Thinking of going to nursing school, but with the admission start date, limited number of programs, and pre requisites probably won't start school for another two year's. I am looking to become a CNA move to my neighboring state once my pre requisites are done and look into colleges in that area. I figure can complete my CNA in a month work night's knock out my pre req's, maybe take an EMT class, learn a language, and save some money up while I wait till eligible to get into a program. I already have a few nursing assistant skills, five year patient care experience, and a male hopefully that will make it attractive to find right job opportunities.
Curious do you feel not on your own, but with a roommate/partner/spouse able to make do with CNA salary?
Specializes in Pediatric Home Care, Dr Office/Clinic.
Ikr? $26 an hour as a CNA is unheard of in Los Angeles where I live you are very lucky!...a "good paying" CNA job is $15-16 an hour out here at some hospitals. I work at a medium sized hospital and I make $12.74. And nursing home & LTCs pay $9.50-10.
Highest pay seen for a CNA was at the state hospital was salary not hourly was $36,000 a year.
Wow, that's about 17.00 an hour if paid hourly instead of salary. People paid set salary every two weeks/bimonthly usually requires overtime if needed.
It's doable but tough. And it depends on where you live. My wife is a stay at home mom, home schools our 3 kids so we just have my paycheck. We have to make cuts and you definitely can't play the "keeping up with the Jones's" game. It'll be better once I finally finish nursing school though.
I do have to say that we are blessed to have a place with low rent though. Our landlord is a friend and could easily get twice what we are paying in rent, so that will be a factor also. But with here LPN pay and your CNA pay it shouldn't be all that bad I would think.
Edit to add: It may also help to look at several facilities. I work at an LTAC and they have the highest CNA pay rate in the area. I make as much as a new LPN at the local hospital.
Specializes in Post Acute, Med/Surg, ED, Nurse Manager.
NAs a CNA I work in a nursing/rehab facility and there is no way Incould support myself living there. I live with my significant other so it makes it work. Hospitals pay more but I love the group I work with and there is a lot of flexibility while I go to school for my nursing degree.
Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.
I my city it depends on where you work. At my current facility, even working full-time I could not independently support myself - I'd still be about $5K in annual wages below the poverty line for my county. Fortunately my husband is able to provide the bulk our financial means.
If I worked full-time at one of the hospitals where the pay rate is substantially higher, I would be making enough to live on my own if I was willing to live a non-extravagant lifestyle.
The 36K is at the state hospital if you aren't working for the state or know someone tough to get in. Also rarely hire for CNAs. An Anesthesia Tech makes 42K.
As far as pay goes know some CNAS at LTC facilities that make anywhere between $10-$15 an hour. Where hospital pay is anywhere between $12-$20. Last place I worked at theu started CNAs at $16-$18 an hour.
Where I work now some CNA job's are unionized make $14-$20 an hour. However, some CNAs in the ER and other floors by different names pay varies.
PCT's only make 10-13 hour depending on which hospital you work for in large city I live in. And the hospital I work at only does raises as cost of living for all employees once every one or two years instead of raises independently per person. Our last raise earned me only 15 cent more an hour. At that rate if the same raise every year, it would take five years to earn 75 cent more then my starting wage. So I don't see much financial advancement where I'm at.
It is possible to live on cna wages. I make $12 after almost four years of being a cna I had to fight for that pay. Pretty much to make it you have to lower your living standards in some way lol. Btw- being a cna you pretty much have unlimited OT potential Good luck!
Nursing24/7, LVN
241 Posts
Ikr? $26 an hour as a CNA is unheard of in Los Angeles where I live you are very lucky!...a "good paying" CNA job is $15-16 an hour out here at some hospitals. I work at a medium sized hospital and I make $12.74. And nursing home & LTCs pay $9.50-10.