Certified Nursing Assistant Jobs in Seattle, WA
Certified nursing assistants at Seattle's hospitals and cancer centers are seeing posted pay of about $28 to $41 an hour, far above the city's $21.30 minimum wage. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring on First Hill and in South Lake Union, what it pays and how to get certified.
Current certified nursing assistant Openings in Seattle, WA
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Certified Nursing Assistant Work in Seattle
In Seattle, CNA work is concentrated in the hospital district and the research campuses. Pill Hill on First Hill holds Harborview and Virginia Mason Medical Center, Fred Hutch runs its outpatient infusion and treatment floors in South Lake Union, and Seattle Children's sits on Sand Point Way in Laurelhurst. Many Seattle hospitals title the job CNA / Patient Care Technician, so search both names. Skilled nursing and rehab buildings across the city, from the Central District to West Seattle, hire CNAs too, usually at lower starting rates than the hospitals.
The credential also matters for a second reason here. The Seattle Colleges associate degree nursing program requires a Washington Nursing Assistant-Certified credential to apply, so many nursing students work as CNAs while they finish prerequisites, and Seattle Children's sets aside CNA roles for nursing students.
Top Seattle Employers Hiring Certified Nursing Assistants
These Seattle employers have posted CNA roles on their own careers sites:
- UW Medicine - the University of Washington hires CNA / Patient Care Technicians for Harborview and its other Seattle hospitals.
- Virginia Mason Franciscan Health - Virginia Mason Medical Center on First Hill posts CNA roles that require a Washington NA-C and an AHA BLS card.
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center - the South Lake Union cancer center hires CNAs for its infusion unit.
- Seattle Children's - the Laurelhurst children's hospital offers CNA roles to nursing students alongside nursing technician and unit coordinator jobs.
Certified Nursing Assistant Salaries in Seattle
- Entry level: about $24 to $28 an hour, typical for new CNAs in skilled nursing and long-term care.
- Experienced: roughly $29 to $35 an hour at hospitals and cancer centers.
- Senior: $36 to $41 an hour at the top of Seattle hospital pay scales.
These are estimates. Federal May 2025 data puts the metro median for nursing assistants near $52,000 a year, about $25 an hour, while 2026 Seattle hospital postings for CNAs start around $28 and run past $40. Employer type moves pay the most, then nights, weekends and years of experience on union step scales.
How to Become a Certified Nursing Assistant in Seattle
Washington credentials nursing assistants through the Washington State Department of Health, with training programs overseen by the Washington State Board of Nursing. You complete an approved nursing assistant program, then pass the state's in-person skills test and its knowledge test, which is scheduled through Credentia. Seattle Central College runs an 8 to 9 week full-time Nursing Assistant Certified course with theory on Zoom, labs at the South Seattle College campus on 16th Avenue SW in West Seattle and a 40-hour clinical rotation at a Seattle-area site. Hospitals also expect a current AHA BLS card, and some accept an NA-R with proof you passed the NA-C exam.
What the Job Involves
CNAs handle the hands-on care that keeps a unit running: taking vital signs, helping patients bathe, dress, eat and move, turning and repositioning, answering call lights, collecting specimens and charting intake, output and observations. On a hospital unit you work under the RNs, report changes in condition, and help with admissions, transfers and discharges. In skilled nursing you care for the same residents day after day.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Washington NA-C credential
- Current AHA BLS certification
- Accurate vital signs and electronic charting
- Safe patient lifting, transfers and mobility
- Infection control and isolation practice
- Calm, clear communication with patients and families
Career Path and Advancement
A Seattle CNA job is often the first rung of a nursing career. The NA-C is a prerequisite for the Seattle Colleges associate degree nursing program, and from there the path runs to RN at Harborview, Virginia Mason or Seattle Children's. Others move up through Green River College's practical nursing program in Auburn to become an LPN, or step into patient care technician, unit coordinator and specialty roles such as infusion and emergency department tech.
Related Careers in Seattle
If nursing assistant work interests you, these Seattle roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I become a CNA in Washington?
Complete an approved nursing assistant training program, then pass the state's in-person skills test and its knowledge test, which is scheduled through Credentia. Your Nursing Assistant-Certified credential is issued by the Washington State Department of Health.
How much do CNAs make in Seattle?
Seattle hospital and cancer center postings in 2026 have started around $28 an hour and run past $40 at the top of the scale. Skilled nursing and long-term care tend to start lower, often in the mid-$20s.
How long does CNA training take in Seattle?
Seattle Central College's full-time Nursing Assistant Certified course runs 8 to 9 weeks, including a 40-hour clinical rotation. Add a few weeks for the background check, health screenings and scheduling your state exams.
Is a CNA the same as a patient care technician?
In Seattle the titles often overlap. UW Medicine posts the job as CNA / Patient Care Technician, and its postings have required a Washington NA-C credential.
Do I need to be a CNA to get into nursing school in Seattle?
For the Seattle Colleges associate degree nursing program, yes: a Washington NA-C credential is an admission requirement. Other programs vary, so check each school, but CNA experience helps nearly every nursing application.
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