CNA starting wage?

[nowayis]

Hello new CNA here,

I am curious about CNA starting wages, I was offered a job at a skilled nursing facility at the starting wage of $10.00/hr I have worked many manual labor jobs and this is about the same starting wage as the jobs I had previously. I would have thought having a certificate would at least bump it to $13.00 - $14.00 / hr at least. Planning to go into a Nursing Program, but need to work in the mean time.

Anyone know if $10.00/hr starting is poor, average, or good?

Thank you.

[MierKat]

I think CNA pay is relative to union penetration, cost of living and minumum wage. In Seattle, minimum wage is $9.19 (it's actually a Washington State minimum wage law) - the highest in the nation. CNAs get $12-13 per hour to start. Seattle is a union town, so many nurses are in a union. Having unions raises the pay rate of many people, not just those in unions. And since minimum wage is high, cost of living is also high. Finally, it depends on unemployment rate: Seattle has a low unemployment rate, relative to some parts of the country.

[MissQ]

Where I am I get paid $10 on the weekdays $12 weekends.

[MommaTy]

Depends on your state. In Massachusetts new CNA's in LTC are offered 10 an hour. But if you work 3p-11p you get a evening differential, and more on the 11p-7a shift. Since I had experience the LTC offered me 12 an hour. But I left and went to the hospital who offers me 16.50 an hour. But then I make 18.15 an hour from 7-11p then 11p-7a I make 19.80. If it's a weekend add 2.00 on top of those and if its a holiday time and a half plus my differentials and if its a weekend the 2.00 on top of that. LOVE it. I will also be starting the RN program this fall :) Good luck.

[evmarie]

I start a LTC job next week in Tennessee and it starts at 9 an hour. Sadly I am pretty excited about it! I was an assistant manager in retail and made 9.50 but was having to drive an hour to work everyday! It sucked.

[Fanie_Mae]

The place that I did my clinicals is the highest paid place in the state, starting their CNAs out at 15.15 an hour.... but thats definitely not the norm and doesn't include benefits.

[stacyadams]

It all depends. But, here in San Francisco, some hospitals and nursing homes pay over $20/hr.

[nursey909]

Here in southern CA it goes about 11.50 an hr :-[

[GarrettLeonard]

Completely varies by the immediate geographical area that you live in.

[Just_Kidney, ADN, BSN, RN]

It totally depends where you are. I'm in Seattle and I got hired in as a brand new CNA at 13.50 an hour. No benefits though.

[ComeTogether, LPN]

unfortunately, that's about average. Nursing assistants are one of the most underpaid professions in the country.

[kaydensmom01]

It depends where you are. In San Francisco you may get $20 an hour, here in this part of Ohio you start at $8.50 because the cost of living is low. 10 is average.

[mintygirl]

10/hr in California is the base pay, generally. Some places offer less than that but . Sounds like you thought that because you got paid 10/hr elsewhere and had experience, then gained a certificate would automatically increase your wage for no other reason than just because, right? It doesn't work that way in the medical field, it goes by how many years exp you have in the job you are applying for and even then there is a cap.