Am I being low balled?

IEDave, ASN, CNA, LVN · Mar 29, 2012

I am a CNA with no experience. I live in Northern KY, it is a large city just south of Cincinnati. I've applied for a job with an in home care company. I'm not sure if they require CNAs because no where in the application or wanted "ad" did it state CNAs. I think they put it as caring for elderly in their home so they don't have to employ CNAs. Anyway they are offering me "$8-$9" an hour, which really means $8. Our minimum wage here is $7.25. Is this a fair wage?

Sounds like they're looking for "caregivers" which typically aren't licensed or certified. As for the wage; well, it's not a CNA position they're hiring for, so $.75 over minimum isn't unreasonable. I'd be willing to bet that as a caregiver you wouldn't be expected to do much (if anything) in terms of what a CNA typically would do - for example, anything involving a gait belt would be out, but you might assist with dressing & oral care.

Let's face it - I started CNA work at an LTC almost exactly 1 week ago, and I still don't know what I'm being paid! I know it's more than $8.00/hr. since that's minimum wage here in CA, and I suspect it's $9.00/hr., but having ANY job in this economy is a blessing and as a relative noob (at least in healthcare) I'm not about to push it. Pay day's in a little over a week, so I guess I'll find out then.

Really, in your situation (much like mine) I'd be looking at just getting some relevant experience & worry about getting more green in 6-12 months, either with your current agency or somewhere else.

----- Dave

yousoldtheworld · Mar 29, 2012

Fair, no...common? Yeah. I'm right above you in Indiana, and it's not uncommon to make 8-9 a hour. I have been at my current facility for 2 years now and I am barely making more than $9.

There are higher paid places though, I'm just happy where I'm at, other than the pay.

vc01ca · Mar 29, 2012

I work at a nursing home in mid-Ohio just below Columbus. I started at $10 per hour and I now make $10.25 after being there a year and half. This was my first aid job. I work 3 12 hour shifts and care for 26 residents with no other aid on the hall.

Like the above poster mentioned they may just want caregivers and you may not have to do much. If the work is easy it may not be that bad. They may also have good benefits if your lucky.

Brannray · Mar 29, 2012

I really can't say from personal experience of salaries here in Kentucky, because I'm still in school, but where it's not specifically for a CNA, they probably won't want to pay as much as they would for a CNA. Also, due to it not being a CNA job, the duties I would assume wouldn't be as much as what a CNA would have to do, therefore the salary would be lower.

nguyency77, CNA · Apr 2, 2012

Home health aides as far as I know get paid less than a CNA. $8-9 sounds like what a HHA here in NM would make. I make $13 and I've been working 6 months. My little cousin's caregivers get paid $7.50 an hour. They're not trained and they also don't speak English. My cousin doesn't require a whole lot of care, and he is ambulatory so they don't really transfer him. They just dress him and play computer games with him, but sometimes they put his clothes on inside out. Irks me to no end.

DarkLotus · Apr 3, 2012

I was just offered a home health care PCA job for $9/hr and I am going to accept it just to get experience and have something to put on my resume! I'm hoping to find a CNA job that pays $11 in a month or two but most of the facilities I've applied to only pay 9 or 10. I just hope I can make a living wage without becoming a bartender again. The tips were great but I really hated the job!