Salary as a CNA

CandAmommy · Sep 5, 2008

www.salary.com that will tell you the average for your area.

Atheos · Sep 5, 2008

Hi all, What can I expect as a fair wage as a CNA. I know it differs from state to state, I am in Tennessee, any help would be appreciated! THANKS! :typing

I have seen wages from 8 to 22 in every state I have been to. I think it depends on the city, the facility and experience...

rancelumsden · Sep 5, 2008

It doesn't simply vary from state to state, it varies from area to area within a state. For example, in the Chicago area where I reside, LTC jobs start at about $9 hourly and hospitals start at $10 (I'm generalizing, of course). But, as soon as you get an hour out of the area, wages drop at least $1 an hour. Everything is based on cost of living and competition.

If you live in a rural area, with low cost of living, and only a couple of places to work, your wages are going to be low. Supply and demand.

You really have to check on places in your area, see if you can find some job boards to determine what is a 'decent' wage for the specific area you're in.

Don't forget about benes either. Some places trade benes for wages. That is lower hourly wage than others, but better insurance.

alisant · Sep 6, 2008

In my area the pay is around $10 an hour at a hospital. If you work 2nd or 3rd shift you get shift diff as well. I live in Louisville, ky

baldee · Sep 7, 2008

$22/hr??? Maybe when you have been dead one hundred years or so.

The only way those 'salaries' differ significantly is MORE HOURS Not at OT rate (for most, and allowed by Fed law). There may be some exceptions, but you know better than I how hard your work is. And I won't mind it even as an RN, but I will be compensated more appropriately.

And most of you paid $500 to $750 to get your CNA certificate (in FL anyway) too. Big educational industry with unlimited turnover. Just remember, after you have wiped your 500th a$$, you are now an expert. Any more will not appreciably make you any more of an expert. Just offering a counter point to think about - don't kill your self by trying to get rich as a CNA!!

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2008

I'm always curious how long-term CNAs survive...I barely made it as a student making 11.36 hour(10 base, 1.36 shift diff).....Some CNAs work for 10-15 years like that....and people wonder why the economy's in the toliet.

Atheos · Sep 8, 2008

$22/hr??? Maybe when you have been dead one hundred years or so.

There are a couple of places here that pay that much... Some facilities, some home health.

Inova in Virginia offered me 22.30 for weekend doubles...

It's all about selling yourself... :)

There are more skills than just wiping behinds...

BTW - I got recruited to work in a facility, paid to fly there, free apt for 2 months and 1/4 rent for the next 10 months and paid to take the class. In 8 years I have gone from 7.50 to 22.30 (Weekend Job) and 20.50 (M-F day staffing job). Inova also pays for all of your school...

Work smarter, not harder...

baldee · Sep 8, 2008

...
Work smarter, not harder...

Amen!!

renee_cal · Sep 8, 2008

There are a couple of places here that pay that much... Some facilities, some home health.
Inova in Virginia offered me 22.30 for weekend doubles...
It's all about selling yourself... :)
There are more skills than just wiping behinds...
BTW - I got recruited to work in a facility, paid to fly there, free apt for 2 months and 1/4 rent for the next 10 months and paid to take the class. In 8 years I have gone from 7.50 to 22.30 (Weekend Job) and 20.50 (M-F day staffing job). Inova also pays for all of your school...
Work smarter, not harder...

WOW! that is great! but you do have 8 years experience, I wonder if this would be the same rate for a newbie etc.. good luck!

Atheos · Sep 8, 2008

WOW! that is great! but you do have 8 years experience, I wonder if this would be the same rate for a newbie etc.. good luck!

As a newbie nah, but it is reasonable to expect between 10 and 13 dollars an hour.

That IS a living wage as long as you stick to basic necessities and NOT luxuries... :)

I always laugh when I see a CNA with a brand new 25000$ car. ROFL.

AudreyJ · Sep 10, 2008

I'm new to allnurses but where I work the base rate is $10/hr. There is a 2nd shift shift diff of $1/hr and a 3rd shift shift diff which I'm not sure of. Weekend AM shift gets $1/hr on their shift.

We also have extra little bonuses that we can get too for perfect attendance during a pay period and cash comp which is about an additional %age of your base rate for opting out of their benefits package. Without any over time or bonuses I bring in about $1100/mo take home.