Medical facilities are one of the most important factors for development of a nation. With the increase of medical facilities all over the United States, the need of CNAs has increased to. And as the need for CNA is increasing, the nursing assistant salary ranges are also being uplifted. Certified Nursing Assistant is a secure and one of the fastest growing careers to choose from. Besides the dollar value, that a nursing assistant can bring home, one also gets various other facilities and benefits from this career. But you may be wondering, what is the salary of a nursing assistant? Well, nursing assistant salary depends on a number of factors which are discussed below.

Nursing assistants mostly earn in between $20,000 and $30,000 per year. But sometimes, one can also earn greater than $30,000. What causes such a difference? This is because of the various factors that influence the salary of the nursing assistant.

One of the factors that greatly influence the salary a CNA earns is the experience. Experience greatly counts and so a more experienced nursing assistant earns greater than an inexperienced nursing assistant. A nursing assistant with significant amount of experience has almost as much knowledge as an RN or LPN. Thus, if a nursing assistant is very experienced then he or she may even earn greater than a Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

Similarly, location and environmental setting are other significant factors that affect the income of a CNA. CNAs can often be found working in local healthcare facilities like hospitals, nursing homes, within doctor’s office, elderly healthcare facilities and more. Nursing assistants working at different healthcare facilities have different range of income. Similarly, nursing assistants working in urban areas tend to earn greater than nursing assistants working in remote areas. Also, within each healthcare facility, the salary of the nursing assistants can vary depending upon the section they are working, their experience and other similar factors.

Thus, the important factors that affect the nursing assistant salary are:

• Experience
• Location of the healthcare facility(Urban or rural setting)
• Type and size of the facility
• Position within the medical facility
• Education and certification of the CNA

If you are one among those who are planning to opt Certified Nursing Assistant as a career then it is essential for you to know how to earn a CNA license to enter the field of nursing. To work as a nursing assistant, you must possess a certification stating that you are officially permitted to do so. To get such a certification, you must first complete all the required qualifications and trainings. The CNA training duration is of 75 hours which consists of theoretical and practical clinical knowledge, which also must be approved by the respective state. After completing your training you must apply and sit for the CNA licensing examination. The licensing exam for CNA is taken in two parts which are clinical part and theoretical part.

-          Clinical exam is basically a way to test how you apply your clinical knowledge and understanding in real life situation i.e. in healthcare environment. To take the clinical exam, you may be required to take a volunteer with you to the examination site, using whom you can exhibit the clinical skills and signs you have learned in your course. A state examiner will be there to examine what you have learnt in your practical training and how you apply them in. In the examination, you will be asked to demonstrate a few (generally three to five) practical training skills that you have learnt during your training. But before you start the exam, you will have to properly wash your hands in-front of the examiner and dry them off with a paper towel. Also, the same paper towel must be used to turn the tap off. The examiner is very conscious about your each and every step during the demonstration (including washing your hands and drying them with paper towel). The examiners examine your demonstrated skills closely, so it is important to perform well on the clinical examination.

-          Theoretical exams require you to apply your clinical knowledge and understanding in theoretical examination conditions. These are generally straight forward. You can always take a look at the sample questions or previous examinations. You can also find free sample questions and trial tests on the internet.

After successfully passing the license exam, you will be granted CNA license by the respective state and you will be permitted to work in medical facilities.