In a Q1 2026 sample of 1,226 private-sector postings that named CNA, 63% required it and 8% preferred it. The clearest pattern is who is asking. Employers hiring directly, largely nursing homes, assisted-living, and home-care providers, required CNA certification 66% of the time, while staffing agencies required it only 28% and more often listed it as one acceptable qualification among several. So the credential reads as a hard requirement from the facilities that employ CNAs directly, and a softer preference from agencies.
Demand was spread across many employers rather than concentrated. The sample covered more than 899 different employers, and the largest, the staffing firm LanceSoft, was just 2.9% of the postings. The jobs clustered modestly by location, with the top five states making up about 28% of the sample, led by California, and effectively none offered remote work, since the role is hands-on personal care.
CNA differs from most credentials we cover: it is usually the primary qualification of the job rather than an add-on. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median of $39,530 for nursing assistants, with entry pay near $31,390, the lowest of the credentials on this site. Among the 42% of private postings that stated pay, most were hourly, and annualized their median landed near $41,600, close to the BLS figure. Earning the credential means completing a state-approved training program and passing a two-part competency exam, after which your name is added to the state nurse aide registry.
Nursing-assistant employment is projected to grow about 2% through 2034, slower than the 3% average across all jobs, but the field still generates roughly 211,800 openings a year, most of them from turnover as workers move into other roles or leave the field. CNA certification is kept current by working a minimum number of hours and completing continuing education over a two-year cycle, with the exact rules set by each state.