I know this question gets asked a lot both here and in other CNA FB groups but I'm looking for more specific answers because I feel that this information is often misleading or inaccurate. If you google "CNA starting pay" you'll get a lot of figures like "the AVERAGE pay of a CNA is $13hr" but "average pay" is not the same as "starting pay" and most of us have probably been shocked a time or two when we get offered a low ball pay rate thats closer to $9.50hr instead of the average pay we found on Google.
So here is my more specific question about CNA starting pays: how much was your starting pay at a new facility, with and/or without experience? Were you promised a pay increase after a certain period of time like a 90 day probation period? How long before you got your first raise and how much was it? I'll start...
My starting pay was $9.50hr with three years of home Healthcare experience but no CNA experience. I was told I'd get a pay increase after a 90 day probation period and I never did. I got my first raise after my one year anniversary at this facility and it was for .15 cents. I live in southern Colorado and we house on average 72 residents while working with the minimum amount possible of CNAs. Our green unit CNAs often work the hall by themselves most of the time because we're so short staffed and our benefits are crap.