Can I Survive Off Of Certified Nursing Assistant Salary? Opinions & Stories Please!

[FuturePedsNurse92]

I'm very curious if it is possible to survive out in the "real world" with the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) job salary of 25,000 a year. Is that even the average salary anymore? How much do average CNA's get paid an hour? Most importantly, can I survive off of certified nursing assistant salary job?

Thanks

Best Answer...

AGWSRnurse said:

I teach a CNA class at a high school in Iowa. CNA's start at $10.10 at the nursing home a block away from the high school. Most nursing homes in our area are in the $9-$10 range to start. There is a weekend differential and time and one half for call-in, double time for major holidays generally.

Yes, one can "survive"...but hopefully your aspirations are more than survival.

CNA work is demanding...but rewarding. It is an excellent job that one can survive on while continuing their education..whatever career path that might be.

There is usually plenty of hours to be had, and it dovetails perfectly with going to school usually as there are evening and nite shifts, weekend work etc.

One always has to think short term...and long term....

It may be perfect for 4-6 years...but will you be able to do this job all your working life?

It may inspire you to continue to learn more and become more educated and have more responsibility as either an LPN or an RN.

[erinberrin, CNA]

I make 11.85 on weekdays and 12.48 on weekends..after loosing a 1.00 an hour after going on with an injury for 10 weeks. Here is how I feel about Healthcare. You have to have a genuine desire and love of the business otherwise you will never ever make it thru a day. Don't go into for the money, there isn't much..

[babydolladidas]

It really depends on where you get a job. I have been a CNA for ten years and I don't even make ten dollars an hour. Hospitals and home hospice are your better options they usually pay more.

[VampyrSlayer, CNA]

Not where I live and the only low income housing available is for people with kids. Yes I'm bitter because I'm choosing to have kids when I'm financially stable

[Missingyou, CNA]

It really does depend on where you work. The facility I work in is the highest paying in the state.

[Bbett, MSN, NP]

CNAs In hospitals make around 13-15 dollars. Very easy to live on! I only work two shifts a week(24 hrs) and I pay my rent bills ect and go to school.

[Nicole,CNA, CNA]

I love being a cna, but I think we are so under paid. To me it seems as if we do all the hard work and get paid the less. Since cna is in the nursing field and you do have to go to school to work in the field, I feel like we should at least start out with 12$. How do you feel about it?

[FutureHoosierRN]

Pay will completely depend on your environment. I started at a rehab/nursing home working 12 or 16 hrs on the weekend for 14$ Hr. I now make $14.15 on 1st shift then $16.27 with shift dif working 3 shifts a week on telemetry at a hospital with full benefits pto, sick time, opportunities for OT. We also self schedule which is a beautiful perk.

[GuineaPigs, BSN, RN]

I work as a CNA in a city hospital (due to graduate w/BSN next year) and make 18/hr. I usually do nights, so it's an extra 3/hr.

[srnaky, CNA]

The good thing about being a cna is this: they are always needing someone to pick up shifts.

So you can pick up an extra shift if you need more money.

As for they pay, I make decent, 13.30 an hour, however I have been an aide at the same ltc for 5 years.

You may not get rich but you can live. I personally am not on any kind of assistance and pay all my bills on time and I live in a nice house at the edge of town. My vehicle is paid off, so my husband and I are comfortable. We are not rich, but I'm not financially stressed.

What helps is my husband works full time and we don't have kids either.

[Born2banurse98]

I'm a CNA student currently. I'm not sure where you live but I'm in NY. When my mom was working she started at $14/hr and when she left she was making 21/hr after 6 years. But where I'm doing clinicals (which isn't far from my mother's former employer) people have been working there for 7 years are only making 14/hr (BOTH are long term care facilities)... So really it depends on place. FYI we're in upstate NY.

[rnmum04, BSN, CNA, RN]

Hello! Got my cna license last Feb and just landed a job at a hospital. $15 an hr, 12 hr shift, 3 days a week, unit secretary for those 2 days and cna float pool for a day. No experience whatsoever but the clinicals I went to for school.

[Ms. Brown]

I make $15hr in a skilled facility. When I started in home care 4 years ago I started off at $12hr. I've survived off this profession, although I can't wait to finish school to become a RN.