CNA vs Home Health Aide: 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 home health aides, $3.11 an hour more. The open jobs on this board today post medians of $21.25 an hour for certified nursing assistants and $19 for home health aides.

On this board today: 12,256 open certified nursing assistant jobs and 2,637 home health aide jobs, read from each employer's own job board. BLS expects about 196,200 openings a year for certified nursing assistants and 760,500 for home health aides, with employment changing +2.6% and +18.1% over 2025-2035.

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. Home health aides visit clients at home to help with bathing, dressing, meals and getting around, and check vital signs and report changes to the agency nurse.

A state-approved nurse aide training program (often 75 to 180 hours) and the state competency exam. (BLS: Postsecondary nondegree award.) A training program and competency test; at Medicare-certified agencies at least 75 hours. (BLS: High school diploma or equivalent.) Each occupation's page lists its credentials and who grants them: Certified nursing assistants, Home health aides.