Caregiver vs CNA: pay, jobs and what each takes

Certified nursing assistants, by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025): a median of $20.32 an hour ($42,260 a year), against $17.21 ($35,800 a year) for caregivers, $3.11 an hour more. The open jobs on this board today post medians of $17.50 an hour for caregivers and $21.25 for certified nursing assistants.

On this board today: 11,316 open caregiver jobs and 12,256 certified nursing assistant jobs, read from each employer's own job board. BLS expects about 760,500 openings a year for caregivers and 196,200 for certified nursing assistants, with employment changing +18.1% and +2.6% over 2025-2035.

Caregivers help older adults and people with disabilities with daily life at home or in assisted living: personal care, meals, housekeeping, errands and company. Nursing assistants help patients with bathing, dressing, eating, walking and toileting, take vital signs and tell the nurse what they see. Most work in nursing homes, hospitals and assisted living.

No degree; agencies train new caregivers, and some states require a short course. (BLS: High school diploma or equivalent.) A state-approved nurse aide training program (often 75 to 180 hours) and the state competency exam. (BLS: Postsecondary nondegree award.) Each occupation's page lists its credentials and who grants them: Caregivers, Certified nursing assistants.