolitan areas it is well worth looking at the hourly rates for the top paying states in general:
- Alaska: $16.45
- Nevada: $15.08
- New York: $15.01
- Hawaii: $14.91
- Connecticut: $14.71
Top Payers
According to http://www.nursing-assistants.org/certified-nursing-assistant-salary there are a number of Top Payers out there when it comes to being a CNA:
Top Paying Industries For CNAs
- Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) – Hourly Rate: $17.18 ; Annual Rate: $35, 730
- Insurance Carriers – Hourly Rate: $15.92 ; Annual Rate: $33, 120
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools – Hourly Rate: $15.10 ; Annual Rate: $31, 410
- State Government (OES Designation) – Hourly Rate: $13.99 ; Annual Rate: $29, 100
- Rooming and Boarding Houses – Hourly Rate: $13.95 ; Annual Rate: $29, 020
As you can see the exact industry that you work in affects CNA salaries in metropolitan areas. The above are merely general figures for the entire country, but the industry you work in clearly affects the amount that you earn.
Popular Places For CNAs To Work
Not everyone wants to work in the top paying industries just for the chance to earn some more money. The most popular industries and employers are as follows:
Popular Industries
- HCR Manor Care Inc: $8.97 – $12.85 an hour
- Kindred Healthcare: $8.76 – $14.17 an hour
- Life Care Centers of America: $8.61 – $13.60 an hour
- Golden Living Centers: $8.23 – $14.12 an hour
- Home Health and Hospice Care: $8.11 – $13.02 an hour
Popular Employers
- Nursing Home: $8.51 – $13.80 an hour
- Healthcare: $8.57 – $14.46 an hour
- Long-term Care / Rehabilitation: $8.51 – $13.83 an hour
- Hospital: $8.86 – $14.99 an hour
- Home Health Care: $8.17 – $14.44 an hour
Now that you have considered the salary information above you should be well equipped for finding a good CNA job that will pay you well. You should also be n a better position for making that all-important choice about whether or not you want to be a CNA in the first place. If the salary does not look spectacular to you now just remember that you do not have to stay in the position of a CNA. You can become a Licensed Practical Nurse once you are a CNA and you will find it easier to get into a program to become an LPN or to get financial aid form an employer if you are already working as a CNA. There are a number of career options open to you. And let us not forget that this is a very rewarding job that will leave you feeling fulfilled and content with your life. The salary is not everything, and if you compare it to other occupations that require a similar skill level, CAN salaries in metropolitan areas are also not all that bad. If you want to get a foot in the door of the ever stable and ever growing health care industry then this is your way in.