Best Cities to Work as a CNA

Are you a nursing assistant who has recently become certified? Or maybe you are simply contemplating the career. In either case, you may be wondering about the best cities to work as a CNA in. Just as with most other professions today, some locations offer better pay and employment opportunities than others.

Highest Paying Cities

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the median pay for CNAs in 2019 - the year these statistics were last released - was $29,640 per year. The pay range for nursing assistants during the same year was from less than $21,960 to more than $40,620 per year. One of the main factors that can affect the wages of a CNA is location.

Why is this so? Typically, this is the result of an increasing need for the type of services provided by CNAs. The need arises from a growing elderly population. As reported by the U.S. Department of Labor, the following cities were among the highest paying cities for CNAs in 2019:

• Salinas - California: $46,170 Per Year
• San Francisco, Oakland, Hayward - California: $45,100 Per Year
• Santa Cruz, Watsonville - California: $44,710 Per Year
• Fairbanks - Alaska: $41,900 Per Year
• Kahului, Wailuku, Lahaina - Hawaii: $40,080 Per Year
• San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara - California: $39,800 Per Year
• Vallejo, Fairfield - California: $39,640 Per Year
• Sacramento, Roseville, Arden, Arcade - California: $39,340 Per Year
• Anchorage - Alaska: $38,430 Per Year
• New York, Newark, Jersey City - New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania: $38,250 Per Year

Cities With Highest Concentration of Jobs

Cities with the highest concentration of jobs for CNAs in 2019 were:

• Goldsboro, NC
• Bismarck, ND
• Homosassa Springs, FL
• Topeka, KS
• Rochester, MN
• New Bedford, MA
• Grand Forks, ND-MN
• Kankakee, IL
• Cumberland, MD-WV
• Cape Girardeau, MO-IL

Conclusion

Some of the best cities to work as a CNA in terms of pay or demand include Salinas, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Fairbanks, Kahului, San Jose, and Vallejo.