|
A Certified Nursing Assistant is an invaluable asset to any medical facility, hospital, or nursing home. Without the army of CNAs to back them up, doctors and RNs would quickly become overwhelmed by the sheer number of patients to take care of. Each patient needs a lot of care, and that's where the CNAs come in. They work on the front line to communicate with the patient, make sure they are eased and comfortable, and find out if they need any extra treatment or if they are feeling any discomfort. Because of this, the CNA salary is very respectable.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average pay for a can as of 2011 is $29,000. Of course, as with any job the CNA salary ranges depend on experience, education, and area of employment. Entry level pay for a CNA is obviously much lower than it would be for someone with several years of experience in the field. The type of CNA is also a huge factor in how much the salary is. Here is the pay for Certified Nursing Assistant as it relates to specialized sectors:
- A Correctional CNA average pay is $24,000
- A Nursing Assistant CNA average pay is $41,000
- A Hospital Nursing Assistant CNA average pay is $33,000
- A Certified Nurse Aide CNA average pay is $27,000
- A CNA Home Health Aide average pay is $21,000
- A Long Term Care CNA average pay is $36,000
- A CNA HHA average pay is $23,000
It's fairly obvious that the exact sector you decide to go into will directly determine your annual paycheck. What also comes into play with this is the amount of training and schooling that is required. Most Certified Nursing Assistant courses last between 6 and 12 weeks, making it a very short process to become certified and begin earning a full time paycheck at a local hospital or medical facility.
Another factor that plays into the CNA pay scale is the location of the job. This means both the type of medical institution as well as the state. Some states put strict regulations on what procedures a CNA is able to perform, while other states give them more leeway to perform their duties. States that allow more responsibility for a CNA usually have a higher average salary than those states that don't.
As made apparent by the previous pay scale, the type of facility also makes a large difference. Home care providers usually have a lower salary than CNAs employed in a hospital or larger healthcare institution. On the other hand, home aid providers are expected to be more in demand than nearly any other career type by 2018, so that average salary has the potential to rise as the years go by, prompting more and more people to enter that line of work.
It does not cost a lot to receive a CNA certification, and there are plenty of accredited online courses that will provide the training necessary to become a Certified Nursing Assistant.
|
