Are you a certified nursing assistant (CNA) in Utah or planning to become one? Embark on a fulfilling career as a CNA with rewarding job opportunities that Nursa puts at your fingertips, stepping into a world of competitive wages, desirable work environments, and flexible scheduling.
This resource provides publicly available information about average CNA salaries in Utah. While Nursa currently offers independent contractor CNAs in Utah the opportunity to access per diem jobs that pay on an hourly basis rather than access to salaried or wage-based employment opportunities, this information may be a helpful frame of reference for you as you assess the market landscape both in regard to per diem jobs and employment opportunities.
What’s the Average CNA Pay in the State of Utah?
CNAs make an annual mean income of $33,380 in Utah, approximately $3,000 or 8 percent less than the national average of $36,220. As part of a framework for your financial planning, compare mean certified nursing assistant pay in Utah with average wages in the surrounding states.
Source: Chart based on information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Most recent information as of November 2023)
As shown in the table above, location is one of the critical factors determining CNA pay, and you can see that Utah CNAs earn less than those in the neighboring states. However, the pay also varies by location within the state, as detailed in the section below on how much nurses make within Utah.
How Much Can Nursing Assistants Make in Utah?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides the typical range of wages for CNAs and other professions in percentiles, allowing you to foresee how much you can aspire to earn. These wage brackets show how much CNAs earn compared to their peers. For example, 10 percent of Utah CNAs receive up to $27,470 annually, and 90 percent earn more, whereas 90 percent of Utah CNAs earn up to $39,150 per year, and only 10 percent make more. The list below shows the percentile wages for CNAs in Utah, indicating the distribution of wages for this occupation in the state.
- 90th percentile: $39,150
- 75th percentile: $36,520
- 50th percentile: $33,200
- 25th percentile: $29,340
- 10th percentile: $27,470
To increase your income, you can explore per diem nursing jobs in Utah through Nursa’s open marketplace.
How Much Do CNAs Make throughout Utah?
To show the variation in wages by location within the state, the table below displays the mean CNA wage per hour and year by area in Utah.
Source: Chart based on information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Most recent information as of November 2023)
As you can see, from one area to another within Utah, the average yearly certified nursing assistant pay varies from $29,680 to $34,650, a nearly $5,000 difference. To learn more about nurse and nursing assistant pay, check out this resource guide: How Much You Can Make as a Nurse.
Furthermore, read on to find the highest-paying cities within these areas.
Which Are the Highest-Paying Cities in Utah for Nurses?
The previous table indicated that Salt Lake City generally offers the highest pay to certified nursing assistants. However, with per diem jobs, any city can be a high-paying city. In fact, the pay for per diem CNA jobs in Utah is notably higher than the mean hourly pay in staff positions in the same areas. The table below provides links to locations with well-paid per diem CNA jobs to meet the urgent needs of both healthcare facilities and their patients.
Working per diem or PRN allows you to earn a higher hourly wage as a CNA. Are you wondering how to find CNA jobs in UT? With Nursa, you can easily find per diem shifts in facilities that need your skills. Check the following links for current per diem CNA job openings in Utah, or sign up to receive notifications when nurse assistant jobs become available.
- Cottonwood Heights
- Herriman
- Alpine
- Kearns
- Millcreek
- Moab
- American Fork
- Brigham City
- South Salt Lake
- Taylorsville
- South Jordan
- West Valley City
- West Bountiful
- Fillmore
- Garden City
These locations often have hospitals and healthcare facilities needing nurses, nursing assistants, and patient care techs (PCTs), and are willing to pay higher CNA wages per hour to meet their needs.
How Many CNAs Does Utah Employ?
Knowing how much you can earn in Utah may help you choose the best option when considering independent contractor work or applying for salaried or wage-based employment. In addition, you may want to know which areas within the state employ more CNAs and have the greatest concentration of nursing assistants—or location quotient (LQ).
What is a location quotient? The LQ measures how common an occupation is in a particular area or state compared to the whole country, assigning a value of one to the national average. Consequently, a location quotient under one is lower than the nationwide average, and an LQ over one is higher. What is the concentration of CNAs in each area of Utah?
Source: Chart based on information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Most recent information as of November 2023)
The state employs 12,400 CNAs and has a location quotient of 0.86, lower than the national LQ.
Cost of Living Considerations in Utah
Depending on your family situation, the amount you need to cover expenses in Utah varies substantially. A single adult will need approximately $36,225 annually before taxes. In contrast, a single parent with one child will need over double that amount—around $74,000—and with two children, the amount takes another leap up to just over $95,000. Of course, in dual-income households, expenses are shared between partners, so each individual’s income requirement may be lower.
Find a wealth of helpful information in this resource guide for nurses and nursing assistants working in Utah.
How Can I Become a CNA in Utah?
A prospective CNA must complete a training program approved by the Utah CNA Registry. A variety of institutions offer these programs, including community colleges and healthcare organizations, such as the following:
- Salt Lake Tech in West Jordan and West Valley City
- Utah CNA Training Centers in Murray, Orem, Clearfield, and Logan
- Snow College in Ephraim, with outreach sites in Delta, Fillmore, Nephi, Piute, and Wayne
- Bridgerland Technical College in Logan
- Avalon Healthcare Group in Salt Lake City
Upon completing a training program, aspiring CNAs generally take Utah’s CNA Certification Exam. In some cases, the Registry may waive specific training requirements. For example, nurses with expired licenses from any state may be allowed to test, provided the credentials are in good standing. A nursing student past the first semester who has completed nursing fundamentals may also be able to test as a nursing assistant without taking CNA classes in Utah. The Utah CNA license is valid for two years before requiring renewal.
CNAs may continue their training to become patient care techs (PCTs) who have similar roles. However, a PCT may be responsible for more medical or medication-related care under the supervision of doctors or registered nurses (RNs).
How Can I Find Independent Contractor CNA Jobs?
Nursa puts nursing professionals into direct contact with facilities to find CNA, PCT, licensed practical nurse (LPN), or RN jobs in Utah to meet urgent needs and fill shifts on a per diem basis. As an independent per diem contractor with Nursa, you’ll enjoy high hourly rates, flexible scheduling, and the opportunity to make a difference in various healthcare settings in Utah. You can find CNA hospital jobs, shifts at nursing homes, or in other healthcare organizations. Browse Nursa today and start your rewarding career with PRN nursing assistant jobs.
