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Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
Pass a 75–100 hour MA-approved CNA program — work in nursing homes, hospitals, and rehabs.
Pay range
$19–$28/hr in MA. Hospitals and union nursing homes pay the high end; weekend and overnight differentials add 10–25%.
Age requirement
Must be at least 16 to enroll in a MA CNA program; most employers hire at 18+.
What this job is
The honest version
A CNA is a state-registered aide who works under the direction of a nurse, mostly in nursing homes, rehabs, and hospitals. In MA, you complete a Department of Public Health (DPH) approved Nurse Aide Training Program (typically 75–100 hours, 4–8 weeks), then pass the MA Nurse Aide Competency Exam (written + skills) to be added to the MA Nurse Aide Registry. Many MA employers will hire you BEFORE you certify and pay for the training — long-term care facilities especially. The CNA credential is portable across all 50 states (with reciprocity) and is the most common stepping stone into LPN and RN school.
Is this you?
You'll fit if…
- You can take direction from a nurse and follow procedure exactly
- You're comfortable with bodies — wounds, ostomies, incontinence, end-of-life care
- You can stay friendly during a 12-hour shift on your feet
- You handle being part of a team with hierarchy (nurses, charge nurses, doctors)
What you'll do
Core skills
- Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) — bathing, dressing, feeding, toileting
- Vital signs (BP, pulse, respiration, temperature, pulse ox)
- Safe patient handling, transfers, and gait belt use
- Infection control and PPE use
- Charting in EHR systems (Epic, MatrixCare, PointClickCare)
- Recognizing changes in patient status and reporting up the chain
What you'll need
Required certifications
Stand out
Things that give you a leg up
- Free CNA training programs at MA long-term care facilities (sign-on bonus + paid training)
- Vocational high school health science track (Worcester Tech, Madison Park, Greater Lowell Tech)
- MassReconnect — free community college for adults 25+ without a degree
- Bilingual in any of MA's most common languages
Take a step
Learn more
- Look up MA DPH-approved Nurse Aide Training Programs at your nearest community college
- Call 3 local nursing homes and ask if they offer paid CNA training
- Apply for the Red Cross CNA program (Boston, Springfield, Worcester sites)
- Get your CPR / BLS card scheduled — you'll need it for clinicals anyway
Heads up
Real talk before you commit
- 12-hour shifts are the norm in hospitals and long-term care — plan childcare and transportation accordingly.
- Nursing home work is heavier physically; hospital work is faster-paced. Try both before you decide.
- If you let your registry listing lapse (no paid CNA work in 24 months), you'll have to retest.